Vesper MEMS

Vesper MEMS operates as a developer of advanced micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) based microphones, positioning itself to capitalize on the growing "Internet of Voice" trend. The company was founded in 2009 by Bobby Littrell and Karl Grosh, spinning out of the University of Michigan. The foundational technology emerged from Littrell's Ph.D. work, where, as a doctoral student advised by Professor Grosh, he developed a new MEMS architecture based on piezoelectric materials. This early work was supported by grants, including one from NASA to create robust microphone arrays for monitoring airplane noise.

Vesper's business model is centered on the design and sale of these specialized MEMS microphones and sensors to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their partners. The company has established partnerships with tier-one manufacturers like GlobalFoundries and TSMC for wafer fabrication and collaborates with others, such as AAC Technologies, for packaging and testing. Revenue is generated through the high-volume sale of its microphone products. Its client base consists of companies developing consumer electronics, including smart speakers, smartphones, TV remote controls, wearables, hearables, and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The company has attracted significant investment, raising a total of $79.9M over five rounds from notable investors including Amazon's Alexa Fund, Bose Ventures, Applied Materials, and Accomplice. In August 2022, Vesper was acquired by Qualcomm.

The core of Vesper's product offering is its proprietary piezoelectric MEMS technology, which diverges from the conventional capacitive MEMS microphones. Instead of a traditional diaphragm and backplate structure, Vesper's microphones use a single, durable piezoelectric cantilever structure that directly converts the mechanical energy of sound waves into an electrical signal. This design offers inherent resistance to environmental contaminants like water, dust, and oil, enhancing product durability without requiring protective membranes that can degrade acoustic performance. A key feature derived from this technology is "ZeroPower Listening™" (ZPL). This allows a device to remain in a near-zero power hibernation state, with the microphone acting as an acoustic switch that wakes the system only upon detecting specific sound patterns or keywords, which can extend the battery life of portable devices by more than ten times.

Keywords: piezoelectric MEMS, voice interface, ZeroPower Listening, acoustic sensors, IoT devices, smart home, hearables, environmental robustness, voice recognition, audio technology