
PseudolithIC raises $6m for mmWave chiplet tech
US startup PseudolithIC has raised $6m in seed funding for a proprietary technology to create chiplets for millimetre wave (mmWave) microwave and RF wireless systems.
The investment will enable the company to accelerate the development and commercialization of hybrid semiconductor products which embeds compound semiconductor chiplets into silicon wafers for 10% of the cost of existing processes. This aims to boost the technical performance and cut the cost of RF and mmWave devices.
The seed round was led by Entrada Ventures, with additional investments from Foothill Ventures and Uncork Capital.
The PseudolithIC technology allows RF chiplets to be mounted on 300mm silicon wafers for lower cost devices in terrestrial and satellite communications, aerospace, and IoT (Internet of Things) applications.
The company plans to release product samples for mmWave power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers and transmit/receive front-ends later this year.
“Our team is excited to push the boundaries of what is possible in RF technology,” said Jim Buckwalter, CTO of PseudolithIC and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UC Santa Barbara. “The hybrid approach of combining silicon and compound semiconductor chiplets unlocks new potential for RF systems, enabling faster data rates, lower latencies, and better reliability. We believe our innovations will be game-changing for customers requiring high-performance wireless solutions.”
PseudolithIC in Santa Barbara, CA, has a team of more than 15 employees and the funding round will be used to expand its team and accelerate research and development to bring its products to market.
“We are thrilled to have the backing of such investors as Entrada Ventures, Foothill Ventures, and Uncork Capital. Our goal is to lead the charge in providing cost-effective, high-performance silicon RFIC solutions augmented with compound semiconductors, that meet the ever-growing demands of next-generation wireless systems,” said Florian Herrault, CEO and co-founder of PseudolithIC. He was formerly a researcher in advanced packing technology at HRL Laboratories, a joint venture between Boeing and General Motors based in California. The other founder is Prof Jim Buckwalter at the University of California Santa Barbara and an IEEE Fellow and an elected member of the Administrative Committee of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society.
“The wireless industry has been limited by the opposing metrics of performance and scale. We think Florian and Jim have developed something here that will unlock a new era in wireless systems that will result in unprecedented performance on mobile and satellite platforms,” said Alex Fang, Managing Partner at Entrada Ventures.
