Investments and Clients

 

Alternxt Inc. http://www.alternxt.com Alternxt, based in Palo Alto, CA, is commercializing breakthrough alternative energy technologies sourced from university labs. Alternxt is creating a series of new high-growth companies based on the world's most innovative university technologies in cleantech. Alternxt was launched in close collaboration with publicly traded UTEK Corporation (AMEX:UTK). UTEK is a large technology transfer company that has a relationship network spanning 2200 university and government labs, through which it transfers high-potential cleantech and renewable energy technologies in the renewable energy and cleantech sectors. Alternxt will acquire university technologies from UTEK's network, fund them to proof-of-concept stage, and then spin them out as independent standalone businesses with venture capital financing. Alternxt’s management team is augmented by a Scientific Advisory Board comprised of 6 world-renowned technologists in the alternative-energy sector.     InterSense, Inc. www.intersense.com InterSense is a leading supplier of inertial/sensor solutions incorporating advanced Kalman filtering and sensor fusion algorithms to achieve high-precision positioning, motion sensing, tracking, and alignment capabilities. Its products target visual simulation, gaming, person tracking, training, and various industrial applications. InterSense's patented motion-tracking products enable realistic interaction with computer graphics for demanding applications, including: simulation and training, oil and gas exploration, manufacturing, virtual prototyping and design, medical imaging, entertainment, and video/film production. Privately-held InterSense is headquartered in Bedford, MA.   Peregrine Semiconductor Corp. www.peregrine-semi.com Peregrine Semiconductor is the leading supplier of radio frequency components based on its proprietary silicon-on-sapphire semiconductor process technology. The sapphire insulating substrate of these ICs enables Peregrine to deliver RF components of extraordinary noise figure and linearity. Initial products are in RF switches and military components, but the company is ramping into high complexity components for cell phones and various RF and communications platforms. The Sapphire process, referred to as UltraThin Silicon (UtSi), enables dense mixed signal integration. It is also radiation hard and optically transmissive, enabling many innovative photonic applications.   NeuroSky Inc. www.neurosky.com NeuroSky is a fabless semiconductor company comprising a signal processor design team in Silicon Valley and neuroscience research group at Moscow National University. The Company has developed a dry neural sensor, signal processing chipset of brainwave interpretation algorithms embedded in a lightweight, low-cost headset. The headset captures and interprets brain wave patterns and allows users to interact with electronic and electromechanical devices via "neural-mapping.” NeuroSky’s non-invasive neural sensor converts brainwaves and eye movements into electronic commands for electronic devices. Neurosky is at the forefront of a new paradigm in user interfaces, driven by advanced low cost neural interpretation. There are many user interface applications for Neurosky technology in gaming, military cockpit, automotive, industrial and consumer markets.   Pinyon Technologies, Inc.  http://www.pinyontech.com Pinyon has developed a low-cost, high-gain, steerable antenna applicable to cell phone handsets, RFID, WiFi, WiMax, and other radio apps. The technology is based on a proprietary current-driven, magnetically coupled resonant slot technology. Phased array algorithms provide 360° steering to maximize radio range and performance. For cell phone antennas, field testing by third parties indicates that Pinyon’s Cell phone antenna delivers positive (+5 dBi) of gain versus negative (-2 dBi) for typical cell phone antennas, and they achieve this in the same form factor. In addition to more than doubling cell phone coverage range, the higher antenna gain reduces power amp power consumption and extends cell phone battery life. WiFi versions of Pinyon's antenna deliver 13 dBi to 19 dBi gain versus 2 dBi for traditional WiFi base station antennas. With this performance, Pinyon’s antenna can boost range or throughput by 4X or more over conventional antennas.  The solution is low cost and low power.   Pinyon also has versions of the slot antenna that are incorporated directly into semiconductor substrates to create highly integrated PA/LNA/antenna solutions. There are numerous additional applications in GPS, Wimax, RFID, Bluetooth, military, marine and automotive radio.   Sensors in Motion Sensors in Motion, Inc. Founded in 2006, Sensors in Motion, Inc. (SIM) was formed around a team of scientists from Jet Propulsion Laboratory and California Institute of Technology. Based in Santa Barbara, CA, SIM is developing inertial-grade, high-precision MEMS gyroscopes. The gyros represent a paradigm shift in MEMS gyro cost, size, and performance and will open many new applications in personal navigators, GPS, gaming, consumer electronics, and military/aerospace markets.   Lucix Corporation  www.lucix.com Lucix Corporation, headquartered in Camarillo, CA, is an AS9100B and ISO9001:2000 registered supplier of space and military RF units and subsystems.  They develop and manufacture innovative microwave and millimeter-wave hardware used in wireless broadband communication, satellite communications, and radar systems for the aerospace, military, and commercial markets. Their products include dielectric resonator oscillators, microwave power amplifiers, and microwave. Customers include several Tier 1 military and aerospace OEMs.   ChipX, Inc. www.chipx.com ChipX, Inc. is a pioneer and leader in the development and manufacturing of differentiated ASIC solutions, including Structured ASIC and Embedded Array technology. Their innovative, patented technology consolidates wafer production tooling, reduces time-to-market, and minimizes the total cost to profit. ChipX products are widely used in consumer equipment, computing peripherals, communication systems, industrial control, medical equipment, instrumentation, and military/aerospace systems. Headquartered in Santa Clara, CA, ChipX is a privately held corporation founded in the U.S. in 1989.   Starling Ltd.  www.starling-com.com Starling develops small, low-profile Synthetic Aperture Ku Band antennas for delivery of broadband services into aircraft and military platforms. Starling’s initial product, MIJET, incorporates radical antenna innovations to implement a compact, three-panel virtual aperture array which substantially reduces size and weight versus other solutions on the market. MIJET is roughly one-fifth the size and weight, is less costly, and yet performs significantly better than any competing product on the market or sampling today.  MIJET is in flight tests on a B737-200 and is expected to be certified on several aircraft types by the end of 2007.  Their patent-pending CoMPA (Coherent Multi-Panel Antenna) technology enables data transmission and reception at true broadband bit rates via an exceptionally low-profile antenna. Located in Yoqneam, Israel, Starling is owned by Elron Electronic Industries (NASDAQ: ELRN), RDC (Rafael Development Corporation), and Elbit Systems (NASDAQ: ESLT).