reprint
back

Acoustic MEMS Firm Akustica Raises $2.25M Series A
By Michelle Tsai
10/17/2002
PITTSBURGH -- Akustica, a provider of acoustic MEMS technology for wireless communications and consumer electronics, said it has raised $2.25 million in Series A financing.

Chamberlain Investments, a new fund started by Glen Meakem, the founder of FreeMarkets, led the round with $1.25 million. Individual investors provided the remainder of the round. Mr. Meakem joins the board, which also includes CEO James Rock, founder Ken Gabriel, and independent director Jack Roseman.

Formed a year ago, the firm has developed chip-based microphones using the CMOS standard, and will soon begin sampling products with about 100 companies in the mobile phone, hearing aid, and consumer electronics markets. Primary customers will be wireless communications firms or mobile handset OEMs.

Mr. Rock co-founded the company along with Mr. Gabriel, former director of the Carnegie Mellon University MEMS Laboratory. Mr. Rock previously founded and served as vice president at Zefer, as vice president at Cambridge Technology Partners, and as an account executive at the Carnegie Group. Mr. Gabriel, who pioneered the field of MEMS at the robotics systems research department of AT&T's Bell Labs, also managed the MEMS program at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. He is a founding director of Optical Micro Machines and also founded Xactix.

"We like to talk about the death of the microphone," said Mr. Rock. He pointed out that over one billion microphones are produced each year and said that the company will aim to replace all microphone-based applications with its technology. Using the CMOS standard, Akustica is able to produce its chip at high volumes with low cost and high quality. The acoustic MEMS technology means that not only are there performance-related improvements in sound quality, directional capability, and noise cancellation, but the chip can also run software and perform other signal processing that now resides in the phone.

The firm will begin volume production in 18-24 months and will also form strategic relationships. Akustica has 10 employees and will add another six in the next year. Series A funding is expected to last for a year.

http://www.akustica.com