Power Integrations

About Power Integrations

In 1988, in the heart of what would become Silicon Valley, three founders, Klas Eklund, Art Fury, and Steve Sharp, started Power Integrations. Their focus was on a complex but crucial problem: high-voltage power conversion. Every electronic device, from a TV to a phone charger, needs to convert high-voltage AC power from the wall outlet into low-voltage DC power. The company aimed to make this conversion smaller, simpler, and more efficient by putting the necessary components onto a single chip. A key moment arrived in 1994 with the launch of their first commercial product, the TOPSwitch™ family. This was a significant step in proving their high-integration model. The company's trajectory continued upward, leading to a major milestone in December 1997 when Power Integrations went public on the NASDAQ. Just a year later, in 1998, they introduced the TinySwitch™ family featuring EcoSmart™ technology, which dramatically reduced the energy wasted by electronics on standby. This innovation tackled the growing problem of "energy vampires," devices that draw power even when not in use. The company continued its focused innovation, led by CEO Balu Balakrishnan, who took the helm in 2002 and has been instrumental in the company's growth and holds over 200 patents. Today, Power Integrations remains a key player, providing the essential, high-performance integrated circuits that power a vast range of electronics efficiently.