The UC Santa Barbara-founded semiconductor technology producer has gone public through a reverse merger with penny stock company Peninsula Acquisition and received $21.5m from investors including Marelli.

Transphorm, a US-based semiconductor technology spinout of University of California, Santa Barbara, completed a reverse merger with shell company Peninsula Acquisition on Tuesday, also raising $21.5m in a private placement co-led by automotive component supplier Marelli.
The funding round was co-led by an unnamed affiliate of private equity firm KKR and undisclosed new and existing investors.
Founded in 2007, Transphorm has developed gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors it claims can convert power with a higher efficiency than silicon-based systems…

Thierry Heles

Thierry Heles is editor-at-large of Global University Venturing and Global Corporate Venturing, and host of the Beyond the Breakthrough podcast.