Nordic Semiconductor to acquire U.S. memory specialist Mobile Semiconductor

Mobile Semiconductor has long provided the RAM memory used in all of Nordic’s market leading wireless IoT devices including its nRF52 and nRF53 Series Bluetooth SoCs and nRF91 Series cellular IoT SiPs

Nordic Semiconductor today announces that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Mobile Semiconductor, a privately-held U.S. company specializing in highly optimized embedded memory technology for microcontrollers (MCUs) and Systems-on-Chip (SoCs).

Mobile Semiconductor has a market-proven track record of delivering ultra-low power-performance-optimized, leading-edge static RAM (SRAM) memory technology for various MCUs and SoCs. This includes Nordic Semiconductor’s very own nRF52® and nRF53® Series SoC and nRF91® Series System-in-Package (SiP) devices.

“We are very excited to bring on-board this world class team, recognized as an industry leader in optimized, low voltage embedded SRAM designs,” says Nordic CTO/EVP R&D and Strategy, Svein-Egil Nielsen. “A team we know intimately from years of working together. And in terms of the technology, Mobile Semiconductor’s SRAM has been a key differentiator in our Bluetooth and cellular IoT product ranges. As such, when the opportunity to bring this critical expertise in-house arose, it was a no-brainer to proceed and make this latest acquisition.”

We are very excited to bring on-board this world class team, recognized as an industry leader in optimized, low voltage embedded SRAM designs

Svein-Egil Nielsen, Nordic Semiconductor

“Ultra-low power operation is a vital sustainability requirement in IoT,” adds Kjetil Holstad, Nordic’s EVP of Product Management. “And critical for enabling what Nordic’s wireless IoT silicon is so good at underpinning: portable and remote IoT applications that are only made environmentally and commercially viable if they can run for years and years on small batteries.”

Holstad adds: “But as IoT applications continue to become ever more capable and high performance, memory has become an increasingly vital ingredient of the ultra-low power mix. Nordic has relied on Mobile Semiconductor’s embedded SRAM technology for many years to achieve this. Bringing that expertise in-house will position us extremely well when it comes to developing highly optimized future products. These products will continue to maintain Nordic’s industry-leading ultra-low power-performance ratios.”

“As the technology becomes more advanced, customers benefit from the resources larger companies have to continuously invest in R&D,” said Cameron Fisher, CEO at Mobile Semiconductor. “We believe Mobile Semiconductor has grown as far as it can as a private company and now needs a company like Nordic Semiconductor to take our memory architectures to the next level. Nordic Semiconductor’s leadership in providing low power and low leakage devices is the perfect match for Mobile Semiconductor and this acquisition extends our technology’s reach.”

The acquisition is expected to close during Q3 2022 pending U.S. government approval.