News in brief: Communicant, Optillion, SAES, RSoft
Communicant SemiconductorTechnologies AG, a German SiGe foundry company, has received approval from the European Union (EU) for federal and state government subsidies of $363 million in the form of cash grants and government loan guarantees. The EU approval also includes federal and state government guarantees on commercial loans.
In April, Communicant secured private equity of $325 million. The approval of government loan guarantees by the EU announced today is a key step in finalizing the debt financing by a major banking for a $650 million debt facility. The total financing of $1.3 billion will complete the funding for Communicant s foundry in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany.
"The approval of these government subsidies and commercial loan guarantees is an indication of the importance the EU has placed on establishing a world-class wafer foundry for highly advanced communications products in Europe," said Abbas Ourmazd, CEO of Communicant.
Optillion receives $15 million in Series C funding
Fiber-optic component and transceiver manufacturer Optillion has concluded its Series C financing round, raising an additional $15 million. Led by Crescendo Ventures, Cisco Systems, ITACT, and Investor AB, the latest round brings the total venture financing raised by Optillion to $70 million during the past two years.
"Venture capitalists are very selective about their investments today," commented Patrik Evaldsson, CEO and President of Optillion. "Optillion s seasoned investors understand that with the large customer interest for Optillion s products, our strong product line and flexible manufacturing strategy positions us for success."
The Series C investment will be used to ramp production of Optillion s current 10Gbit/s transceiver products and to support product development, marketing and sales. In line with current market conditions, Optillion will make some adjustments to its organization, including a reduction in workforce.
SAES Getters Taiwan branch earns ISO9001:2000 certification
SAES Getters Singapore Ltd., member of the SAES Getters Group, today announced that the ISO9001:2000 certification has been awarded to its Taiwan branch office. The facility, located close to the Hsin Chu Science Park, provides the local semiconductor industry with sales service and technical support on advanced instruments and systems for ultra-high purity (UHP) bulk gas purification and analysis.
Rsoft opens office in Japan
RSoft Design Group has opened its Japanese headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, to provide business development and customer support to the company’s clients in that country.
