MCU startup gets VC funding from ARM, Cisco

The seed funding round was led by DFJ Mercury. Other investors include Draper Fisher Jurvetson, The Frankel Fund, Huron River Ventures and undisclosed private investors.

The money will be used to expand the engineering, sales and marketing teams, the company said.

Ambiq is working on advanced power management techniques for energy-efficient MCUs. According to the company, they have developed 32-bit ARM M-class processors that are more energy-efficient than the simplest 8-bit MCUs. The company's website says it has already developed the world's most energy efficient "semiconductor solutions" but no parts or datasheets are listed.

Ambiq was founded in January 2010 and competes with Energy Micro AS which started down the low-power ARM MCU track in 2007. But Ambiq has powerful fans.

In July 2010 the company was the winner of the second annual global business plan competition for university and business school students, sponsored by Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Cisco. Scott Hanson and Phil O'Niel, from the University of Michigan, were the successful presenters and won $250,000 in seed backing from Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Cisco. And clearly they have been able to leverage that handsome prize into $2.4 million.

- Peter Clarke
EE Times