Leiden, The Netherlands, Milpitas, CA and Seoul, Korea – February 3, 2015 – IXYS Corporation (NASDAQ: IXYS), an international power semiconductor and IC company, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire RadioPulse. Based in Seoul, Korea, the fabless semiconductor company develops, manufactures and sells innovative wireless network technology solutions based on the ZigBee protocol (which combines MCUs and RF).
RadioPulse’s energy-friendly solutions are designed to enable a broad range of power-sensitive applications in the industrial, medical, consumer, smart grid and Internet of Things (IoT) markets. RadioPulse offers a complementary product portfolio to IXYS’ MCU product lines, which include those of Zilog, Inc., a global supplier of embedded system-on-chip (SoC) solutions and microcontroller units (MCUs) for the industrial and consumer markets. RadioPulse will add a number of system-on-chip (SoC) products designed for low-power, high performance, cost effective applications, and includes advanced RF transceivers and embedded 8-bit MCUs. Among its products, the MG2470 is tailored for home/building automation, industrial control and monitoring, energy management and consumer electronics. The MG2420 RF transceiver has gained adoption in automatic meter reading, healthcare equipment, motor control and home and factory automation. The MG2475 and MG2480 are next generation ZigBee radio frequency integrated circuits, for a broad range of applications including the smart grid and IoT.
“RadioPulse is a natural fit for IXYS, as our respective organizations share similar cultures, focus and passion about technological development. We expect a seamless integration, as IXYS has a previously-established base in the region with IXYS Korea and the S3 line of MCU products. The combined products and capabilities of Zilog, S3 MCUs and now RadioPulse will allow IXYS to expand system solutions for customers globally,” noted Dr. Nathan Zommer, CEO of IXYS. “ZigBee is key for the Internet of Things, starting in remote controls, home automation, security, medical monitoring, consumer and automotive markets. By introducing more MCUs with RF transceivers, and especially RadioPulse’s ZigBee capabilities, through our ‘World of IXYS’ marketing initiative, we may penetrate new markets in Asia and North America.”
“The RadioPulse team looks forward to joining forces with IXYS, as we have parallel goals, synergistic visions/strategies and similar customer profiles,” said Dr. Sung Ho Wang, CEO and founder of RadioPulse. “However, what we lack in resources and breadth, we will gain in the IXYS combination. IXYS’ R&D resources, geographic reach, sales/marketing channels and manufacturing capabilities will help ensure RadioPulse can introduce more products and gain market share more quickly.”
Under the agreement, the shareholders of RadioPulse will receive an up-front payment of up to $16.5 million in cash, plus potentially up to $6 million in earnout consideration. The boards of each company have approved the acquisition, which awaits the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The deal is expected to close by March 2015.
About IXYS Corporation
Since its founding in Silicon Valley, IXYS Corporation has been developing technology-driven products to improve power conversion efficiency, generate clean energy, improve automation, and provide advance products for the transportation, medical and telecommunication industries. IXYS is a worldwide pioneer in the development of power semiconductors and high voltage integrated circuits (HVIC) that are essential to reducing the world’s dependence on fossil fuels.
Diminishing natural resources, demand for cheap energy and environmental directives for energy efficiency represent a significant challenge. IXYS’ power semiconductors and mixed-signal integrated circuits (IC) play a vital role in reducing energy costs and consumption by optimizing the energy efficiency of everyday products. With an end customer base of over 2,000 telecommunications, transportation, industrial, medical and consumer companies, IXYS is a worldwide provider of semiconductors.
Additional information may be obtained by visiting IXYS’ website at http://www.ixys.com, or by contacting the company directly.
About Radio Pulse
RadioPulse, Inc. is a fabless semiconductor company, addressing wireless personal area network technology by providing wireless solutions for a broad range of applications. The company is a provider of ZigBee single chip and stack software to the wireless sensor network, AMR, wireless automation, home appliance, home network, telecommunications, automotive and high technology markets. RadioPulse provides one-stop solutions, offering ZigBee single chip, flexible technical support and ready to market application reference solutions. RadioPulse was awarded as a "2007 Red Herring 100 Asia Winner". The award recognizes the 100 private Asian firms driving the future of technology. For additional information about RadioPulse, visit the website at www.radiopulse.co.kr