Brite Semiconductor, an emerging ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) design services firm headquartered in Shanghai, China, announced today it has raised US$8 million in a Series C round of funding led by Norwest Venture Partners (NVP), Gobi Partners, and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation.
Founded in Shanghai in 2008, Brite Semiconductor offers a comprehensive lineup of ASIC design services, from design specification through to packaged and final-tested integrated circuits. Committed to processor-based SoC (system on chips) designs, Brite provides front- and back-end design services supported by an expanding IP catalog targeting increasingly complex mobile and consumer applications.
“Building on our success in the China market, Brite Semiconductor is expanding into the U.S. to address its growth segments requiring increasing performance in complex ASIC designs,” said Dr. Charlie Zhi, company President and CEO. “To better serve our customers worldwide, we are expanding our IP and platform portfolio with a wider range of functions such as higher speed interfaces as well as adding employees to expand products and improve support. This latest round of funding will also allow Brite to enhance its R&D capabilities in the IoT market while exploring opportunities up the value chain into the cloud.”
Key to Brite Semiconductor’s success has been its close relationship with SMIC, the largest semiconductor foundry in China, also headquartered in Shanghai. As a dedicated partner to SMIC for design services worldwide, Brite Semiconductor offers in-depth knowledge and experience for customers when designing SMIC’s roadmap. “This gives us a unique position to work closely with our clients and minimize risk through the entire design process while creating market-optimized solutions for each customer,” said Dr. Zhi.
Norwest Venture Partners, a multi-stage venture capital and growth equity investment firm, holds in high regards the company’s innovative approach to ASIC design and ability to manage the entire SoC development and manufacturing cycle. “Brite Semiconductor’s solution offers system houses and fabless chip companies the opportunity to focus on specific application and market expertise. Brite’s customers can then focus on bringing differentiated products to market quickly, with economic choices,” said Promod Haque, senior managing partner.
Gobi Partners, the early stage venture capital firm, is also located at Zhangjiang Hi-tech park with Brite Semiconductor. The VC envisages that this round of funding will enable the company to expand further into the global ASIC sector. “Design service companies in China are responding to growing domestic and worldwide demand for SoCs. Through the company’s innovative services, Brite Semiconductor’s SoC designs are bringing electronic consumer products to life that serve the world’s markets,” Thomas G. Tsao, the managing partner at Gobi Partners, said.
Image Credit: Brite Semiconductor
Editing by Mike Cormack (@bucketoftongues)
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