Teranetics

Teranetics Inc. operated as a fabless semiconductor company specializing in high-performance mixed-signal integrated circuits for advanced communication applications. Founded in 2003 by Sandeep Gupta, the company established itself as a key player in the development of 10 Gigabit Ethernet over copper physical layer (10GBase-T PHY) technology. The firm was headquartered in San Jose, California.

The company's core business revolved around designing and providing silicon solutions that enabled 10 Gigabit per second data rates over standard, low-cost copper cabling such as CAT6 and CAT6a. This addressed a significant market need for data centers and enterprise networks seeking to upgrade from 1 Gigabit Ethernet to enhance scalability and throughput without a complete overhaul of their existing cable infrastructure. Teranetics was the first to market with a fully integrated, single-chip implementation of both single-port and dual-port 10GBase-T PHY silicon, a solution that was in production and being shipped by market leaders in enterprise switches and network interface cards. One of its notable products was the TN2022, the industry's first dual-port 10GBASE-T PHY, which was recognized for its energy efficiency.

The company's journey included several rounds of venture capital funding, raising a total of $63.1 million from investors such as Venrock, USVP, and Columbia Capital. By 2010, the market for 10GBase-T was ramping up slower than anticipated, putting pressure on startups in the space to find an exit. In October 2010, Teranetics was acquired by PLX Technology, a designer of PCI bridge and switch chips, in a deal valued at approximately $36 million. This acquisition was seen as mutually beneficial, providing Teranetics with the necessary scale and resources while allowing PLX to expand its technology portfolio beyond its core PCI business into the Ethernet market. Subsequently, PLX Technology itself was acquired by Broadcom (formerly Avago Technologies) in August 2014.

Keywords: Teranetics, fabless semiconductor, 10GBASE-T PHY, 10 Gigabit Ethernet over copper, physical layer chips, mixed-signal IC, data center connectivity, enterprise networking, silicon solutions, TN2022, PLX Technology acquisition, Sandeep Gupta, network interface cards, Ethernet PHY, CAT6 cabling, semiconductor manufacturing, high-speed interconnects, data rates, network scalability, Broadcom