Transphorm, Fujitsu partner on GaN plant
Transphorm, the Goleta-based energy efficiency chipmaker spun out of UC Santa Barbara that has raised $110 million in venture capital, is partnering with Tokyo electronics giant and one-time rival Fujitsu Ltd. to create a new company in Japan.
Cal Poly startups tackle roommate relations and the textbook market
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo continues to pump out student startups at a steady rate, with a new expense-splitting app for roommates and textbook reselling service both gaining traction on launch.
Inogen files IPO to raise up to $86.2M
Inogen was founded in 2001 by three UCSB students, one of whom had a grandmother who had recently been placed on oxygen therapy. The therapy required heavy, bulky oxygen tanks that could not be taken on airplanes and other places.
After winning the New Venture Competition business plan contest at UCSB, the team went on to develop a device that used electricity to concentrate oxygen from the air. The concentrators were lighter and less bulky, weighting between 4.8 and 7 pounds.
Transphorm, Fujitsu join forces on GaN
Transphorm, Fujitsu and Fujitsu Semiconductor said they had reached an agreement to merge their gallium-nitride, or GaN, power supply lines of business. The deal is expected to result in Fujitsu and its semiconductor subsidiary both taking minority stakes in Transphorm in exchange for creating a new entity in Japan that will be capable of high-volume production. The companies said the move will “dramatically improve the market competitiveness of Transphorm’s GaN power device business.”
Kavli remembered: Physicist employed thousands, gifted millions
Born in Norway, Kavli made his way to the United States after World War II to pursue physics and expand on his lifelong entrepreneurial streak. In the late 1950s, he founded Kavlico Corp., a Moorpark-based maker of advanced sensors for cars and aircraft. He also invested in real estate for more than 50 years.
