GloNav

About GloNav

GloNav Inc. operated as a fabless semiconductor company, focusing on the development of Global Positioning System (GPS) and other satellite navigation technologies. The company was established in 2006, with its headquarters in Newport Beach, California, and additional offices in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan. GloNav's formation was the result of a strategic spin-out of the GPS business from Ceva Inc., combined with the acquisition of RFDomus Inc., a specialist in radio technology. This move was orchestrated and funded by Atlantic Bridge Ventures, a European venture capital firm, which made an initial investment of $16.2 million.

The company's business model was centered on designing and developing single-chip GPS silicon solutions, primarily targeting the mobile phone and personal navigation device markets. GloNav operated on a fabless model, meaning it outsourced the manufacturing of its chip designs. Its product portfolio included a suite of technology components for GPS semiconductor solutions, such as GPS baseband IP, satellite acquisition and navigation software, and ultra-low power RFIC technology. A key feature of its main product, a single-chip GPS system, was its ability to operate indoors. The company primarily sold its solutions to mobile phone manufacturers, particularly in the Chinese market.

The creation of GloNav was spearheaded by Brian Long, a managing partner at Atlantic Bridge Ventures who was formerly a senior manager at Parthus, an Irish chip designer that merged with Ceva in 2002. This background provided deep industry expertise in semiconductor and navigation technology. The company leveraged a technology heritage spanning over 20 years, originating from Navstar Ltd., a UK-based firm with a strong presence in military test range instrumentation.

After its founding, GloNav raised a total of $33.2 million in funding over two rounds. In a significant and rapid milestone, GloNav was acquired by NXP Semiconductors in a deal announced on December 21, 2007, just over a year after its formation. The acquisition was valued at an initial $85 million in cash, with an additional potential payment of up to $25 million contingent on performance milestones, bringing the total possible value to $110 million. The acquisition allowed NXP to integrate GloNav's GPS expertise with its own portfolio of FM Radio, Bluetooth, and USB technologies to offer a more comprehensive suite of connectivity solutions for the mobile market. At the time of the acquisition, GloNav had approximately 50 employees who were absorbed into NXP's Mobile and Personal Business Unit.