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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesIn 1999, Swiss chipmaker XEMICS said a second venture round brought its capital to 8.3 million Swiss francs, then reported as $12.7 million. The company planned to use its stronger financial position to expand marketing of low-power integrated circuits, particularly in the United States and the Far East. XEMICS later became part of Semtech after its 2005 acquisition.
What the 1999 financing was for
The financing was growth capital for market expansion, not the announcement of a particular new chip. XEMICS CEO Roland Heer said the secured financial position would let the company focus on expanding its market presence, especially in the United States and the Far East. EE Times reported the 1999 capital figure; BNP Paribas also reported on the financing.
The reports describe more than one financing figure, in different currencies and contexts. They should not be treated as interchangeable measures of the same round.
| Figure | What it describes | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| 7.8 million Swiss francs ($11.9 million) | Initial financing reported for XEMICS | EE Times, November 1998 |
| 8.3 million Swiss francs ($12.7 million) | Capital XEMICS said it had reached through a second venture round | EE Times, 1999 |
| 34 million French francs, including a 16-million-franc contribution from Banexi Ventures Partners | A capital increase reported separately from the Swiss-franc figures | BNP Paribas, 1999 |
Reports named TAT Capital Partners, Banexi Ventures Partners, the Cantonal Bank of Vaud and XEMICS senior management as participants in the second-round financing. The available figures do not establish a single conversion or accounting basis across all three reports, so the French-franc capital increase is best kept distinct from EE Times’ Swiss-franc totals.
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What XEMICS made and where the chips were used
XEMICS was a fabless semiconductor company: it designed chips rather than operating its own semiconductor fabrication plants. Founded in 1997 as a spinout of the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), it concentrated on integrating functions that could operate with very little power in battery-powered wireless and sensing equipment.
- Microcontrollers: 8-bit RISC processors for control tasks in compact electronic products.
- Wireless components: RF receivers and transceivers for wireless links.
- Sensing and data acquisition: sensor-interface circuits that connect sensors to electronic systems and help collect their measurements.
- Audio and signal processing: audio converters and embedded digital signal processors (DSPs), including functions relevant to digital hearing aids.
Contemporary reporting and Semtech’s later disclosure point to applications including digital hearing aids, sensor interfaces and wireless communications. The common design priority was low power consumption, useful where devices run on small batteries or need to operate for long periods between charges or battery changes.
What happened to XEMICS after the funding round
Semtech announced an agreement to acquire XEMICS in June 2005 and completed the acquisition on June 23, 2005. Semtech’s 2005 SEC filing described approximately $59.0 million in total potential consideration: approximately $43.3 million paid at closing, with up to $16.0 million contingent on performance objectives. The approximate headline and component figures are rounded.
At the time of the acquisition announcement, XEMICS had 77 employees, 56 of them in research and development, according to Semtech. The Swiss operation was renamed Semtech Neuchatel and placed within Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products line. XEMICS CEO Alain Dantec said Semtech’s scale and infrastructure could speed development of products based on the company’s technology; Semtech said the acquisition would also give the operation access to broader sales, marketing, manufacturing and capital resources.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteSo, yes: Semtech acquired XEMICS. The change ended XEMICS’ independent identity, while its Swiss engineering operation continued inside Semtech under the Semtech Neuchatel name. The available historical accounts do not establish that XEMICS-branded parts remain available today; availability of any specific part would need to be checked with a current distributor or Semtech-authorized channel.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the financing mattered
The 1999 round is best understood as support for commercial expansion of a specialized chip business. XEMICS already had a range of low-power technologies spanning microcontrollers, RF, sensing and audio; the stated goal was to reach more markets, especially in the U.S. and Far East. Its later acquisition shows a route from venture-backed growth to integration into a larger semiconductor company, rather than evidence by itself of any particular market share or sales outcome.
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