Staccato, Artimi merge to keep UWB efforts alive
Ultra-wideband chip makers Staccato Communications and Artimi announced that they have merged, adopting the name of the former. The new entity also received $20 million in new equity funding, allowing it to refocus its energies on the top products from both companies.
San Diego-based Staccato plans to roll out new products utilizing both its existing chip technology and Artimi’s wireless USB offerings, the company says. It’s questionable whether the combined forces will fare any better than they did apart, however, as ultra-wideband continues its descent. Earlier this month, Intel cancelled its UWB research efforts after five years, and startup WiQuest shuttered.
Wi-Fi is giving UWB a run for its money, but the technology is still new and could find traction on cell phones in the near future. (For more, see VentureBeat’s earlier coverage here.) At least, that’s the hope of the new company’s investors, a large group that includes Allegis Capital, Khosla Ventures, InterWest Partners, Charles River Ventures and others.
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About the Author, Camille Ricketts
Camille is the lead writer for GreenBeat. She came to VentureBeat from Google where she worked on its traditional platforms team, particularly in TV. Before that, she was a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in New York and London. Follow her on Twitter at @camillericketts, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.
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