SuVolta Raises $17.6 Million in Venture Funding

LOS GATOS, CA--(Marketwire - Jan 5, 2012) - SuVolta, Inc., the developer of PowerShrink™ low-power IC technology that cuts chip power consumption by 50 to 90 percent, today announced that it has secured $17.6 million in venture funding. The company will use the funding to continue to develop low-power silicon technologies for the world's most advanced semiconductor processes. New investor Bright Capital participated in the round, joining all existing SuVolta investors including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), August Capital, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Northgate Capital, DAG Ventures and others.

"SuVolta's revolutionary PowerShrink transistor is a stunning and disruptive innovation, a true game-changer," said John Doerr, partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. "It solves the semiconductor industry's greatest challenge -- power -- without requiring billions of dollars investment in new fab facilities and chip designs. So partners and investors are racing to exploit this enormous opportunity."

"While the past five years have produced impressive innovations with the web and mobile devices, it's just as important that we continue advancing the underlying technologies that make these innovations possible," said Forest Baskett, general partner at NEA. "Unfortunately, the funding for core semiconductor technology has significantly declined over the same period. Funding a venture like SuVolta is important because we need companies striving to truly disrupt the status quo in the semiconductor industry."

The Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) shows supplier funding (e.g., IP, EDA/design, foundry, test, packaging) at $717.5M in 2007 compared to $272.2M in 2010, with 2011 tracking at roughly half the rate of last year as reported in the Global Semiconductor Funding, IPO and M&A Update.

The semiconductor industry recognizes the issue of power consumption must be addressed -- including Intel which introduced the Tri-Gate transistor in May 2011. SuVolta's PowerShrink™ low-power CMOS platform, enables semiconductor companies to cut chip power in half without sacrificing performance, losing functionality, or having to migrate to a more advanced -- and costly -- semiconductor process node.

"Power is now the biggest design constraint for electronic products. This funding demonstrates the excitement surrounding our technology which dramatically reduces power consumption in ICs," said Bruce McWilliams, president and CEO of SuVolta. "Lowering power consumption has far reaching benefits for a range of applications and products including mobile devices. SuVolta is pleased to be advancing the possibilities from continued scaling of planar, bulk CMOS technology."

At the International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) last month in Washington D.C., SuVolta along with its development partner and licensee, Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited, demonstrateddramatic power consumption reduction with the ultra-low-voltage operation of SRAM (static random access memory) blocks down to 0.425V.

About SuVolta, Inc.

SuVolta, Inc. develops and licenses scalable semiconductor technologies that enable a significant reduction in IC power consumption while maintaining performance. Based in Silicon Valley, the team includes world-class engineers and scientists with a long history of technology development and innovation to advance the semiconductor industry. The company is backed by leading venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), August Capital, NEA, Bright Capital, Northgate Capital and DAG Ventures. For more information visit www.suvolta.com.

Mindspeed Technologies to Acquire Picochip

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mindspeed Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MSPD), a leading supplier of semiconductor solutions for network infrastructure applications, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire U.K.-based Picochip Limited, a leading supplier of integrated system-on-chip (SoC) solutions for small cell base stations, for a purchase price of approximately $51.8 million, plus a potential earnout payment of up to $25 million payable in the first calendar quarter of 2013.

Together, Mindspeed and Picochip will offer the most comprehensive portfolio of base station semiconductor solutions on the market, from residential to enterprise to pico/metro applications. Through this timely combination, Mindspeed's enhanced product roadmap for single- and multi-mode 3G/4G solutions will enable it to capitalize on the rapid acceleration of the small cell wireless base station market, while also addressing comprehensive support for all 3G and 4G global air interface standards. Management estimates the total addressable market for the combined entity will grow to $3.0 billion by 2016. Management also believes technology synergies, operational synergies and opportunities for cross-selling products within each company’s customer base are substantial.The expected acquisition will create the clear market leader in small cell base station solutions for next generation mobile broadband communications infrastructure, an explosive growth market. Research firm Mobile Experts LLC predicts small cell base station shipments will grow to 24 million units by 2016, creating a market for alternative cells, which could exceed the macrocell market in terms of transceiver unit shipments during the next four years.

For Picochip, Mindspeed will pay cash of $27.5 million and approximately 5.19 million in new shares of Mindspeed common stock, amounting to approximately 15 percent of outstanding Mindspeed shares, for a total of $24.3 million, based upon the closing price of Mindspeed’s common stock on January 4, 2012. The cash portion of the initial purchase price will be financed in part with bank debt. The terms also include an earnout provision, whereby the purchase price can increase by up to $25 million, contingent on the achievement of certain milestones. The earnout, which is payable in the first calendar quarter of 2013, may be paid in cash, Mindspeed common stock or a combination thereof, at Mindspeed’s discretion.

The transaction has been approved by Mindspeed’s and Picochip’s boards of directors and is subject to certain closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2012. Mindspeed currently expects the acquisition, inclusive of anticipated synergies, to be accretive to non-GAAP earnings per share in the second half of calendar 2012.

“Our acquisition of Picochip establishes our position as a global leader in wireless infrastructure semiconductor solutions for next generation mobile broadband communications,” said Raouf Y. Halim, chief executive officer of Mindspeed. “It is a great strategic fit for several reasons. First, it positions Mindspeed as the clear leader in small cell base station technology with the industry’s broadest small cell product offering, addressing a significantly expanded market opportunity of $3.0 billion by 2016. Second, it enhances our competitive position as we join our respective 3G/4G technologies to offer single- and multi-mode solutions that we believe will provide us a time-to-market and product performance advantage relative to competitors. Third, it gives us the scale to lead the industry’s move toward fixed/mobile broadband convergence; a trend which we believe will drive revenue and earnings growth for Mindspeed in the future.”

Nigel Toon, chief executive officer and president of Picochip, stated, “Mindspeed is the ideal acquirer for us. Together, we have valuable technology and customer synergies, given Picochip’s carrier-qualified 3G wireless technology leadership with over 70 percent market share in 3G/high-speed packet access (HSPA) and Mindspeed’s proven pathway as the long-term evolution (LTE) small cell pioneer with the Transcede® product family. Our combined resources create one of the largest SoC development groups in the wireless infrastructure sector with complementary intellectual property scale and expertise to deliver the solutions that this fast-moving market demands.”

Raymond James & Associates, Inc. is acting as Mindspeed’s financial advisor, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. is serving as Mindspeed’s legal advisor. Barclays Capital is acting as Picochip’s financial advisor and Fenwick & West LLP is serving as Picochip’s legal advisor.

About Mindspeed Technologies

Mindspeed Technologies (NASDAQ: MSPD) is a leading provider of network infrastructure semiconductor solutions to the communications industry. The company's low-power system-on-chip (SoC) products are helping to drive video, voice and data applications in worldwide fiber-optic networks and enable advanced processing for 3G and long-term evolution (LTE) mobile networks. The company's high-performance analog products are used in a variety of optical, enterprise, industrial and video transport systems. Mindspeed's products are sold to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) around the globe.

About Picochip

Picochip is enabling the next generation of wireless infrastructure. Its picoXcell™ family of optimized silicon devices is the leader in the fast growing market for femtocell access points. Its picoArray™ family of flexible wireless processors is the leading solution for OFDMA-based network equipment, and is backed by comprehensive software support for global standards such as EDGE, HSPA, HSPA+, TD-SCDMA, WiMAX, LTE, cdma2000 and GSM. Located in Bath, UK and Beijing, China, Picochip is re-shaping mobile networks.

For more information, visit www.picochip.com and Twitter: @picochip_femto.

EnVerv Raises $12M Round of Financing

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EnVerv Inc., an innovative fabless semiconductor company developing high performance Communications System on Chip (SoC) solutions for the Smart Grid market announces the closing of $12M Series B round of funding led by Benchmark Capital. Previous investors, NEA and Walden International participated in the round also.

EnVerv is among a handful of companies working on highly integrated multi-standard (such as G3-PLC, PRIME, S-FSK and EnVerv’s TurboPLC™) narrowband PLC modems. EnVerv’s PLC enable applications in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Solar Inverters, Active Lighting, Industrial Control & Remote Monitoring markets where emphasis on mission critical communications and reliable data transmission across power line networks are required.“Mission critical connectivity is the cornerstone of building reliable smart grids worldwide and EnVerv’s SoC products provide the best solution for smart grid communications,” said Bruce Dunlevie, General Partner at Benchmark Capital. “Successful delivery on an array of high performance Power Line Communications (PLC) SoCs in just over a year is a testament to EnVerv’s laser focused execution and innovative product design. At Benchmark, we look forward to working with EnVerv’s management to help continue with this success.”

“We are very pleased to see Benchmark join our current investors in support of our vision to make EnVerv the leading provider of energy management solutions in the market,” said Shahin Hedayat, Chief Executive Officer of EnVerv. “This investment will enable us to capitalize on our technical achievements to scale customer support and volume production of our high performance multimode PLC chips.”

EnVerv’s PLC technology has been field trialed worldwide and has received customer acceptance in all major markets.

About EnVerv Inc.

EnVerv is a fabless semiconductor company in the United States with Headquarters in San Jose, California and offices in San Diego and Shenzhen, China. EnVerv’s PLC SoC solutions enable high performance communications via Low-Voltage (LV) and Medium-Voltage (MV) power lines with the goal of providing efficient and effective communications means for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) as well as other power line-based smart control and monitoring applications. Base node and gateway devices’ core features include: Multimode PLC modem (x–FSK, G3, PRIME and TurboPLC™) and worldwide frequency band support from 10KHz to 500KHz. For more information please visit www.enverv.com.

Linear Technology acquires Dust Networks

MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Linear Technology Corporation (NASDAQ: LLTC), a leader in high performance analog integrated circuits, today announced the acquisition of Dust Networks, Inc., a leading provider of low power wireless sensor network (WSN) technology. The acquisition of Dust Networks, based in Hayward, CA, will enable Linear to offer a complete high performance wireless sensor networking solution. Dust Networks’ low power radio and software technology complements Linear’s strengths in industrial instrumentation, power management and energy harvesting technology.

Dust Networks’ proven, low power wireless sensor network technology extends Linear’s product portfolio into key growth areas in industrial process control, data acquisition and energy harvesting. Dust Networks’ ultralow power wireless systems complements Linear’s analog and digital sensor interface ICs, and energy harvesting power management products in applications where measurement of physical parameters has traditionally been impractical or impossible.

Erik Soule, Vice President of Signal Conditioning and High Frequency products for Linear Technology, stated, “Dust Networks offers the lowest power radio technology and most complete networking software for building industrial-grade wireless sensor networks. Combined with Linear’s precision low-power sensor interface products and battery-free energy harvesting technology, we can now offer the industry’s highest performance remote monitoring solutions.”

With the growing importance of machine-to-machine communications to enable remote data acquisition, low power wireless sensing is an emerging solution for many end-markets, including industrial process control, building automation and data center energy management.

Joy Weiss, President of Dust Networks, stated, “Dust Networks and Linear are an excellent fit. We already have very complementary products and customers, and with Linear’s global sales reach we can be at the forefront, enabling sensor networks to go wireless on an even broader scale.”

“Smart Dust” was first conceived by Dr. Kris Pister, founder and chief technologist of Dust Networks, as a simple way to deploy intelligent wireless sensors. Dust Networks pioneered SmartMesh® networks that comprise a self-forming mesh of nodes, or “motes,” which collect and relay data, and a network manager that monitors and manages network performance and sends data to the host application. This technology is now the basis for a number of seminal networking standards. The hallmark of Dust Networks’ technology is that it combines low power, standards-based radio technology, time diversity, frequency diversity, and physical diversity—to assure reliability, scalability, wire-free power source flexibility, and ease-of-use. All motes in a SmartMesh network—even the routing nodes—are designed to run on batteries for years, allowing the ultimate flexibility in placing sensors exactly where they need to go with low cost “peel and stick” installations.

Dust Networks’ customers range from the world’s largest industrial process automation and control providers such as GE and Emerson, to innovative, green companies such as Vigilent and Streetline Networks. Dust Networks’ technology can be found in a variety of monitoring and control solutions, including data center energy management, renewable energy, remote monitoring, and transportation.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Although there will be some transaction related costs, Dust’s ongoing results are not expected to be material in the short term to Linear’s financial statements.

About Dust Networks

Founded in 2002, Dust Networks is a pioneer in the field of wireless sensor networking, and is defining the way to connect smart devices. Using standards-based network technology, Dust Networks provides reliable, resilient and scalable products with advanced network management and comprehensive security features. Dust’s broad portfolio includes SmartMesh®IP, SmartMesh Industrial/WirelessHART™ and ZigBee®. Dust Networks provides complete wireless systems solutions, including IEEE 802.15.4 mote modules, mote-on-chips and network and security management software and hardware. For more information, visit www.dustnetworks.com

About Linear Technology

Linear Technology Corporation, a member of the S&P 500, has been designing, manufacturing and marketing a broad line of high performance analog integrated circuits for major companies worldwide for three decades. The Company’s products provide an essential bridge between our analog world and the digital electronics in communications, networking, industrial, automotive, computer, medical, instrumentation, consumer, and military and aerospace systems. Linear Technology produces power management, data conversion, signal conditioning, RF and interface ICs, and µModule® subsystems. For more information, visit www.linear.com

LT, LTC, LTM, µModule and are registered trademarks of Linear Technology Corp. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Lattice Semiconductor to Acquire SiliconBlue

HILLSBORO, OR--(Marketwire - Dec 9, 2011) - Lattice Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: LSCC) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire SiliconBlue Technologies, a pioneer and leader in Custom Mobile Device™ solutions for the consumer handheld market. Utilizing a single chip, ultra-low power Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) fabric, SiliconBlue's mobileFPGA™ devices enable mobile designers to quickly add features to their mobile platform in areas such as connectivity, memory / storage, sensor management, and video / imaging. SiliconBlue's mobile FPGA devices have already shipped in the millions of units to top tier consumer OEM's.

Under terms of the agreement, Lattice Semiconductor will pay approximately $62 million in cash for SiliconBlue Technologies. The acquisition is subject to standard closing conditions, with a targeted close in the fourth quarter of 2011. Lattice Semiconductor ended the third quarter of 2011 with a cash, cash equivalents and short-term marketable securities balance of $267.2 million.

Darin G. Billerbeck, Lattice Semiconductor's President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "The acquisition of SiliconBlue is aligned with our Strategic Long Range Plan and will help accelerate our growth strategy in the Mobile Consumer market. Silicon Blue will further strengthen our product roadmap by adding a scalable, low cost, low power nonvolatile memory FPGA, along with key personnel and blue chip customers. Kapil Shankar, SiliconBlue's Chief Executive Officer, will join Lattice Semiconductor as Corporate Vice President of the Mobility Business Unit and will be responsible for the Company's mobility product lines."

The mobile consumer market for PLD's includes digital cameras, smartphones, eReaders, tablets, notebooks and netbooks. Key market growth trends include the drive for longer battery life, more natural interfaces, increased functionality, lower cost and reduced weight.

Mr. Shankar commented, "We are excited to be joining the Lattice Semiconductor family. Lattice gives us the global scale, proven market credibility and financial backing to take SiliconBlue to the next phase of its growth. We think our existing customers will immediately benefit from our new global reach and support. We also expect Lattice's added resources and financial strength will give potential new customers confidence in designing in our mobileFPGA solutions as we work to more fully realize the potential of our pioneering technology."

About SiliconBlue:Founded in 2006, privately held SiliconBlue Technologies is the leader in Custom Mobile Device (CMD) solutions, with over 250 active end customers and more than 40 patents. The company offers a total solution for handset applications, including IP, design services and a new class of ultra-low power, single-chip, CMOS SRAM mobileFPGA devices with patented non-volatile configuration memory (NVCM). The company is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with offices in China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan. SiliconBlue is a privately held company and includes the following investors; BlueRunVentures, Crosslink Capital, NEA, Apex Venture Partners, TSMC and Atlantic Bridge. For more information, please visit our website atwww.siliconbluetech.com.

About Lattice Semiconductor: Lattice is the source for innovative FPGA, PLD, programmable Power Management solutions. For more information, visit www.latticesemi.com. Follow Lattice via Facebook, RSS and Twitter.

GainSpan Closes $18 Million Series C Financing

San Jose, CA – December 5, 2011 - GainSpan Corporation a leader in low power embedded Wi-Fi solutions, today announced that it has raised $18 million in Series C funding. Hatteras Funds, based in New York and North Carolina, and Mobile Internet Capital, based in Japan, joined in the round along with existing investors Opus Capital, In-Q-Tel, Intel Capital, New Venture Partners, Sigma Partners and Camp Ventures. GainSpan will use the new funds to further development of its next-generation ultra-low power Wi-Fi chip to support growth and maintain its technology leadership.

Over the past year GainSpan has experienced significant quarter to quarter growth in sales, design wins and overall market momentum, with Wi-Fi being accepted more and more as the technology of choice for the Internet of Things. Global demand for low power embedded Wi-Fi is being driven by device manufacturers looking to connect their devices to smartphones, to an existing Wi-Fi infrastructure or to the Internet. With its ultra-low power, highly comprehensive integrated networking stack and ease of use, the company's embedded Wi-Fi is the ideal solution for companies who want to connect all kinds of devices.

"GainSpan is clearly poised to capitalize on what has become a massive move to connect 'things' to the Internet," said Hideaki Yajima, executive director of Mobile Internet Capital, Inc. "Our investment reflects confidence that GainSpan is uniquely positioned in this space and is delivering a compelling technology to help make Wi-Fi the standard for Internet of Things connectivity."

"GainSpan continues to make great strides as an emerging leader in the low-power embedded Wi-Fi space," said Matt Lesesky, Hatteras Funds. "We think the company has the potential to help transform the practice of medicine by enabling remote health and wellness services on a wide scale. They are quickly expanding their footprint in this market and building a compelling business."

"The Internet of Things market is growing dramatically and taking off worldwide. Low power Wi-Fi is being used on more devices than ever before and GainSpan is at the heart of it," said Carl Showalter, general partner at Opus Capital, Inc. "Gainspan's leadership in supplying low power chips with high value software has been instrumental in helping accelerate this promising new market. We are excited to continue our support."

"Being able to attract such world-class companies is the ultimate seal of approval that we are in the right place at the right time with the right solution. While the debate over what wireless technology works best will continue, it's hard to argue with powerful financial backers, real customers and proven, innovative products in a hot market," said Greg Winner, President and CEO of GainSpan.

About GainSpan

GainSpan is a leading ultra-low power embedded Wi-Fi solutions company focused on connecting things wirelessly to the Internet. The company's Wi-Fi chips and modules make it possible to quickly and easily add Wi-Fi to devices, through a serial interface to a device microcontroller. The GainSpan Wi-Fi chip handles all Wi-Fi functionalities, networking and security stacks, accelerating wireless device development cycles. GainSpan solutions feature an ultra low power SoC that consumes just a few µA of standby current and has a few ms of wake-up latency, ideal for battery operated devices requiring long life. Applications for the company’s embedded Wi-Fi include healthcare, smart energy and control and monitoring for industrial, commercial and home markets. Based in San Jose, CA, the company has R&D facilities in Bangalore, India.www.gainspan.com

PMC-Sierra to acquire RAD3

Calgary, Alberta, October 25, 2011 – RAD3 Communications Inc. (RAD3), a Calgary-based communications intellectual property (IP) company, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by PMC-Sierra, the semiconductor innovator transforming storage, optical and mobile networks. The team will continue to operate out of its Calgary office.

“We’re excited for our Calgary-based team to be joining an international company of PMC’s caliber,” Roger Bertschmann, president of RAD3. “PMC’s integration and silicon expertise, combined with our leading-edge capability in the design and delivery of communications and storage IP, will enable us to drive industry-changing technologies that transform the network.”

“RAD3’s technologies and highly experienced team are a good fit with PMC,” said Brian Gerson, PMC fellow and vice president of Research and Development. “RAD3’s Forward Error Correction (FEC) and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technologies will enhance PMC’s ability to offer innovative, high-performance solutions for storage, optical and mobile networks.”

The acquisition is expected to close in November 2011, subject to customary closing conditions.

About RAD3 Communications
RAD3 is a leading supplier of communications intellectual property (IP) for new and emerging wired and wireless communication standards. RAD3’s extensive library of IP solutions enables communication companies to rapidly design and build their products using a suite of industry proven IP. For more information, please visit RAD3’s web site: www.rad3comm.com.

About PMC

PMC (Nasdaq:PMCS) is the semiconductor innovator transforming networks that connect, move and store digital content. Building on a track record of technology leadership, we are driving innovation across storage, optical and mobile networks. Our highly integrated solutions increase performance and enable next-generation services to accelerate the network transformation. For more information, visit www.pmc-sierra.com.