Cambridge GaN Devices are Bringing More Sustainable Power to the Global Market and Creating Jobs

The Challenge: Accelerating the route to market for an innovative new material  

A spin-out of the Cambridge University, Cambridge GaN Devices (CGD) is a fabless semiconductor company that develops a range of energy-efficient GaN-based power devices to make greener electronics possible.  

Cambridge GaN Devices was established, according to Founder and CEO, Dr Giorgia Longobardi, “To bring to market a material and a power device that is much more sustainable whilst preserving nature, which is one of the most valuable things we have. We want to bring this innovation into everyday lives for a more sustainable future.” Dr Giorgia Longobardi, Founder and CEO.  

“The company has worked on the use of gallium nitride which has up to ten times lower energy losses compared to the best-selling silicon technology in the market. The units using the material are also significantly smaller and can operate at a higher frequency enabling up to five times higher power density,” she explained.   

The global power semiconductor market is expected to exceed $50BN and the company completed a $19 million Series B fundraising last year to enable the company to begin mass production of its range of GaN transistors for power applications. The devices have potential uses in chargers and adapters, high-efficiency LED lighting, PV Energy Harvesting and Storage, EV/HEV electronics for the vehicle market and data centres.  

The Solution: A grant to help fund infrastructure expansion and buy essential equipment  

The company was awarded a Capex grant from Growth Works last year which helped enable them to double their office and laboratory space and equipment as part of them moving to a new location in the St Johns Innovations Park. “This helped us to accelerate our route to market and increase the size of our team to help with this progress,” explained Owen Lewis, Vice President, Finance. “The Growth Works grant gave us the confidence to move forward with our recruitment plans, stimulating the growth required for the company.” 

A Revenue grant from Growth Works helped to fund training and coaching for key members of the management team and to develop the strong values held by the company. They now have one of the most diverse teams in terms of gender and ethnicity. “Innovation is at the heart of everything we do, we see diversity as a key enabler of this” stated Weiyi Pan, Digital Marketing Manager.  

The company’s mission to shape the future of power electronics by delivering the most efficient and easy-to-use transistors is set to be achieved as a result of their work to attract investment. They are now moving to a position to mass production and global supply, “delivering devices where our unique technology can have the biggest impact”.  

The results: Accelerated delivery to the global market and confidence to scale-up growth 

“The investment means that we can prove our value in a competitive market and will help to increase the pipeline of potential customers on a global scale,” commented Owen. “The Growth Works grant helped to give us confidence at a transitional stage of our company development, supporting our scale-up.” 

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