Audience dials up $15M to suppress noise on cell phones
Audience, maker of mobile chips that can dampen background noise when people speak on their cell phones, just brought in $15 million in a fourth round of funding. This brings the Mountain View, Calif. company’s total capital to $60 million since its inception in 2004.
Audience claims that it modeled its product on the normal functioning of the human ear — allowing it to block out some sounds while focusing others. This allows users to have… Continue Reading
Cree settles patent suit with LED co. Bridgelux
Efficient lighting company Cree has settled its patent infringement lawsuit with Sunnyvale, Calif. LED maker Bridgelux after two years of litigation. Not only must Bridgelux pay to license the technology from Cree — technology that increases the efficiency of LED lighting systems — but it also signed an agreement to make Cree one of its major suppliers.
The suit encompassed six different patents concerning LEDs (long-lasting lighting systems that cut energy use up to 85 percent… Continue Reading
Maxim Integrated acquires Mobilygen for video compression
Surveillance semiconductor company Maxim Integrated Products announced that it will buy private video chip maker Mobilygen for an undisclosed amount. The large public company hopes the acquisition will provide it with the compression technology it needs to make analog security cameras compatible with digital streaming, recording and storage systems.
Maxim is particularly interested in Mobilygen’s technology because it is cheaper to use and requires less power to operate than other solutions, executives at the company told… Continue Reading
InvenSense takes on $19M for phone motion sensing
While the first thing many people will think of when they hear “motion sensing” is home security systems, the technology that InvenSense is working on has more in common with a Nintendo Wii than ADT.
InvenSense makes gyroscopes and accelerometers that can sense the movements users make while holding mobile devices. The technology could lead to gesture-enabled phones and new gaming techniques.
The $19 million funding was led by Sierra Ventures. Also participating were Foxconn, Inventec Appliances,… Continue Reading
Audience announces $15M for clear voice communications
Audience, a maker of voice processing technology that mimics the sort of audio processing that happens in the human brain, has announced its $15 million third round of financing.
We actually covered Audience’s unveiling in February, and first broke news on the funding, but the announcement fills out list of investors,and now includes Tallwood Venture Capital and VentureTech Alliance. We already mentioned Paul Allen’sVulcan Capital and New Enterprise Associates.
The Mountain View, Calif., company makes the A1010,… Continue Reading
BridgeLux, a high-efficiency LED maker, adds on $40M
BridgeLux has secured a hefty $40 million round to use for product development and expansion, despite facing ongoing patent litigation from giant LED maker Cree.
BridgeLux, like Cree, makes the chip that is the light-emitting part of LEDs, which it then sells to other firms. The company’s chips are predominantly in electronics and automotive applications, but are also being delivered for use in general lighting for homes and businesses.
The funding is notable because it’s one of… Continue Reading
Validity raises $20M for fingerprint scanners
Validity Sensors, based in San Jose, Calif., develops technology for fingerprint sensors used in laptops and other devices.
The company works with partners like Cogent Systems and Synaptics to develop and commercialize its products, which it began selling earlier this quarter.
Crosslink Capital led another $20 million round, alongside Qualcomm Ventures and TeleSoft Partners; all three firms had invested in Validity before. Past investors also include Austin Ventures and VentureTech Alliance, as well as a number of… Continue Reading
Power Analog Microelectronics raises $6M for AV equipment
Power Analog Microelectronics makes high-powered LED display driver semiconductors and Class-D digital audio amplifiers, both for the consumer and communications markets.
The Santa Clara, Calif. company’s high voltage equipment goes into automotive, consumer audio, flat panel display and lighting applications.
PAM was founded in 2004, and took one previous round of funding, bringing its total to $12 million. The current $6 million round was co-led by Hotung Investment Holdings and H&Q Asia Pacific, with CVM Capital and… Continue Reading
Optichron, a communications distortion removing co., raises $12M
Optichron, a Fremont, Calif. chip company that removes “nonlinear” distortion from signaling systems in wireless telephony, WiMax and GPS, said it has raised $12 million more in financing.
It also appointed Thomas E. Carlson as chief financial officer. See the company’s full statement here.
Investors included US Venture Partners, TL Ventures, Battery Ventures, and VentureTech Alliance.
Total funding to date is $38 million.
Update: Quellan raises $20M for mobile phone noise-reduction — delay on profitability
Quellan, a Santa Clara, Calif. company that reduces noise interference on weak wireless signals, said it has raised $20 million in a third round of financing.
[Update: The company, which originally said it would be profitable this year, now says it won't be profitable until the end of next year.]
The company has been around since 2001, but its strategy to boost cell reception is relatively recent. Its technology comes at a good time: Motorola’s RAZR phone… Continue Reading
Neoconix, maker of circuit board interconnects, raises $16M
Neoconix, a provider of electrical interconnects for circuit boards that allows circuit boards to become smaller, has raised $16 million in a third round of financing.
The round was led by VentureTech Alliance, and included existing backers J.P. Morgan Partners, Venrock Associates, U.S. Venture Partners and Walden International.
The company has raised $39 million in venture backing since 2003. VentureWire (subscription required) first reported the news this morning.
Validity Sensors raises $20M more for fingerprint sensors
Validity Sensors, San Jose start-up the builds advanced fingerprint sensors, has raised $20 million in its latest round of venture capital, in what appears to be a formal financial restart of the company.
The round included a “substantial investment” from Qualcomm Ventures, according to the company, which suggests the company’s technology will soon be used for mobile phones. Qualcomm is a leading mobile phone chip company.
The round was led, however, by venture firm TeleSoft Partners,… Continue Reading