Summit Microelectronics

About Summit Microelectronics

Established in 1997, Summit Microelectronics carved a niche in the semiconductor industry by developing programmable power management integrated circuits (ICs). The company specialized in creating flexible, highly integrated power management solutions that merged precision power regulation with sophisticated digital control onto a single chip. One of the founders, Ted Myers, previously with National Semiconductor and Fairchild Semiconductor, was instrumental in bringing the company's initial products to market ahead of schedule. Summit's core business revolved around the design and manufacture of these ICs for a diverse client base across the consumer, communications, and computing sectors.

The company's business model was centered on selling these advanced semiconductor chips to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Revenue was generated through the sale of products like battery chargers, multi-output power supplies, and power monitors. Summit's key differentiator was its programmable, non-volatile mixed-signal IC technology. This technology, paired with a graphical user interface (GUI) development environment, offered designers significant flexibility in power supply design. It allowed for dynamic control over voltage and current and facilitated intelligent battery charging, which improved system performance and reduced design complexity. By integrating multiple functions into a single programmable chip, Summit enabled its clients to reduce their bill-of-materials, leading to lower overall system costs and smaller product sizes.

Summit Microelectronics was a venture-capital-backed firm, having raised funds from investors including August Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, and NGP Capital. After over a decade of operation and establishing a strong presence in the market, particularly with fast-charging solutions for mobile phones, tablets, and e-readers, the company reached a major milestone. In June 2012, Qualcomm acquired Summit Microelectronics to enhance its own power management product roadmap. The acquisition integrated Summit's expertise in battery charging and DC-DC converters into Qualcomm's chipset solutions, and all of Summit's employees joined Qualcomm's CDMA Technologies division.