Foundry

Gravimetry, the Next Evolution of MEMS Accelerometers?

Could MEMS gravimeters be the next breakthrough in the MEMS industry? Gravimeters unlock subsurface scanning by measuring tiny deviations in local gravitational fields. Current gravimeters are large and expensive, but IDTechEx's latest report, "Next-Generation MEMS 2026-2036: Markets, Technologies, and Players", reveals that microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) could bring chip-scale gravimeters to market and dramatically alter the field of gravimetry.

Graphenea

Graphenea supplies CVD graphene wafers and graphene oxide (GO) materials for industrial applications through a spin out Kivoro. IDTechEx spoke with CEO Jesus de la Fuente.

Impinj

Founded in 2000, Impinj is a leading provider of RAIN RFID technology and solutions that enable wireless item-to-cloud connectivity for billions of physical objects. The company went public in 2016 and generated US$366 million in revenue in 2024. It specializes in endpoint tag ICs and reader ICs, which form the foundation of passive UHF (RAIN) RFID systems. IDTechEx spoke to Matt Branda, a Vice President at Impinj, to gain insights into the company's strategy and roadmap.

USound MEMS Speakers

USound GmbH is an Austrian company developing piezoelectric MEMS speakers, where it uses a mechanical decoupling of the piezoelectric motor and the silicon diaphragm to achieve greater sound pressure levels (SPLs) at low frequencies, a key challenge with MEMS speakers.

Groq

Groq is a California-based fabless chip designer that focuses on designing chips for developers and enterprises to deliver AI inference. Groq is known for designing the Language Processing Unit (LPU), a novel architecture purpose-built to accelerate AI inference.

Pragmatic Semiconductor

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Cambridge, Pragmatic Semiconductor specialises in the development and manufacture of flexible integrated circuits, known as FlexICs. The company's operations span research, development, and production, including its high-capacity manufacturing site, Pragmatic Park, located in Durham. This facility is the United Kingdom's first large-scale 300 mm flexible semiconductor fab. As of May 2025, Pragmatic employs over 300 staff and has raised more than US$400 million in total funding. In March 2025, the company launched its third-generation FlexIC platform alongside its first commercial product portfolio, NFC Connect, which targets high-volume, low-cost applications in the consumer goods sector. IDTechEx spoke to Helen Ledger, SVP of Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs, as well as Ravi Sundaram, Senior Director of Product Management, to gain insights into the company's technology, strategy and roadmap.

Myvox: MEMS Speakers

Myvox is a Swedish start-up developing MEMS micro speakers for earbuds and hearing aids. Operating under the radar since 2018, Myvox has recently entered a commercial phase where it aims to launch a range of MEMS speaker products, starting with a high-frequency 'tweeter'. IDTechEx attended a presentation by Myvox to hear more about its technology and roadmap to commercialization.

Biotalys

Biotalys is a Belgian biotechnology company that develops protein-based biopesticides. The company's first active ingredient is a biofungicide targeting Botrytis in fruits and vegetables.

AI Chips for Data Center and Cloud to Exceed US$400 Billion by 2030

IDTechEx explores the AI chip markets and key technologies seen in today's AI data centers. This article unveils key trends in high-performance GPUs, custom AI ASICs, and emerging AI chip markets.

SMART Photonics

SMART Photonics is a Dutch photonic integrated circuit pure-play foundry based in Eindhoven, NL. The company manufactures PICs on a 4 inch InP platform, providing MPW and full production runs. It expects to open a 6 inch InP fab in 2027. IDTechEx caught up with SMART Photonics at PIC International 2025.

Cymbet Corporation

Cymbet Corporation, founded in 2000, is a privately held company specializing in the development and commercialization of thin-film, solid-state energy storage solutions. Headquartered in New Brighton, Minnesota, with additional facilities in Lubbock, Texas, Cymbet has been working in eco-friendly, rechargeable solid-state batteries for microelectronic systems. The company's innovative EnerChip™ technology is designed for applications such as medical devices, sensors, RFID, industrial control systems, and portable electronics.

Weebit Nano

Weebit Nano, founded in 2015, is a publicly traded company specializing in resistive RAM (ReRAM) technology. The company focuses on IP licensing, allowing foundries and semiconductor companies to integrate ReRAM into their products. Weebit has secured key partnerships, including CEA-Leti, DB HiTek, GlobalFoundries, and Onsemi, with Onsemi marking the first major ReRAM licensing deal in the industry. Its first embedded ReRAM product is manufactured on SkyWater's 130nm CMOS process, targeting automotive, IoT, and industrial applications. While its initial commercial offerings are at 130nm, Weebit has successfully demonstrated its ReRAM at 22nm.

Exploring New Materials for Photonic Integrated Circuits

It should come as no surprise that PIC transceivers are fast becoming essential tools in the AI revolution, where they speed up connections between nodes in data centers whilst reducing power consumption, allowing larger AI models to be trained and executed. IDTechEx's recent report on the topic, "Silicon Photonics and Photonic Integrated Circuits 2025-2035: Technologies, Market, Forecasts", predicts this application to be the major contributor to its US$54 billion forecast for the PIC market in 2035.

Meta-Rosetta

Meta-Rosetta (also written as MetaRosetta) is an early-stage spinout of Taiwan's National Central University, focusing on providing software and services for the design of metasurface optics (meta-optics) including metalenses. The startup has an electronic design automation (EDA) tool for meta-optics, although has yet to decide on its final business model for the tool. IDTechEx met Meta-Rosetta's CEO, Dr. Wei-Lun Hsu, at Neo-Functional Materials 2025 in January 2025.