Technology
Markets
Company
Login
Buy Now
Menlo Microsystems (Menlo Micro), a start-up focused on commercializing MEMS switch technology developed by General Electric, has raised $44 million in series B funding.
“This round of financing will enable us to significantly accelerate our product development and the scaling of our production lines," said Russ Garcia, CEO.
40 North Ventures led the series B round, joined by San Francisco-based Piva, Paladin Capital Group, Vertical Venture Partners and Tony Fadell’s Future Shape. Including this round, Menlo Micro has raised $78 million and is backed by Corning and Microsemi.
Following some 12 years of MEMS research at General Electric (GE), Chris Keimel and Chris Giovanniello co-founded Menlo Micro, aiming to bring a reliable, “ideal switch” to production.
“The concept of an ‘ideal switch’ was theoretical — something companies have been working to achieve for decades — until Menlo Micro,” said Marianne Wu, managing director of 40 North Ventures.
“For 40+ years, the industry has been searching for a switch that has the perfect combination of the electromechanical relay and the silicon transistor. Menlo Micro’s Ideal Switch™ is a tiny, efficient, reliable micro-mechanical switch with unmatched RF performance and, counterintuitively, high-power handling of thousands of watts," said Tony Fadell, founder of Nest and principal at Future Shape.
