STMicroelectronics Acquires French Fabless Semiconductor Company SOMOS
Power electronics company STMicroelectronics is acquiring France-based SOMOS Semiconductor, a power amplifier and RF specialist.
Last week, global power electronics giant STMicroelectronics announced it’s acquiring French fabless semiconductor firm SOMOS to support the development of its RF front-end modules for 5G infrastructure applications.
SOMOS Semiconductor, founded in 2018, offers RF power amplifier modules for 4G smartphones, RF switches, and front end modules for 4G and 5G IoT applications, along with design and laboratory services.
According to SOMOS's website, the company’s investors include French investment bank Bpifrance, private equity investor Omnes Capital, and European venture capital group XAnge.
Claude Dardanne, president of STM’s Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group, stated in the press release that cellular IoT and 5G infrastructure technologies are key to addressing demand and challenges for better connectivity solutions for consumers and industries.
“With this acquisition, we reinforce our ambition to play a major role in RF FEM for a buoyant connectivity IoT market and we strengthen our roadmap of RF Front-End for the 5G markets,” Dardanne added.
The SOMOS deal comes three months after STMicroelectronics acquired France-based BeSpoon, which produces silicon for ultra-wideband (UWB) applications, and Canada-based Riot Micro, which develops cellular IoT applications. In its announcement on July 16, STMicro stated that the two acquisitions would strengthen its portfolio of 32-bit microcontroller integrated circuits.
STM’s microcontrollers and digital ICs business accounted for 35% of the company’s second-quarter 2020 revenue, according to a recent investor presentation. Its automotive and discrete product group equally accounted for 35% of Q2 2020 revenues, while analog, MEMS and sensors claimed a 30% share.ST
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ST is a global semiconductor leader delivering intelligent and energy-efficient products and solutions that power the electronics at the heart of everyday life. ST’s products are found everywhere today, and together with our customers, we are enabling smarter driving and smarter factories, cities, and homes, along with the next generation of mobile and Internet of Things devices. By getting more from technology to get more from life, ST stands for life.augmented.
