FORWARD.one, InnovationQuarter Capital, and Waterman Ventures have announced an investment of €8 million in Qualinx, a pioneer in ultra-low power tracking and communication systems.
The company, a spin-off from Delft University of Technology, developed and successfully tested a new radio chip that can receive geo-positioning data from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) with a 10 times lower power consumption, smaller chip size, and at lower costs compared to existing solutions. It was also supported by earlier investments from Delft Enterprises. The device can reliably estimate location and time by detecting signals from all main satellite systems, including GPS.
The foundational inventions of Qualinx are covered by patents and stem from the founders' doctoral work in the field of digital radio frequency (DRF) technology. DRF enables CMOS scaling for GPS-like radios and the transfer of a sizable portion of the chip's analogue region to the digital domain, resulting in a sizable reduction in the chip's power consumption, size, and cost.
"Our next step is to launch the QLX300+, a System-on-Chip featuring the world's smallest and most power-efficient GNSS sensor", says Tom Trill, CEO at Qualinx. "The QLX300+ will use as much as 10 times less energy than currently available GNSS devices in the market and will be in mass production next year. As a result of the improved efficiency, the battery life of, for example, fitness trackers and smartwatches can be extended from hours to several days."
The technology can be used to produce any radio; it is not just restricted to GNSS. For instance, the QLX400, a second-generation product from the company, would combine GNSS and an Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio on a single chip to track and communicate a location while using almost no power.
Nowadays physical assets, regardless of size, have to be monitored at all times. As Trill explains, "There is global concern about the security of any asset, especially when it moves. Shipping a product from warehouse to store without breakpoints in connectivity currently requires a multi-chip solution to provide seamless connectivity between classic GNSS and ground based IoT radios. We offer a single-chip solution that can do both. It is universally applicable, affordable and has an ultra-low power budget."
"We are proud and excited to partner with Qualinx alongside our co-investors", says Arjan Göbel, partner at FORWARD.one. "Not often do we see such a fundamental step-change in technology development addressing a large, global and future proof market. Adding their top-tier and fast-growing team to the equation, we are convinced that Qualinx has the potential to replace all existing GNSS and radio communications technology."
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