Palma Ceia SemiDesign (PCS), a fabless semiconductor company offering wireless chips, modules, systems and IP supporting emerging Machine-to-Machine (M2M) WiFi and cellular standards for the Internet of Things (IoT), today announced it has completed a Series B round of financing. Leading the round is Global Connective LP, a U.S. subsidiary fund of Inspiration China Ltd Pty, based in Adelaide, Australia. Inspiration China has extensive experience with China’s wireless and industrial sectors, key markets for Palma Ceia. Inspiration China’s business model is to assist international leading technology companies in accessing global markets, especially China’s booming market.

“Inspiration China’s investment enables us to accelerate Palma Ceia’s transition from an analog/RF IP company to a provider of connectivity solutions for the Internet of Things,” said Roy E. Jewell, co-founder and chief executive officer of Palma Ceia. “Palma Ceia will build on our heritage of delivering leading-edge wireless IP for SoC designers and expand into also providing chips for IoT module makers. We look forward to working with the Global Connective team to broaden our market footprint.”

Palma Ceia also announced it is establishing a wholly owned subsidiary in Tianjin, China. This facility will enable the company to accelerate expansion into the China market and to establish IC and software design and IoT application support teams in Tianjin and Shanghai.

“Since China’s Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) in 2010 identified IoT as an ‘emerging strategic industry,’ Beijing has focused on its adoption and deployment as part of the ‘Made in China 2025’ initiative. My team identified the advanced connectivity solutions being developed by PCS as key to this effort,” said Rebecca Qiu, founder & chief executive officer of Inspiration China. “We have already begun working closely with PCS to establish strategic industrial and government partnerships in China.”

Palma Ceia today delivers analog and RF IP for mixed-signal SoCs