Volterra Semiconductor

Volterra Semiconductor was a United States fabless semiconductor company founded in 1996 and headquartered in Fremont, California. The company designed mixed-signal integrated circuits and related chipsets for power-management applications, concentrating on systems that required low operating voltages and exceptionally high current levels. Its technologies were used in computing and networking hardware, including desktop and notebook personal computers, workstations, network servers, and video controllers. Rather than operating large-scale fabrication plants, Volterra focused on semiconductor design and relied on external manufacturing partners, a model that allowed it to concentrate resources on circuit architecture, power-conversion performance, packaging, and application-specific customer requirements. Its product emphasis reflected the increasing electrical demands of modern processors, graphics hardware, and server platforms, where efficient voltage regulation and precise power delivery are essential to system stability and performance. The company became publicly traded through an initial public offering on July 29, 2004, pricing its shares at $8.00 each. As a public company, Volterra continued to develop power-management solutions for computing and infrastructure markets. The business remained relatively specialized, serving customers and applications where high-current power conversion and compact, efficient designs were important differentiators. By the first quarter of 2013, Volterra reported net revenue of $39.9 million and directly employed approximately 200 to 500 people, according to the company information summarized in its reference material. In October 2013, Maxim Integrated acquired Volterra Semiconductor. Following the acquisition, Volterra ceased to operate as an independent public company and became part of Maxim Integrated's semiconductor business. The acquisition marked the end of Volterra as a standalone corporate brand, although its power-management technology and expertise were incorporated into the acquiring company's operations.

Volterra Semiconductor was established in 1996 in the United States and developed a specialized position in power-management semiconductor design. It operated as a fabless company, meaning that its core activities centered on designing and developing integrated circuits while semiconductor fabrication was performed through external manufacturing arrangements. The company was headquartered in Fremont, California, a location within the broader technology and semiconductor ecosystem of Silicon Valley. Volterra's engineering focus was mixed-signal integrated circuits for power-management applications. Its products addressed systems operating at relatively low voltages but requiring very high current, a combination that creates demanding requirements for voltage regulation, thermal performance, efficiency, transient response, and board-level integration. The company's solutions were aimed at electronic platforms such as desktop and notebook computers, workstations, network servers, and video controllers. These markets increasingly depended on sophisticated power-delivery architectures as processors and other high-performance components became more power-dense and electrically demanding. The company entered the public markets in 2004. Its initial public offering took place on July 29, 2004, with shares priced at $8.00 each. Public-company status provided Volterra with access to capital markets while it continued to serve specialized computing and infrastructure applications. The business remained centered on integrated circuits and chipsets rather than consumer-facing finished products, so its brand was primarily visible to original equipment manufacturers, system designers, and electronics industry customers. By the first quarter of 2013, the company reported net revenue of $39.9 million and directly employed approximately 200 to 500 people. These figures indicate a focused semiconductor enterprise rather than a mass-market electronics manufacturer. Its commercial identity rested on technical specialization in power conversion and power delivery, particularly for applications where high current, low voltage, and compact implementation were important. In October 2013, Maxim Integrated acquired Volterra Semiconductor. The transaction ended Volterra's independent corporate and public-company status and placed its activities within Maxim's broader analog and mixed-signal semiconductor portfolio. After the acquisition, Volterra was no longer an independent brand in the same sense as before, although its technology and engineering capabilities became part of the acquiring organization. The company is therefore best understood historically as a specialist power-management semiconductor business that operated independently from 1996 until its acquisition in 2013.

• 2013

  Acquisition by Maxim Integrated

  [1]Volterra Semiconductoren.wikipedia.org

  Maxim Integrated acquired Volterra in October 2013, ending Volterra's independent corporate existence.

• 2004

  Initial public offering

  [1]Volterra Semiconductoren.wikipedia.org

  The company became publicly traded on July 29, 2004, with its initial public offering priced at $8.00 per share.

• 1996

  Volterra Semiconductor is founded

  [1]Volterra Semiconductoren.wikipedia.org

  Volterra Semiconductor was established in the United States and began developing fabless mixed-signal semiconductor solutions for power-management applications.

Specialist, high-performance power-management semiconductor supplier focused on low-voltage and extremely high-current applications.

• Power management semiconductors

  Power-management integrated circuits and chipsets

  Volterra's principal product line consisted of mixed-signal integrated circuits and chipsets that controlled and converted electrical power in low-voltage, extremely high-current systems. These components were designed for demanding computing and infrastructure platforms, including desktop and notebook PC motherboards, workstations, network servers, and video controllers. Their role was to provide efficient and tightly regulated power delivery to processors, graphics components, and other system devices.

• 2013

  Acquisition by Maxim IntegratedM&A

  Background

  Volterra operated as a specialist power-management semiconductor company serving computing, networking, and video-related applications.

  Action taken

  Maxim Integrated acquired Volterra in October 2013.

  Aftermath

  Volterra ceased to operate as an independent public company and became part of Maxim Integrated.

  Source

• 2004

  Decision to enter the public marketsOther

  Background

  After several years as a private semiconductor company, Volterra pursued an initial public offering to become a publicly traded business.

  Action taken

  Volterra completed its IPO on July 29, 2004, pricing the shares at $8.00 each.

  Aftermath

  The IPO gave Volterra public-company status until its later acquisition by Maxim Integrated in 2013.

  Source

1. 1Volterra Semiconductoren.wikipedia.org