Birger is Board Chair of multiple technology businesses including Internet of Things pioneer and global Bluetooth LE market leader Nordic Semiconductor ASA, business network innovator Pagero AB, and German care technology leader myneva GmbH.
Birger is also a Thematic Partner at Summa Equity’s Tech-enabled Transformation team, where he invests and works with companies that deploy technology to solve global challenges. Previously he was CEO at Parallels, Inc. and held senior roles at Microsoft Corporation including Vice President of Worldwide SMB and Distribution, and General Manager of Microsoft Russia and Microsoft Norway.
In a recent announcement, PragmatIC unveiled plans for its second FlexLogIC® fabrication line, located in the North East of England, to expand capacity in order to meet the rapidly growing demand for its ultra-low-cost flexible integrated circuits. This expansion is supported by $80 million funding, which will also allow the team to more than double in size over the next 12 months.
“We are delighted to welcome Birger to the board. He brings an in-depth understanding of the global semiconductor market, and his wide experience in leading advanced technology companies will be crucial during our next stage of growth,” said Scott White, CEO of PragmatIC Semiconductor. “Birger also joins a select group of individual investors in PragmatIC who, along with our institutional and corporate shareholders, allow us to continue building the business as a major independent semiconductor foundry, extending electronics into markets previously not possible with traditional silicon chips.”
Erik Langaker, independent Chair of the Board, added: “Having known Birger and followed his career closely for more than 30 years, I am confident that his involvement and investment in PragmatIC will help guide the team through this significant period of development. His extensive operational and international background will enable him to work closely with the management to refine their strategic roadmap and build a strong presence in the semiconductor community.”
“PragmatIC has a truly disruptive vision for their innovative flexible chips,” said Birger Steen. “Their strategy for geographically distributed semiconductor fabrication offers customers the ability to take control of critical supply chains while also quickly responding to market trends and creating new, innovative solutions that solve some of the biggest global problems we are facing today. I am excited to be joining the board at such an important stage in the company’s growth.”
About PragmatIC Semiconductor
PragmatIC Semiconductor is a world leader in ultra-low-cost flexible electronics. Our unique technology platform enables innovators to create novel solutions to everyday problems that are beyond the scope of conventional electronics. Our ConnectIC® family of flexible integrated circuits (FlexICs) are thinner than a human hair and extend proven applications such as RFID and NFC into mass market use cases, enabling the potential for trillions of smart objects that can engage with consumers and their environments. Our novel, differentiated products are being adopted by a growing base of global companies across diverse markets, including consumer goods, games, retail, pharmaceutical and security. Alternatively, designers can create their own application-specific flexible devices using our FlexIC Foundry® offering at a fraction of the cost and time required for traditional silicon circuits, opening up multiple new markets beyond RFID. These FlexICs are manufactured on our revolutionary FlexLogIC® production system, a highly scalable manufacturing model for cost-effective high-volume production, achieved with orders of magnitude less capital investment and operating cost compared to a traditional silicon IC fab. PragmatIC is headquartered in Cambridge, UK, with manufacturing operations in the North East. Shareholders include Cambridge Innovation Capital, Arm, Avery Dennison and a select group of individual investors with significant experience in the semiconductor industry.
For more information please contact pr@pragmaticsemi.com
FlexIC Foundry information is available at https://www.pragmaticsemi.com/create-more/designs