SiBEAM Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Lattice Semiconductor, is a fabless semiconductor company that provides integrated circuits and system products for millimeter-wave (mmWave) wireless communications and sensing.
SiBEAM is based in Sunnyvale and was founded in 2004 to commercialize pioneering millimeter wave wireless technology developed at the labs of University of California, Berkeley.
History SiBEAM was founded in 2004 by researchers in wireless communications from the University of California, Berkeley. Backed by companies including Panasonic, Samsung, Cisco Systems, and Best Buy.Panasonic and Samsung invest in SiBEAM to promote WirelessHD. Venture Beat, December 1, 2008Panasonic, Samsung Invest in SiBeam. PC Magazine, December 1, 2008Panasonic, Samsung invest in SiBEAM. Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal, December 1, 2008Best Buy, Cisco, Others Add $36.5M to SiBeam. PC Magazine, March 9, 2010 The company raised over $112 million of venture capital financing from U.S. Venture Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Foundation Capital, and Lux Capital in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2010.. Venture Capital Reporter, August 22, 2006Wireless startup gets $15 million. Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal, July 26, 2005 SiBEAM was noted by several publications as one of the promising startup companies in its industry.SiBEAM, Inc., Recognized by EE Times As Emerging Startup To Watch for Fourth Consecutive Year. EETimes, February 10, 2009AO100 Top Private Companies for 2007
In April, 2011 SiBEAM was acquired by Silicon Image for $25.5 million in cash and Silicon Image stock.
On January 5, 2015 Silicon Image Re-Launched SiBEAM, Inc. as a wholly owned subsidiary to drive market development of millimeter-wave products, technologies and solutions.
On March 15, 2015, Silicon Image was acquired by Lattice Semiconductor in an all-cash acquisition, valued at approximately $606.6 million (or approximately $466.6 million on an enterprise value basis). SiBEAM became a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Lattice Semiconductor on June 1, 2015.
On July 18, 2018, Lattice Semiconductor announced that it "will discontinue its millimeter wave business." Lattice Semiconductor News Release : Lattice Semiconductor Takes Additional Action to Reduce Operating Expenses; Company to Discontinue Millimeter Wave Business to Focus on Core Business Opportunities.
Products When SiBeam was active the company focused on products using the 60Ghz-Range, including the low-range "Snap" family used in wireless connectors which were thought to be able to replace USB ports, chips transmitting video data to enable wireless monitors, as well as modules supporting transmission ranges up to 300m, like the 2017 launched MOD65412. SiBEAM's WirelessHD protcocol was used in notebooks, like the Alienware M17x R3 or the G73JW and is still an alternative to video transmissions over the 5GHz WiFi band.
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