Low-power funding

Cambridge-based CamSemi has completed of one of the largest VC funding rounds for a European fabless semiconductor company this year by raising £13m.

The C round funding, led by 3i and existing shareholders Scottish Equity Partners (SEP) and TTP Ventures, sees the Carbon Trust join as a new investor. Carbon Trust Investments is taking a £1.95m equity stake in CamSemi – its first investment in a company focused on improving the energy efficiency of consumer electronics products.

CamSemi is developing sophisticated ICs that will allow manufacturers to introduce highly cost-efficient mains-connected converters and battery chargers that are smaller, cheaper and more power efficient. They have the potential to deliver a 10-fold improvement in standby energy efficiency and reduce operating mode losses by a factor of three.

'Our first products are already available to the worldwide market and shipping in volume. The C2470 family of controllers allows manufacturers for the first time to replace bulky, low cost and power-hungry linear supplies with a simple, cost competitive and much more energy efficient approach,' said David Baillie, CEO at CamSemi.

'Linear power supplies typically operate with power conversion efficiencies of 50 per cent or even less and standby consumptions of 1W. However, products based on CamSemi’s C2470 controllers offer very significant improvements with figures of around 85 per cent and 100mW respectively. Products are also smaller and lighter, which saves on transportation costs plus they require far less raw materials to manufacture them and they are easier to recycle too,' he added.

The new funding will help CamSemi support its ongoing product development programmes, continue to build its sales and marketing infrastructure and provide the working capital to fuel the demand-led expansion in the company’s business.