July 22, 2011 — Motion sensor maker Qualtré Inc. recently demonstrated its first tri-axial solid-state silicon bulk acoustic wave (BAW) gyroscope, prompting investors to supply an additional $10 million in capital to the company. Participating institutional venture capital investors in the round were Matrix Partners and Pilot House Ventures.
Qualtré will use the funds for its product launch, sales and supply chain network expansions, and further product development based on the HARPSS micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) process. The company focuses on MEMS development for consumer electronics platforms, a market with "exponential" growth opportunity, according to Stan Reiss, a general partner with Matrix Partners. Inertial measurement units (IMU) as a whole will be a $2.60 billion industry in 2015, according to research group Yole Developpement.
Qualtre is now taking steps to commercialize the gyroscope technology, sending engineering samples to key customers and demonstrating the solid-state sensor design within the industry. The technology combines the performance advantages of the BAW sensor design and the cost and size scalability of the high-aspect-ratio combined poly- and singlecrystal silicon (HARPSS) process. The small form factor MEMS devices do not require high-vacuum packaging, and can be integrated with CMOS circuitry and other sensors. Qualtre claims that HARPSS can eliminate nano-lithography steps in MEMS manufacturing, and acheive the highest signal to noise ratios in capacitive MEMS devices.
Qualtré is a venture-backed company commercializing next-generation solid-state silicon MEMS motion sensors for consumer electronics. More information can be found at www.qualtre.com