RFID sparks investment

News

Blue Spark Technologies has completed a $5m funding round to support the ramp-up of its carbon-zinc batteries for RFID applications.

Blue Spark Technologies, the Westlake, Ohio-based designer and manufacturer of thin, flexible printed batteries, has completed a $5m (£3m) funding round to support the ramp-up of its carbon-zinc batteries for RFID applications.

Funding sources include existing Blue Spark investors Early Stage Partners and SunBridge Partners, as well as several additional private investors.

The batteries will be used in battery-assisted passive RFID systems that are scheduled to ship in the fourth quarter of 2009.

According to Blue Spark president and chief executive officer, Gary R Johnson, systems integrators and end users have now become aware of a number of applications for which passive UHF RFID systems did not provide adequate read range or reliability, and where active RFID was simply too expensive.

The company said that battery-assisted passive RFID systems can extend the range of conventional passive RFID systems well beyond their present capacity for a relatively low cost. From a price/performance point of view, it said that battery-assisted RFID can effectively fill the gap between conventional passive RFID and more costly active RFID.

Register now to continue reading

Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.  

Benefits of registering

  • In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends

  • Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year

  • Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox

Register
Or continue by

Signing in with your registered email address