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pSemi has raised $93.0M across 4 funding rounds.
Key people at pSemi.
pSemi has raised $93.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
pSemi designs and manufactures innovative semiconductor solutions, specializing in RF, power management, and sensor products. The company creates smaller, thinner, faster, and more efficient electronics through advanced design and novel technology platforms. This approach pushes the boundaries of semiconductor integration and performance, enabling next-generation connected devices.
Founded in 1990 by Ron Reedy, Mark Burgener, and Rory Moore, pSemi aimed to commercialize radio frequency silicon-on-insulator (RF SOI) technology. Their insight involved overcoming substantial technical barriers to bring SOI into the mainstream, transforming the industry's perception of a silicon RF front end into reality.
Millions worldwide utilize pSemi’s integrated circuits in devices like smartphones, cable modems, laptops, and 5G base stations. The company’s mission is to build intelligent electronics for the connected world, continuously striving to exceed current and future market specifications through semiconductor innovation and integration.
pSemi has raised $93.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
pSemi's investors include Morgenthaler Ventures.
pSemi has raised $93.0M across 4 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $18.0M Series U in November 2004.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2004 | $18M Series U | — | Morgenthaler Ventures | Announced |
| Feb 1, 2003 | $23M Series A | — | Morgenthaler Ventures | Announced |
| Aug 1, 2002 | $14M Series A | — | Morgenthaler Ventures | Announced |
| Jan 1, 2001 | $38M Series U | — | Morgenthaler Ventures | Announced |
Key people at pSemi.
pSemi is a San Diego-based semiconductor company that designs and manufactures high-performance RF CMOS integrated circuits using proprietary UltraCMOS technology, based on silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates.[1][2][3] Acquired by Murata Manufacturing in December 2014, it serves markets including aerospace and defense, broadband, industrial, mobile wireless devices, test and measurement, and wireless infrastructure, with products integrated into smartphones, cable modems, laptops, and 5G base stations.[1][2][3] pSemi solves challenges in RF front-ends, power management, and sensors by enabling smaller, thinner, faster, and more efficient electronics for the connected world, evidenced by milestones like selling its four billionth chip in 2018 and ongoing innovations in Wi-Fi 6E, UWB, and 5G mmWave modules.[1][2][3][4]
Founded over 30 years ago as Peregrine Semiconductor, pSemi pioneered RF SOI technology, commercializing what the industry deemed impossible by overcoming performance barriers in radio frequency silicon-on-insulator processes.[1][3] The company rebranded to pSemi in January 2018 amid its 30th anniversary of RF CMOS innovation and the shipment of its four billionth chip.[1] Key leadership transitions include Sumit Tomar becoming CEO in July 2019, with prior CEO Jim Cable retiring in 2020 after 20 years; it also acquired Arctic Sand Technologies in 2017 for power converter expertise.[1] As a Murata subsidiary since 2014, pSemi leverages Murata's manufacturing scale while retaining autonomy, expanding R&D across the US, Europe, and Asia.[1][3]
pSemi rides the explosive growth of 5G, Wi-Fi 6E/7, IoT, and mmWave deployments, where surging data demands outpace sub-6 GHz networks, necessitating high-efficiency RFICs for base stations, smartphones, and customer premises equipment.[2][4] Its SOI pioneering disrupts legacy RF markets by enabling monolithic FEMs with better noise figures and smaller sizes, critical as operators accelerate mmWave rollouts amid bandwidth constraints.[1][2][4] Market forces like consumer data proliferation, battery life demands in mobiles/laptops, and hybrid beamforming in Massive MIMO favor pSemi's timing, amplified by Murata's integration for lighter, thinner components.[3][4] It influences the ecosystem by driving semiconductor adoption in Murata's portfolio, powering billions of devices, and partnering (e.g., Aemulus for testers) to advance testing and deployment scales.[1][3]
pSemi is poised to dominate RF SOI in next-gen connectivity, with upcoming expansions in 5G mmWave antenna modules, ultra-compact Wi-Fi/UWB switches, and inductor-less power ICs for edge AI and ultra-thin devices.[2][4] Trends like 6G R&D, pervasive IoT, and energy-efficient 3D packaging will propel growth, leveraging Murata's scale for market share gains in base stations and consumer tech.[3][4] Its influence may evolve toward fully integrated system-in-packages, solidifying pSemi as the RF innovator transforming "impossible" electronics for an hyper-connected world—echoing its founding vision now realized at global scale.[1][3]
