Investment in wireless semiconductor companies in the Bristol
area will reach $1bn by the end of this year, according to
Silicon South
West, the industry network for semiconductor, wireless, and
microelectronics companies in the region.
“There is a group of high-profile wireless communication
technology start-ups in the region such as M-Stream, Pro-Vision,
Air Semiconductor, MMIC Solutions and Xmos, and a strong pipeline
of VC deals which will take us through the $1bn invested milestone
by the end of this year,” said Simon Bond, director of innovation
centres for Silicon South West.
Last week’s $25m investment in Swindon-based Ubiquisys, the
developer of femto-cell access point technology, brings the total
of venture capital raised by wireless communications technology
companies in the region to $190m, since the start of 2006.
Additional, substantial, investments were made by Nextwave
Wireless with its acquisition of IP Wireless for $235m in May this
year, and Amdocs which acquired Cramer for $425m in 2006.
The largest South-West wireless recipients of VC funding
(2006/7) are:
1. Icera - $60m
2. Ubiquisys - $37m
3. Apertio - $30m
4. picoChip - $27m
5. Mirics - $10m
An additional $25m plus of VC has been raised by: Air
Semiconductor, Geonix, MMIC Solutions, Nanotech, SiConnect, SRT and
Xmos during 2006/07.
Silicon South West will be hosting the
Wireless 2.0 conference with speakers from the sector’s leading
companies on September 28, 2007 in Bristol.
See also:
Electronics Weekly's Technology Start-ups where you can find
articles on technology start-ups in the UK, an interactive map
showing the location and business sector of each start-up and links
to useful websites for the technology entrepreneur.