News: Microelectronics
20 December 2023
QPT opens Crowdcube funding round, with Geoff Haynes as lead investor
Independent power electronics company Quantum Power Transformation (QPT) of Cambridge, UK (which was founded in 2019) has opened its first funding round on Crowdcube, with Geoff Haynes, co-founder of GaN Systems Inc of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (a fabless developer of gallium nitride-based power switching semiconductors for power conversion and control applications), as the lead investor. Also, the funding round is eligible under the UK Government’s Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) for tax relief for venture capital investment.
“There is an old saying invest in what you know. GaN has been my passion for decades and my frustration as it hit the brick wall of RF and overheating issues when being driven at over 100kHz,” says Haynes, who in mid-October joined QPT as an advisor. “I am really impressed with how QPT has tackled these issues to enable GaN to now be driven at much higher speeds, which are around 23 times faster than SiC [silicon carbide], and thus deliver unprecedented energy savings. I want to continue my GaN journey to realise its now unlocked capability to make more efficient power electronics that cut energy uses, so I have invested a six-figure sum in the round as its lead investor. Plus, as an advisor, I can really roll my sleeves up and take GaN to the next level,” he adds.
“The UK is renowned for innovation so we wanted to provide people with the opportunity to invest in a new technology that makes electric motors more efficient,” says QPT’s founder & chief technology officer Rob Gwynne. “As they account for up to 45% of global energy usage, our qGaN technology’s ability to cut energy wastage means that its deployment could significantly help reduce climate change. Investors are always keen on ways to help the planet, and our technology does that without downsides. Our solution is smaller, cheaper and saves more energy than rivals, according to our studies.”
ABB Challenge 2023 update
QPT is the winner of ABB’s ‘Power Density Start-up Challenge 2023 for Motor Drive Products’, which aims to find companies that can push the boundaries of drives and motors.
QPT shortlisted for ABB Power Density Start-up Challenge
GaN Systems’ co-founder Geoff Haynes joins QPT as advisor
QPT and GaN Systems sign MoU to develop technologies to extend EV driving range
www.crowdcube.com/early-access/qpt
