Components & Systems
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Alphamosaic
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Alphamosaic
Alphamosaic (sold to Broadcom NASDAQ: BRCM) was spun out of Cambridge Consultants, Europe’s leading multi-disciplinary technology consultancy, in 2001 to develop its proprietary low-power video processor integrated circuits.
Its VideoCore products combine high levels of video processing capability with a much lower power consumption than other available solutions and are ideal for high-function consumer electronics devices.
Alphamosaic’s devices were designed first into mobile handset designs and later into Apple’s video iPod. The company was sold to Broadcom Corporation in 2004 for $123 million. -
DisplayLink
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DisplayLink
DisplayLink, formerly known as Newnham Technology, is changing the way computers connect with displays. The company’s software and silicon solution allows display electronics to be connected to computers and networks in a flexible and scalable manner using standard protocols such as USB and Ethernet.
In the near term the company’s products help laptop manufacturers to shorten times and lower costs associated with design work. In the longer term the company’s products will power vertical display applications such as airport signage, will help knowledge workers to function more efficiently through multiple display connections and will help consumers to benefit from emerging trends in the digital home. DisplayLink aims to be the new standard in display connectivityy, both wired as wireless.
The company is headquartered in California, USA with operations in Cambridge, UK. -
Fillfactory
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Fillfactory
FillFactory (sold to Cypress Semiconductor NYSE: CY) was spun-out of IMEC in Belgium in 2000. It designs high performance image capture devices based on CMOS integrated circuit technology.
Its products address high-value market segments including medical imaging, aerospace, automotive, machine vision and digital photography.
The company was sold to Cypress Semiconductor in 2004 for $100 million in cash, representing an 80% IRR and an 11x return on the capital invested. -
GreenPeak Technologies
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GreenPeak Technologies
GreenPeak Technologies develops IP, chips and modules for the wireless data communication industry based on the IEEE 802.15.4 and ZigBee standards. These standards have been developed for the wireless sensing and control market. Greenpeak utilizes energy harvesting to facilitate battery free operation in a totally wireless environment.
Greenpeaks’s vision is of a world where standards-based sense and control networks are easy to install and maintain, enabling proliferation of networks and innovative applications.
The company is headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands.Visit the GreenPeak Technologies website at www.greenpeak.com
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Intense
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Intense
Intense is an optoelectronic solutions provider delivering bespoke engineering services and volume manufacturing capability to customers looking to dominate their markets through technology leadership.
The company’s core IP in photonic integration (including quantum well intermixing) and INSlam capability enable it to develop high-density laser array modules that meet its customers needs with unparalleled efficiency and at market-leading cost. Intense’s solutions enable its customers to fundamentally improve the manufacturing economics of their own products.
Intense is headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland where it also has its own fabrication facility. The company has a number of key customers in the printing, telecoms and defence markets. -
Lime Microsystems
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Lime Microsystems
Lime Microsystems is an early stage company developing mixed signal radio frequency integrated circuits for emerging wireless data services markets including WiMAX.
Lime’s technical team is is drawn from a selection of top-rated international research and industrial organizations and has achieved a number of breakthroughs in the design and development of mixed signal ICs. Lime’s technology is based on a set of mixed signal ICs on CMOS and mature SiGe technologies for high levels of integration, design portability and low cost.
The company is headquartered in Guildford, UK and its first products will begin shipping in 2007. -
nCipher
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nCipher
nCipher (LSE: NCH) is a leading developer of internet security products, both hardware and software, that maximize information security, system scalability and transaction processing speed in electronic commerce and public key infrastructure applications.
nCipher floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2000 and Esprit subsequently exited its investment in nCipher in June 2003, with the IRR on its investment over the 1999-2003 period standing at 35%. -
Phyworks
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Phyworks
Phyworks is a fabless semiconductor company supplying a range of 2-10Gbit/sec components to the optical networking, fibre to the home, and storage area networks markets.
Using its proprietary electronic dispersion correction technology, the company has developed devices that allow optical module manufacturers to achieve higher levels of integration and performance at lower cost.
Phyworks is shipping its products in production volumes to industry leading companies in Asia and the USA and its revenues are growing strongly. It is headquartered in Bristol, UK and has an office in Beaverton, OR, USA. -
Polatis
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Polatis
Polatis produces free-space all-optical switches based on its proprietary Micro-Actuator and Sensing System (“MASS”) technology, which has proven to deliver a far superior performance compared to alternative approaches.
Polatis’ switches are being used in a range of applications in the telecommunications, defence, instrumentation and video distribution industries. The company sells its switches directly and through channel partners including JDS Uniphase.
Polatis merged with Continuum in 2005, retaining the Polatis name and management, but incorporated in the USA, its largest market. The company is now headquartered in Billerica, MA, USA and retains an office in Cambridge, UK. -
Powerlase
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Powerlase
Powerlase develops and manufactures high power lasers for customers requiring a combination of exceptional average power and beam quality and short intense pulses. Major applications for Powerlase’s products are in the fields of materials processing and EUV semiconductor lithography.
Powerlase’s products are based on its own IP in diode-pumped, solid-state laser technology. This core technology is configured to best fit the customer application requirements through effective engineering and product development in the company’s own laboratories.
The company is based in Crawley, near London and has global customers in the areas of displays, machine tools, aerospace, automotive and semiconductors. -
SiConnect
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SiConnect
SiConnect develops low cost, high performance powerline networking technology.
It is a fabless semiconductor company, producing integrated circuits that allow content service providers and consumer electronics vendors to connect their products to the internet and to each other around the home. This allows them to distribute audio, video and data content throughout the customer's house, providing the infrastructure for the digital networked home of the future.
SiConnect is headquartered in Swindon, UK. -
Tagsys
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Tagsys
Tagsys RFID is a world leading provider of item-level RFID solutions to the library, laundry, luxury goods and, in particular, pharmaceuticals sectors.
The company's leading edge technology and systems designs achieves unprecedented read rates in the dense and demanding environments required to operate efficiently at item level. This allows the business to provide reliable, accurate and secure solutions to its customers.
Tagsys RFID was originally a spin out from Gemplus. The company has operations in Marseille, France, and is headquartered in Boston, USA. High profile customers include Pfizer, Glaxo SmithKline, Nike, Elis and Radobank. -
XMOS
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XMOS
Xmos provides "software defined silicon" chips based on a family of reconfigurable processors, replacing ASICs and FPGAs in consumer electronics designs. This enables faster design to build cycles and more flexibility in designing and deploying semiconductor solutions. Xmos is a fabless semiconductor company based in Bristol.
For more information please visit www.xmos.com
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ZBD
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ZBD
ZBD has designed very low power, bi-stable displays which are based on a proprietary patented form of liquid crystal technology.
These displays are characterised by virtually indefinite and robust image storage without power, best-in-class contrast and reflectivity, high resolution and therefore information content, without the need for an active back-plane.
ZBD has completed successful trials at Tesco, Dixons and John Lewis stores and is currently expanding its manufacturing capability to meet demand. The company is the only VC backed spin out from Qinetiq and is headquartered in Windsor, UK with operations in Malvern, UK.