Cambridge GaN Devices

A Cambridge University spin-out that designs energy-saving gallium nitride power chips for chargers, data centres and electric vehicles.

About Cambridge GaN Devices

Cambridge GaN Devices, usually called CGD, designs power chips. Power chips act like switches inside chargers, power supplies and electric vehicles, and more than 80 per cent of the world's electricity passes through such circuits, according to the company. CGD makes its chips from gallium nitride, or GaN, a material that wastes less energy than silicon. It is a fabless company, meaning it designs the chips and partners make them. Its proprietary ICeGaN technology is intended to make GaN as easy to use as the silicon parts engineers already know, and the company reports efficiencies above 99 per cent.

CGD was spun out of the University of Cambridge's Department of Engineering in 2016 from a research group working on high-voltage microelectronics. Its founders are Dr Giorgia Longobardi, chief executive, and Professor Florin Udrea, chief technology officer, who had earlier founded two other Cambridge chip companies. The company says it aims to shape power electronics by making the most efficient and easy-to-use transistor, to reduce energy losses and carbon emissions, and to create more sustainable electronics worldwide.

CGD is a Cambridge company, and it has said it plans to expand operations in Cambridge as well as in North America, Taiwan and Europe. It leads GaNext, a European project with 13 industrial and academic partners from Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, including Infineon, Signify and the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult. The project builds compact GaN power modules for uses such as lighting, motor drives and car chargers. Its latest products are called P2, aimed at industrial, data-centre and automotive markets.

Longobardi, who comes from Naples in Italy, was named Royal Academy of Engineering Young Engineer of the Year in 2019 and won a Cambridge business plan competition in 2016. She describes CGD as a dynamic environment with people in technology, finance, business development and HR, and says the fast-growing team often finds its systems lagging behind its needs. Her approach is to stay flexible and listen. The company has won Business Weekly's Tech Scale-Up of the Year and other awards in 2021. Sales leader Henryk Dabrowski is senior vice president of sales. These are the company's and its leaders' own descriptions.

A power-chip company like this employs analogue and power chip designers, device and reliability engineers, applications engineers who help customers use the parts, test and quality teams, and sales, finance and operations staff. It is a strong example of how a single university research group can grow into a company with employees in engineering and in business roles.

What they do

• {'desc': 'GaN power devices designed to be as easy to drive as silicon.', 'title': 'ICeGaN power transistors'}
• {'desc': 'Latest generation aimed at industrial, data-centre and automotive power.', 'title': 'P2 products'}
• {'desc': 'Leads a European consortium building GaN power modules.', 'title': 'GaNext project lead'}

Key facts

• Spun out of the University of Cambridge Department of Engineering in 2016 (Cambridge Enterprise; Cambridge Network)
• Founded by Dr Giorgia Longobardi (CEO) and Professor Florin Udrea (CTO) (IQ Capital; Cambridge Network)
• Leads the 13-partner GaNext project (Cambridge Network)
• Named Business Weekly Tech Scale-Up of the Year in 2021 (Cambridge Network)

Website: camgandevices.com