As the demand for quick charging rises, wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors are expected to gain momentum. The goal of Wise-integration, a startup that specializes in gallium nitride (GaN) power supply solutions, is to disrupt the market by embracing technology.
Wise-integration, a French company, specializes in the digital control of GaN power supply and GaN ICs. Its suppliers and main consumers are in Asia, where it has developed strong ties.
Co-founder and CEO of the business Thierry Bouchet traveled to Taiwan and South Korea in late September. He spoke with DIGITIMES Asia in person about the most recent developments at the business.
According to a press statement, Wise-integration introduced its first commercial product in June, the GaN half-bridge Power IC for e-mobility and consumer electronics chargers. It uses TSMC GaN technology and is a component of the company’s range of power ICs.
Bouchet stated that now that the business is prepared to enter the market and expand up, it is crucial to personally interact with clients and distributors. The majority of Wise-customers, integration’s the power supply manufacturers, are based in Asia, he continued, making up 70% of the total.
Furthermore, according to Bouchet, the company “has to be here” because Taiwan is home to the main hub of the semiconductor supply chain.
solutions for digital power supplies in the 30W to 3kW sector
Bouchet stated that Wise-goal integration’s is to be the first to introduce digitalization to power supply by employing a microcontroller instead of an analog controller to handle the electrical device. Wise-integration is developing solutions based on the high-profile semiconductor material.
The CEO suggested that digitalization may make a power supply more intelligent, much way a USB-C connector makes it possible for a laptop and a cell phone to share a charger. He claimed that if a power supply were to acquire several uses, it would aid in the reduction of technological waste because one charger might be able to recharge all devices.
According to Bouchet, digitalization might potentially speed up the time to market and improve power efficiency. He continued by saying that energy might be saved and carbon emissions could be decreased to meet international laws.
Additionally, according to Bouchet, a lower power supply results from higher efficiency. Products like laptops would benefit from it because customers can easily carry a charger with them. According to the CEO, ODM and the business are collaborating to implement the solution.
For data centers and other high-power scenarios, digital power supplies are now readily available, but not for the typical power supply ranging from 30W to 3kW, claims Bouchet. The mass application market that Wise-integration focuses on is this one.
GaN technology, which is more cost-competitive than silicon carbide (SiC), another common WBG semiconductor material, is suited for the mass market that includes smartphones and other consumer goods, according to Bouchet. Additionally, the high frequencies enable more efficient operation and compactness.
A GaN power IC that could enable e-mobility
A 650V enhancement mode GaN-on-silicon integrated circuit is the first commercial product that Wise-integration introduced three months ago, according to the company. E-scooters and e-bikes are two markets that the power IC focuses on.
Bouchet remarked The solution from Wise-integration can assist in making chargers smaller so that they could be inserted within batteries. As a result, a rider can charge their battery by simply plugging it in.
According to Bouchet, Wise-integration has developed a prototype and collaborated on commercializing the technology with a French client. In order to put the idea into practice, he added that the business will collaborate with the largest bike manufacturer and designer in the world, situated in Taiwan.
Wise-integration intends to introduce WiseWare, an MCU-based digital firmware for AC/DC GaN power supplies, in the start of 2023. According to Bouchet, the company will embed the firmware on common microcontrollers, upending the market for power supplies.
He clarified that no longer do rivals adopt the same strategy. Instead, several of them propose employing microcontrollers to achieve digitalization, while Wise-integration favors using analog controllers and GaN.
Long-term, according to Bouchet, the business intends to create a solution that combines WiseWare with its GaN power IC devices. In order to accomplish this, additional internal features will be added to the IC to make it easier to use the digital controller and achieve complete interoperability between the two without the aid of an external device.
Plans include for a Series B fundraising round in 2023.
Wise-integration, which was established more than two years ago, is prepared to expand its global footprint and speed up business. According to Bouchet, it has a Series B funding round scheduled for the first half of next year with a target of $15 million to $20 million. In 2021, the firm successfully closed a Series A fundraising round with EUR5 million (about $5.8 million USD).
Bouchet claimed that while he was in Taiwan, he spoke with prospective investors in an effort to identify a lead investor. The money, he continued, will mostly be utilized for expanding customer service, quickening time to market, and industrializing WiseWare.
