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Nitronex Gets $21.8 Million in Venture FundingJune 19, 2006...Nitronex of Raleigh, North Carolina USA, a developer and manufacturer of power transistors has closed a deal to get $21.8 million in venture funding from Alloy Ventures. The company recently introduced its gallium nitride on silicon technology called Sigantic, for the WiMax Market. Sigantic technology reportedly adds the scalability of silicon to the high power, high frequency, high operating voltage, and broad bandwidth performance of gallium nitride (GaN). Nitronex plans to use the capital to finish the development and expand manufacturing of several new products; accelerate hiring in operations, engineering, sales and marketing and finance; expand into new global markets; and take advantage of emerging opportunities in cellular, WiMax, broadband and more. Alloy Ventures, a provider of expansion capital focused on information technology and life sciences joined new funding providers Intersouth Partners, Arch Venture Partners, and Diamondhead Venture. Returning investors include: VantagePoint Venture Partners and Contender Capital. According to Nitronex, the funding round is one of the largest raised in the Research Triangle region. Charles Shalvoy, Nitronex CEO said, “We believe that our GaN on silicon based products offer significant advantages over existing LDMOS and GaAs solutions for the WiMax, cellular, and broadband wireless markets. With our new financing, we plan to accelerate our efforts to introduce a broad family of innovative RF power transistor products for these markets.” Nitronex News Release Veeco Gets MBE System Orders |
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Commentary & Perspective...
China's SSL Forum & Expo July 12-14 is a Bellwether EventJune 14, 2006...While there are a growing number of LED-related international events to select from these days, our event in Taiwan last month, Blue/SSL, and the upcoming China International Forum (CIF) on Solid State Lighting (SSL) July 12-14, CIF-SSL in mainland China (PRC) stand apart in that they are totally focused on the solid state lighting supply chain, and they're located where an amazingly large number of suppliers reside. PRC and Taiwan combined also comprise a huge and leading edge marketplace for LED manufacturers, packagers, systems and subsystems designers as well as OEMs, lighting designers, and end users who are poised to become major players in the international SSL industry. With the SSL marketplace taking shape more rapidly than many might realize, I believe CIF-SSL qualifies as a bellwether event, i.e.... a leading indicator of the current status of the SSL industry, and where it's headed. The PRC government is solidly behind this CIF-SSL event, which is now in its third year, and they've made sure from the outset that this is a very international event. Attendance from those residing in China has proved to be extremely high and the organizing committee, under the chairmanship of Ms. Wu Ling, is again welcoming the international SSL community to take part. Based on last year's attendance, CIF-SSL boasts the largest expo in the field, thus providing an unprecedented opportunity for sponsors and exhibitors to receive exceptional and highly targeted exposure to the mainland China market. Check out the list of participating organizers and committee members and prepare to be impressed. A key member of Wu Ling's committee is noted Asia LED industry expert, Dr. Robert (Bob) Walker, CEO of the Sunnyvale, California USA-based power LED supplier BridgeLux, Inc. Bob points out that the CIF-SSL event promises to offer attendees a blend of business and technology updates along with networking opportunities that will connect international manufacturers and suppliers to many of China’s SSL companies and national SSL committee personnel. “I believe China will be on the bleeding edge of the solid state lighting revolution,” said Walker. “Companies need to view China as not just a manufacturing center for labor-intensive products, such as toys or tennis shoes, but as an important end-market and customer base for their solid-state lighting products. Only by being in China, and developing person-to-person relationships, will someone really begin to understand the business potential of the world’s largest population and gather the knowledge they’ll need to design products that can capitalize on this market potential.” The committee has recruited an impressive lineup of key speakers from the USA.
Included is the industry's foremost market researcher, Dr. Robert (Bob) Steele
of Strategies Unlimited, and HB-LED technology pioneers, Dr. Asif Khan of the University of South Carolina and Dr.
Steven Denbaars of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Bob Steele points
out that, "With the rapid infrastructure growth they are experiencing
as a nation, China has recognized that now is the time to establish a national
goal to realize the energy-saving benefits that solid-state lighting can offer.
I don’t see any other nation showing this level of commitment to deploying
LED-based lighting solutions in such a broad-based manner. This commitment will
help to make China one of the most significant world markets for solid-state
lighting.” At CIF-SSL, as is the case with Blue/SSLS, the organizers guarantee that sponsors and exhibitors receive center stage. With so many of us now using the Internet as their primary source of business information, sponsors of these type events now enjoy tremendous exposure online. It's an excellent way to advertise while supporting an important event or cause. The visual message that comes across via such online exposure is becoming vital to companies. Plus, sites like ours are now experiencing exceptionally high traffic and the embedded links such as in this column, and crosslinks over a rich variety of information sources is what sets online exposure apart from old fashioned ways of publicizing and advertising. Sponsorship slots for CIF-SSL are still available. Check out details on sponsorships. Lastly, here's the link to attendee information and registration. If you're based outside China, your best direct contact is Kathi Blanchard in California at tel: 801-495-5500 and Kathi's email is: info@china-ssl.org. Inside China it's Grace Cui at tel: 86-10-82512802 or email her at cgw@techcn.com. Interestingly, Shenzhen is a 6,000 year old city with a population of over 1 million noted for its Longgang Sanhuang Chicken, Nantou Lichee, Nanshan Peach, Shiyan Pear, Jingui Orange, Longhua Square Persimmon, dragon-dances, lion-dances and steed-dances. Sounds like quite an experience. Enjoy! If you have news or
views to share about the compound semiconductor, LED or solid
state lighting industries |
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