Menlo Micro, the company responsible for reinventing the electronic switch with its Ideal Switch™ technology, announced that it has raised $150 million in Series C funding, bringing Menlo Micro’s total cumulative funding to over $225 million. Vertical Venture Partners and Tony Fadell’s Future Shape led the round with participation from new investors Fidelity Management & Research Company, DBL Partners and Adage Capital Management along with existing investors, Standard Investments, Paladin Capital Group, Piva Capital, and PeopleFund.
Menlo Micro will use the funding to expand the company’s domestic manufacturing and supply chain for the Ideal Switch, the most disruptive technological innovation in the electronics industry since the advent of the transistor.
“Today’s funding milestone underscores the confidence our investors have in Menlo Micro’s transformative technology to fuel the electrification of everything and modernize the $100+ billion market for RF communications, power switching and protection devices in the 21st century,” said Russ Garcia, Menlo Micro CEO. “It will enable us to expand our manufacturing in the U.S. and accelerate the development of our power roadmap to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. We’re positioned to enable the upgrade of the world’s aging power grids, modernize smart buildings and factories, and eliminate many of the inefficiencies in our legacy electrical infrastructure.”
The Ideal Switch is the electronic industry’s Holy Grail – a device that delivers all the benefits of a mechanical relay and a semiconductor switch, with no compromises. The Ideal Switch is tiny, fast, reliable, withstands extreme temperatures, is ultra-low loss and can handle 1,000 of Watts. Most importantly, it is manufactured using conventional semiconductor equipment.
“The Ideal Switch is poised to replace every switch that distributes power. It is the most ubiquitous electrical component in the world – 20B are shipped each year,” said Tony Fadell, Nest founder and Principal at Future Shape. “It’s simple, the Ideal Switch changes fundamental math on power delivery to cities, buildings, homes, and appliances from EVs to lights. It will cost less, last longer, act smarter, and lower climate-busting emissions thanks to its energy efficiency profile. Menlo Micro is one of the biggest technology disruptors of our generation.”
According to Adroit Market Research, the global electrification market is experiencing tremendous growth, projected to reach $128 billion by 2028. The Ideal Switch is transforming the electrification of everything by increasing energy efficiency of the entire legacy electric infrastructure, upgrading 100-year-old relay technology with a microelectromechanical (MEMS) switch.
The Ideal Switch Technology from Menlo Microwave enables:
- Increased Energy Efficiency: As just one example, there are over 1B ceiling fans worldwide and using efficient Ideal Switches in fan controllers would save enough energy to take 17 coal-fired power plants off the grid.
- Increased Reliability: A 1000x increase in reliability from electromechanical relays to the Ideal Switch means replacing all switches in the control of industrial processes and equipment can save over $7 trillion in operating costs by 2050.
- Smarter Controls: The small size and built-in smart features of the Ideal Switch can enable a level of automation in devices that were previously not possible. One example, there are over 20B outlets and switches in U.S. buildings. Using efficient Ideal Switches in buildings can save the amount of electricity produced by 11 power plants.
From our homes to manufacturing and to the world’s infrastructure at large - the Ideal Switch is creating a more energy efficient and sustainable world by eliminating 20% of global emissions and bringing $37 billion in electricity savings by 2050, a major contribution to the fight against climate change.
With its comprehensive patent portfolio, proven technology, and blue-chip customer list, Menlo Micro is well positioned for another major growth phase in 2022. Menlo Micro is exploring domestic semiconductor manufacturing locations in California, New York, Texas, and Florida.
Click here to learn more about the Ideal Switch technology.
