Nanopower

Nanopower is a fabless semiconductor company based in Porto, Portugal, that develops ultra-low-power integrated circuits for battery-powered and energy-harvesting electronic systems. The company was founded in 2017 around the invention of its core nPZero low-power solution, and it operates in the nanowatt range — a scale reflected in its name. Its mission is framed around "saving the world from millions of batteries" by enabling devices that can be installed and forgotten, logging and transmitting data for as long as needed without frequent battery replacement. The company's central product is the nPZero power-saving IC, built on a full subthreshold design. According to Nanopower, the technology can reduce power consumption by up to 90% in different operating modes and operates in the nanoampere range while keeping monitoring and other functions intact. The nPZero architecture allows an active system to run without an active microcontroller: the IC can take over the controller role, manage peripherals such as sensors over I2C and SPI, and hand control back to a host (MCU, processor, or wireless SoC) based on user-configurable rules. This makes it compatible with a wide range of wireless technologies and sensors. Nanopower positions itself as addressing a gap left by wireless chip manufacturers, who have focused successfully on power consumption during transmission and reception but remain suboptimal for periods when wireless communication is not required. By targeting those idle periods, Nanopower aims to enable large-scale industrial IoT deployments that are environmentally sustainable, operationally scalable, and cost-effective. The company describes itself as a fabless semiconductor firm, meaning it designs chips but outsources fabrication. It is a limited liability company (AS) and, per Wikidata, is located in Porto, Portugal. It markets its products globally and exhibits at major industry events such as Electronica in Munich and Embedded World in Nuremberg. Its product line includes the nPZG1S, positioned for absolute minimum power draw and simple ultra-low-power duty cycles, and the nPZ2100 PSIC, positioned for feature-packed smart IoT devices requiring enhanced control with an industrial temperature range.

Nanopower was founded in 2017 based on the invention of its low-power solution, nPZero. The company named itself Nanopower Semiconductor AS because it operates in the nanowatt range. In 2019, Nanopower began development of a dedicated IC intended to create a scalable solution with real impact. Its first prototype and system were taped out in 2020 and 2021, proving both functionality and low-power capabilities. The company describes itself as a fabless semiconductor company that redefines low power for microelectronics, enabling large-scale and environmentally sustainable deployment of electronic devices and networks. It is a limited liability company (AS) and, according to Wikidata, is located in Porto, Portugal. Nanopower has continued to develop its product line, introducing the nPZ2100 PSIC with enhanced capabilities and a tiny idle current budget, alongside the nPZG1S for absolute minimum power draw. The company exhibits at industry events including Electronica in Munich and Embedded World in Nuremberg.

• 2021

  Second prototype and system taped out, proving functionality and low power capabilities.

• 2020

  First prototype and system taped out.

• 2019

  Started development of a dedicated IC to create a scalable solution.

• 2017

  Nanopower founded based on the invention of the nPZero low-power solution.

Ultra-low-power subthreshold semiconductor technology for battery-powered and energy-harvesting IoT devices, enabling install-and-forget operation.

• nPZero power-saving IC

  Subthreshold power-saving IC offering up to 90% reduction in power consumption, compatible with I2C and SPI peripherals and various hosts.

• nPZG1S

  Power saving IC best for absolute minimum power draw and simple ultra-low-power duty cycles.

• nPZ2100 PSIC

  Power saving IC best for feature-packed smart IoT devices requiring enhanced control with industrial temperature range.

1. 1Nanopower | Homenanopowersemi.com
2. 2Nanopower | About Nanopower Semiconductornanopowersemi.com
3. 3Nanopower | nPZero power-saving ICnanopowersemi.com
4. 4Nanopower (Portugal) - Wikidatawikidata.org