Four licensing agreements on computer chip technology
Four licensing agreements related to computer chip technology have been concluded at McGill University with the recently incorporated spin off companies DFT MicroSystems ("DFT US"), a Delaware corporation based in Philadelphia, and DFT MicroSystems Canada ("DFT Canada"), a Canadian corporation based in Montreal.
These agreements were signed within six months of an initial seed investment of $420,000 from MSBI Capital, a provider of seed and early stage venture capital involved in the commercialization of innovations in the life sciences, information technology and the physical sciences.
The licenses cover four key technologies that involve new methods for characterizing and testing computer chips in the semiconductor industry developed at McGill and related to work carried out by Dr Gordon Roberts, James McGill Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Today's computer chips process signals at lightning speed, outpacing the capability of conventional testing equipment. The new licensed technologies represent a major shift in the way computer chips will be tested and, as Dr Roberts explained, "rather than trying to move the signal off the chip to the test equipment, we're moving the test equipment onto the chip."
There are multiple benefits from the development of these chip-testing technologies, including the distribution of royalty fees to researchers, the creation of jobs for graduate students and a potential reduction in the overall cost of producing chips, since it is estimated that up to 50% of the cost of chip production occurs at the testing stage.
DFT has a strong intellectual property base and is gaining tremendous market traction for such an early stage company" said Chris Arsenault, partner at MSBI Capital. "In addition to collaborating closely with the founders in setting up operations, attracting key individuals and strategic partners, MSBI is pleased to have been able to provide financial support beyond seed financing."
About DFT MicroSystems
DFT MicroSystems, Inc. and DFT MicroSystems Canada Inc. develop low cost, specialized automatic test solutions for radio frequency (RF) and mixed-signal systems-on-a-chip (SOC). "DFT" is an industry acronym for "design for test," a predominant design methodology used in the SOC industry. The company's testing solutions leverage patent-pending testing and measurement technology to eliminate many of the limitations associated with conventional testing methods. The company's solutions are targeted at all companies that test RF or mixed-signal devices for signal processing, telecommunications, audio, video, biomedical, automobile and defense applications.
About MSBI Capital
MSBI Capital is a seed and early stage venture capital fund dedicated to commercializing innovations in life sciences, information technology and the physical sciences. MSBI Capital has a particular focus on establishing and building companies based on technology advancements and inventions originating from the universities of McGill, Sherbrooke and Bishop's, as well as their affiliated hospitals and research institutes. MSBI Capital maintains offices in Montreal, Québec, Canada. MSBI and MSBI LP are trademarks of MSBI Capital. Other registered and unregistered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
About McGill University
McGill University, located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, has an international reputation for scholarly achievement and scientific discovery. McGill's 22 faculties and professional schools offer more than 300 programs from the undergraduate to the doctoral level. McGill's professors have earned graduate degrees and completed their training in leading academic centers around the world. Last year, McGill led all Canadian universities in terms of research funding per full-time faculty member, at $177,000 (Cdn). McGill attracts top students from over 150 countries, creating one of the most dynamic and diverse student bodies in North America. McGill's main language of instruction is English.
