MEMS, Microfluidics and Microsystems Executive Review

How to launch a BioMEMS start up

CardioMEMS is an emerging company which has developed BioMEMS technology for treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) and Heart Failure (HF) disease.  The company announced last month that it has completed its series C round of financing, raising $16 million of equity funding. 

Medtronic, a new investor, led the round and previous investors Boston Millennia Partners, Foundation Medical Partners, Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, Guidant Corporation, and Arboretum Ventures also participated.  Briefly prior to that, CardioMEMS announced the FDA clearance and U.S. market launch of the company’s EndoSure™ Wireless AAA Pressure Measurement System. 

We recently spoke with CardioMEMS’ President and CEO David Stern.

Optimizing MEMS Manufacturing

Tight control of manufacturing flows and yield is one of the essential factors for success with MEMS manufacturers.  We recently spoke with Dan Estrada, Vice President of Eyelit, whose company provides software systems to help manufacturers achieve greater fabrication efficiencies and profitability.  Eyelit already has a number of clients in the MEMS industry and continues to expand its work with companies in our space. 

We were also able to obtain comments from two of Eyelit's customers, Innovative Micro Technology (IMT) and VTI -- Michael Shillinger, IMT's VP Operations, and Sampo Hämäläinen, VTI's Process Development and Manufacturing Manager, provided feedback from their companies. 

Motorola Comments on RF MEMS

There has been much discussion about RF applications in the MEMS industry circles.   While most of the comments and input so far has been from RF MEMS manufacturers, we thought that getting some feedback from a potential RF MEMS customer, Motorola, is important as well.  We recently spoke with Tom Walczak, Senior Director of the Radio Systems Group, Mobile Devices Technology Office, and Joel Clark, Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff, about RF and other MEMS applications.