Disruptive Power Conversion IC Start-up Addresses Mobile Computing and Data Center Pain Points
Cambridge, MA., 25 February 2016 – Arctic Sand Technologies (www.arcticsand.com), the performance and space saving leader in power conversion ICs has announced the completion of a $19M Series B Financing round, led by Murata Manufacturing Company, Ltd. with co-investors GE Ventures, Northwater Capital and Arsenal Venture Partners. Targeting major segments of the $5B DC/DC power conversion market, Arctic Sand’s ICs today enable significantly more runtime, smaller batteries and thinner profile smartphones, tablets and Ultrabooks. Arctic Sand’s Data Center products increase server / storage platform power efficiency in up to 50% less space.
An MIT spin-out initially funded in January 2013, the company’s growing 15-issued patent trove includes three exclusively-licensed MIT patents co-authored by Arctic Sand’s founder and Chief Scientist David Guiliano. The company is led by a seasoned executive management team that has previously built fabless power semiconductor companies and guided them to market success.
Comments Arctic Sand Technologies’ CEO Gary Davison: “While our best competitors struggle to increase power conversion efficiency by 1% per chip generation and struggle to make them fit into ever-thinner products, Arctic Sand’s first commercial product, an LED backlight driver IC for mobile computing platforms, increases power conversion efficiency by about 10% – in a 33% thinner form factor, and with no increase in circuit board footprint. Think of it as a no cost way to add an hour or two of operation for your tablet or smartphone.“
Adds Norio Nakajima, Member of the Board of Directors and Executive Vice President Communication & Sensor Business Unit and Energy Business Group at Murata: “Murata‘s long history of successful product innovation demonstrates that disruptive technologies are essential to enable market revolutions. This is why Murata is very excited to be working closely with the Arctic Sand team to develop market leading high efficiency power conversion products and technologies for our common customers.”
