The next big startup success story to come out of Georgia Tech just might reshape the very core of how we communicate.
Falcomm, a semiconductor startup based out of Atlanta, has a new type of power amplifier for the wireless communications market. Its Dual-Drive PA, which founder Edgar Garay developed as a PhD candidate at Tech, can improve the power and efficiency of wireless signal transmissions in satellites, IoT devices, wearables, and cell phones.
The startup estimates that the power amplifier market is worth $23 billion. And creating more energy efficient power amplifiers could have major impacts on hitting climate change goals while helping to move more semiconductor manufacturers domestically.
“Power amplifiers are the workhorse of the modern electronic era, but improvement to this technology hasn’t kept pace with the rise of the innovation economy,” said Garay. Falcomm’s technology can help communications manufacturers “realize massive efficiency gains while lowering costs,” he added.
We first caught up with Garay in the early part of this year to learn about how Garay worked to scale Falcomm during his time on Georgia Tech’s campus.
Now, Georgia Tech is financially backing the early-stage startup.
Falcomm just announced the close of its $4 million seed round. Squadra Ventures, a Baltimore-based firm with a focus on cyber and national security startups, led the round. Seattle-based Cambium Capital, Argentina-based Draper Cygnus, and the Georgia Tech Foundation also participated.
This is the first direct investment made by the Georgia Tech Foundation’s Research Impact Fund, which backs startups that spinout of Georgia Tech intellectual property to ensure those “inventions have real-world impact,” said Raghupathy Sivakumar, VP of Commercialization & Chief Commercialization Officer at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Guy Filippelli, Managing Partner of Squadra Ventures, said Falcomm’s “foundational technology” can boost “efficiency and manufacturing domestically in the critical semiconductor industry.”
On top of the funding news, Falcomm also announced two new strategic hires joining the team.
Dr. Thomas Cameron, a veteran of the semiconductor space, has joined as Falcomm’s Chief Strategy Officer, and Ned Cahoon has joined as Director of Foundry & Customer Relationships.
