Tiempo, Specialist in Asynchronous Design, Raises $1.6M

GRENOBLE, France – February 5, 2008 – Tiempo, specialist in the design of asynchronous (clockless) integrated circuits, closed a first financing round at 1.1 M€ (1.6 M$) with Emertec Gestion and Schneider Electric Ventures. Tiempo develops and markets asynchronous IPs (microcontrollers, crypto-processors, interfaces) and EDA tools that allow semi-conductor companies to design ultra-low power, ultra-low noise, robust and secured chips.

Tiempo, located in Montbonnot St-Martin, near Grenoble, France, was founded in July 2007 by Serge Maginot, former R&D Director at Synopsys, Inc. and former General Manager of Leda S.A., and Marc Renaudin, former Professor at Grenoble Institute of Technology and former head of the CIS research group of the TIMA Laboratory (research labs from Grenoble Institute of Technology, CNRS and Joseph Fourier University). Tiempo industrializes research results of the CIS group and is supported by INPG Entreprise SA.

« We were immediately impressed by the potential of Tiempo whose solution allows designing chips with performances that are unreachable by traditional design methodologies » said Jean-Philippe Stefanini, General Partner of Emertec Gestion, « Tiempo offers very promising perspectives with products developed by an experienced team having a unique expertise and worldwide reputation in asynchronous design and EDA tool development. »

Tiempo provides to fabless semiconductor companies, integrated device manufacturers, and silicon foundries a solution to respond to the always more demanding requests on low power consumption, electromagnetic compatibility, robustness and security. Tiempo asynchronous (clockless) design technology has excellent performances in all these aspects. Additionally, chips designed with Tiempo solution are functionally very robust against the variability of nanometric process parameters (PVT, process-voltage-temperature), which is a critical issue for 65 nm - and below - technologies.

« Tiempo technology is the result of more than 15 years of scientific researches – the latest 8 years within the TIMA Laboratory – on the design of asynchronous integrated circuits and the development of dedicated EDA tools. The outcome of these researches are chip prototypes that demonstrate outstanding performances for a very competitive silicon area, as well as a synthesis tool that makes our innovating asynchronous design technology now usable at industrial level » said Marc Renaudin, CTO of Tiempo.

The company targets the markets of electronics for consumer handheld devices, electronics for the automobile, the avionics and the medical equipments, energy and power (power managements systems) and all the applications that require a high level of hardware security (electronic payment, cryptology), market for which Tiempo solution is particularly appropriate.

« Tiempo product roadmap and marketing strategy had a fundamental influence on our investment decision process » stated Guillaume Dupont, Investment Partner at Schneider Electric Ventures, « Tiempo has a portfolio of innovative asynchronous IPs that, in addition, can be easily integrated into synchronous designs. This offer is supported by an EDA tool suite that can be inserted in today’s design tool flows. The possibility offered by Tiempo to incrementally adopt its very innovative solution is a key advantage for its customers ».

« The participation of Emertec Gestion and Schneider Electric Ventures in this round underlines the value of Tiempo innovative technology in the semi-conductor market. The contribution of these two venture capital firms – both specialized in the funding of startups with hot new technologies - will enable us to strengthen the development plan of our IP and EDA products and accelerate their commercialization worldwide », said Serge Maginot, CEO of Tiempo.

About Tiempo:

Tiempo, located in Montbonnot St-Martin, near Grenoble (France), develops and commercializes a complete solution – IPs and EDA tools – for the design of innovative clockless integrated circuits. Tiempo technology allows the design of chips that are ultra-low power (energy and current peaks), ultra-low noise, functionally robust and secured against attacks by power analysis and fault injections. Tiempo portfolio of IPs includes asynchronous cores of microcontrollers, microprocessors, cryptoprocessors and miscellaneous communication and sensor interfaces. www.tiempo-ic.com

About Emertec Gestion:

Emertec Gestion, based in Grenoble (France), is one of the few venture capitalists in Europe to concentrate on the creation of innovative companies that use results derived from scientific research. It manages 4 funds currently amounting to more than 100 M€. Emertec 2, which invests in Tiempo, is dedicated to early-stage investments in Europe in the microelectronics-related high tech sectors.

About Schneider Electric Ventures:

Schneider Electric Ventures is a venture capital firm sponsored by Schneider Electric, the world leader in electrical distribution and automation & control (2007 revenue: €17,3 Bn). Schneider Electric Ventures invests in innovative companies in the Energy & Power, Advanced Materials & Electronics, and Automation & Communication sectors. Schneider Electric Ventures is currently active in 17 companies in Europe and North America.