WiSpry

WiSpry, Inc. operates as a fabless radio frequency (RF) semiconductor company, a business model that involves designing and selling hardware and semiconductor chips while outsourcing their fabrication to a specialized manufacturer. Founded in 2002 by Jeff Hilbert, the company is headquartered in Irvine, California. Hilbert, who also served as President and CEO, brought over 35 years of executive and technical experience from leading semiconductor and MEMS companies to the venture. Co-founder and CTO, Dr. Art Morris, has a background in physical electronics and electromagnetic fields, which was instrumental in developing the company's core technology.

The company develops and markets RF silicon integrated circuits, components, and modules for manufacturers of wireless communication products. Its client base includes mobile phone OEMs, RF module manufacturers, cellular base station suppliers, and developers of laptops and set-top boxes. WiSpry's core technology integrates patented RF micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) with standard RF-CMOS process flows. This allows for the creation of tunable digital capacitors and other programmable RF components on a single chip. These components, such as antenna tuners, are designed to improve RF performance, reduce power consumption, and decrease the physical size of the antenna systems in complex devices like smartphones. The software-programmable nature of these products also simplifies the design and layout for handset manufacturers, allowing a single platform to be adapted for multiple handset models with minor software adjustments.

Throughout its history, WiSpry has achieved several key milestones, including raising over $82 million in funding from investors like Paladin Capital, Blueprint Ventures, and In-Q-Tel. The company delivered its first RF-MEMS antenna tuner to a major OEM in 2009 and was shipping products in high volume for a smartphone program by 2011. A significant turning point came in May 2015 when WiSpry was acquired by AAC Technologies, a global supplier of micro-component solutions. This acquisition positioned WiSpry as a wholly-owned subsidiary, combining its specialized RF MEMS expertise with AAC's manufacturing strength and market reach.

Keywords: RF semiconductor, fabless semiconductor, MEMS technology, tunable RF components, antenna tuning, radio frequency integrated circuits, RF-CMOS, wireless communication, mobile device components, tunable capacitors, RF-MEMS, silicon integrated circuits, Jeff Hilbert, AAC Technologies, wireless technology, mobile handset solutions, RF front-end, semiconductor manufacturing, wireless infrastructure, consumer electronics components