Crocus Technology, founded in 2004, was a venture-capital-backed

semiconductor A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. Its conductivity can be modified by adding impurities (" doping") to its crystal structure. When two regions with different doping level ...

startup company A startup or start-up is a company or project undertaken by an Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur to seek, develop, and validate a scalable business model. While entrepreneurship includes all new businesses including self-employment and businesses tha ...

developing and manufacturing integrated magnetic field sensors for a variety of applications: Automotive, consumer goods, industrial and medical IoT.

History

Crocus Technology was founded at

Grenoble Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...

in 2004, based on research at the Spintec laboratory.Mark LaPedus, It eventually moved its headquarters to

Santa Clara, California Santa Clara ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "Clare of Assisi, Saint Clare") is a city in Santa Clara County, California. The city's population was 127,647 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities and towns i ...

, but retained its engineering base in Grenoble. Later in its existence, the company focused its activities entirely on integrated, high-performance magnetic sensors. In 2022, it moved its California Headquarters from Santa Clara to Milpitas. On October 31, 2023,

Allegro MicroSystems Allegro may refer to: Common meanings * Allegro (music), a tempo marking that indicates to playing quickly and brightly (from Italian meaning ''cheerful'') * Allegro (ballet), brisk and lively movement Artistic works * L'Allegro (1645), a poem b ...

completed the acquisition of the company for $420 million in cash.

Products

The company initially developed its MLU™ (Magnetic Logic Unit™) technology for stand-alone and embedded spintronic MRAM. In 2015, Crocus Technology introduced its first magnetic sensor product based on its technology. The company further sold magnetic field sensors as well as sensors for

flexible display A flexible display or rollable display is an electronic visual display which is flexible in nature, as opposed to the traditional Flat panel display, flat screen displays used in most electronic devices. In recent years there has been a growing ...

s based on the technology. Crocus offered magnetic switches, magnetic latches and angle sensors that are based on the TMR effect.

Patents

intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, co ...

, the company possesses 154

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an sufficiency of disclosure, enabling discl ...

s supporting its products, relating to TMR technology, memory and sensor design.

Joint ventures

On June 18, 2009, Crocus Technology announced a partnership with an integrated circuit specialty foundry

Tower Semiconductor Tower Semiconductor Ltd. is an Israeli company that manufactures integrated circuits using specialty process technologies, including SiGe, BiCMOS, Silicon Photonics, SOI, mixed-signal and RFCMOS, CMOS image sensors, non-imaging sensors, power m ...

. As part of the deal, both companies will dedicate special equipment to Tower's factory, and Tower will fully manufacture Crocus’ technology in its 200mm Fab2 facility. Tower took a $1.25 million equity position in Crocus.

Investors

Other investors included

Idinvest Partners Idinvest Partners, founded under the name AGF Private Equity, S.A in 1997, is a European private equity and venture capital firm. Operating as part of Allianz until 2010, Idinvest Partners then became independent. Idinvest Partners is based in P ...

, CDC Innovation, Enterprises et Patrimonies, Nano Dimension,"NanoDimension"
2011. Retrieved July 20, 2011. Sofinnova Partners, Sofinnova Ventures, and Ventech.

References

{{Authority control 2004 establishments in California 2023 disestablishments in California 2023 mergers and acquisitions American companies established in 2004 American companies disestablished in 2023 Companies based in Santa Clara, California Computer companies established in 2004 Computer companies disestablished in 2023 Computer memory companies Defunct computer companies of the United States Defunct computer hardware companies Defunct semiconductor companies of the United States Fabless semiconductor companies Grenoble Privately held companies based in California