Energy Micro

Energy Micro AS was a Norwegian fabless semiconductor company established in 2007 to develop energy-efficient embedded-processing and wireless-connectivity components. Its principal focus was on 32-bit RISC microcontrollers based on ARM processor cores, together with system-on-chip radio devices and RF transceivers. The company positioned its technology around reducing power consumption in embedded products while retaining the processing capability and peripheral integration expected from modern 32-bit microcontrollers. The company was founded by a group of semiconductor executives and engineers with experience at Chipcon, Texas Instruments, Atmel, Tandberg, Motorola, and Silicon Laboratories. Chief executive Geir Førre had previously founded Chipcon, a Norwegian wireless-semiconductor company that was later acquired by Texas Instruments. Co-founder and chief technology officer Øyvind Janbu brought experience from Chipcon, Texas Instruments, and Tandberg, while co-founder and vice president of engineering Eirik Jørgensen had worked at Atmel. John Fjellheim, another co-founder, led sales operations and had earlier worked at Chipcon. This background gave Energy Micro a management team familiar with both wireless integrated circuits and international semiconductor commercialization. Energy Micro’s best-known products were the EFM32 Gecko families of microcontrollers. These devices used ARM Cortex-M0 or Cortex-M3 processor cores and were designed with a broad set of low-power operating features. The EFM32 portfolio targeted embedded applications in which battery life, energy harvesting, standby consumption, and efficient peripheral operation were important design considerations. In addition to microcontrollers, the company worked on system-on-chip radios and RF transceiver technology, extending its focus from processing to wireless connectivity. The business attracted venture investment from Northzone Ventures and Investinor. The two investors participated in an initial funding round totaling US$13 million, according to the company’s historical reference material. Energy Micro subsequently built an international sales, marketing, operations, and finance organization, including executives recruited from Texas Instruments, Motorola, and Silicon Laboratories. Its board included semiconductor-industry figures Daniel Artusi and Daniel Hoste, with Torleif Ahlsand of Northzone Ventures serving as chairman and Steinar Fossen of Investinor as a board member. Silicon Labs acquired Energy Micro on June 7, 2013. Following the acquisition, Energy Micro ceased to operate as an independent company and its technology and product activities were incorporated into Silicon Labs’ microcontroller business. The EFM32 families became associated with Silicon Labs’ low-power microcontroller portfolio. Energy Micro is therefore best understood historically as an independent Norwegian semiconductor brand whose principal legacy is the development of low-energy ARM-based embedded microcontrollers and related wireless technologies.

Energy Micro was founded in Norway in 2007 as a fabless semiconductor company concentrating on low-energy embedded processing and wireless connectivity. Its founding team combined experience from several established semiconductor and electronics companies. Chief executive and co-founder Geir Førre had previously founded Chipcon, a wireless-semiconductor company that later became part of Texas Instruments. Chief technology officer and co-founder Øyvind Janbu had worked at Chipcon, Texas Instruments, and Tandberg. Engineering co-founder Eirik Jørgensen brought prior experience from Atmel, while sales co-founder John Fjellheim had also worked at Chipcon. The company’s central technical proposition was to make 32-bit embedded processing practical in applications constrained by energy consumption. Energy Micro developed ARM-based microcontrollers using Cortex-M0 and Cortex-M3 cores, combining general-purpose processing with peripherals and operating features intended to reduce active and sleep-mode power use. Its EFM32 Gecko families became the company’s principal product identity. The devices were aimed at embedded-system designers who needed a balance of processing performance, integrated functionality, and long battery life. Energy Micro also worked on system-on-chip radio products and RF transceivers. This broadened its activities beyond standalone microcontrollers and aligned the company with embedded applications requiring both local processing and wireless communications. The company operated as a fabless semiconductor designer, relying on external manufacturing rather than owning semiconductor fabrication plants. Energy Micro raised an initial US$13 million from Northzone Ventures and Investinor. The investment supported the development and commercialization of its semiconductor portfolio. The management organization expanded beyond the founding group: Andreas Koller joined from Texas Instruments to lead worldwide sales and marketing; Zalina Shaher became vice president of operations after experience at Motorola and Silicon Laboratories; and Phi Hong served as vice president of finance. The board included Daniel Artusi, Daniel Hoste, chairman Torleif Ahlsand of Northzone Ventures, and Investinor representative Steinar Fossen. On June 7, 2013, Silicon Labs acquired Energy Micro. The acquisition ended Energy Micro’s existence as an independent semiconductor company and transferred its products and technology into Silicon Labs. The EFM32 product families were subsequently associated with Silicon Labs’ low-power microcontroller business. Energy Micro’s historical significance rests on its role as a Norwegian developer of ultra-low-power ARM microcontrollers and wireless semiconductor technology, as well as on the semiconductor expertise of its founding team.

• 2013

  Acquired by Silicon Labs

  [1]Energy Microen.wikipedia.org

  Silicon Laboratories acquired Energy Micro on June 7, 2013, integrating its technology and product activities into Silicon Labs’ business.

• 2007

  Energy Micro founded

  [1]Energy Microen.wikipedia.org

  Energy Micro was established in Norway as a fabless semiconductor company focused on low-power 32-bit microcontrollers, wireless system-on-chip devices, and RF transceivers.

• Initial venture funding

  [1]Energy Microen.wikipedia.org

  Northzone Ventures and Investinor invested a combined US$13 million in Energy Micro’s first funding round.

A specialist supplier of ultra-low-power embedded microcontrollers and wireless semiconductor components.

• Low-power microcontroller family

  EFM32 Gecko

  The EFM32 Gecko families were Energy Micro’s principal microcontroller products. They used ARM Cortex-M0 or Cortex-M3 processor cores and were designed for embedded applications where low active and standby energy use was important. The families combined 32-bit processing with integrated peripherals and power-management-oriented operating features. Their intended use cases included energy-constrained embedded systems and products requiring long operating life from batteries or other limited power sources. After the acquisition, the EFM32 product line became part of Silicon Labs’ low-power microcontroller portfolio.

• Wireless semiconductor

  System-on-chip radios

  Energy Micro developed system-on-chip radio products alongside its microcontroller business. These devices combined embedded processing and wireless-radio functionality in an integrated semiconductor design, supporting applications that required both local computation and connectivity. The company’s radio work complemented its emphasis on low energy consumption and extended its product scope beyond general-purpose microcontrollers.

• Wireless semiconductor

  RF transceivers

  RF transceivers formed part of Energy Micro’s wireless semiconductor activities. The products were intended to provide radio transmit and receive functions for embedded and connected systems. Public reference material identifies RF transceivers as a core area of specialization but does not provide enough detail to identify individual part numbers, protocols, or launch dates.

• 2013

  Sale to Silicon LaboratoriesM&A

  Background

  Energy Micro had developed a portfolio centered on low-power ARM microcontrollers and wireless semiconductor components, supported by semiconductor-industry investors and an internationally experienced management team.

  Action taken

  Silicon Laboratories acquired Energy Micro on June 7, 2013.

  Aftermath

  Energy Micro ceased to operate independently, and its EFM32 microcontroller activities and related technology were incorporated into Silicon Labs’ product portfolio.

  Source

• 2013

  Silicon Labs acquired Energy Micro[1]Energy Microen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Silicon Laboratories completed its acquisition of Energy Micro on June 7, 2013. The transaction brought Energy Micro’s low-power microcontroller, system-on-chip radio, and RF capabilities into Silicon Labs’ portfolio.

1. 1Energy Microen.wikipedia.org