Murata’s Peregrine Semiconductor acquires MIT startup Arctic Sand

The Murata owned Peregrine Semiconductor acquired power semiconductor startup Arctic Sand Technologies, incubated in MIT. Arctic Sand Technologies is developing small sized and low power consuming power ICs, where it’s technology basically saves the design from producing heat. Early in 2016 Murata led investor group funded Arctic Sand with US$19 Million. It is reported that Peregrine acquired Arctic Sand for US$ 68 Million. Arctic Sand’s patented TIPS (Transformative Integrated Power Solutions) technology uses switch capacitive techniques for DC/DC conversion basically allowing use of smaller inductive components, resulting in increased efficiency and an overall higher power density factor compared to today’s competing technologies used in mobile/portable and data centre powering. TIPS platform reduces energy loss by 50% via solutions a fraction the size of competitive products. The market for DC/DC converters runs into 10s of Billions $S. 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. “Arctic Sand is the epitome of an innovative startup,” says Jim Cable, chairman and CTO of Peregrine Semiconductor and global R&D director at Murata Manufacturing. “With this acquisition, Peregrine and Murata...