Pakal Technologies Joins Arborview Portfolio

We are excited to announce Arborview’s most recent portfolio investment, Pakal Technologies. Pakal is a fab-less producer of next-gen power semiconductors, with a mission to replace all legacy high-voltage power semiconductors (IGBTs) by 2035.

The Opportunity

Over 80% of the world’s electricity use flows through high-voltage power conversion. As our daily lives become increasingly electrified, power conversion will be more critical than ever before. Currently, most high voltage power conversion happens through Silicon insulated-gate bipolar transistors (commonly referred to as IGBT), but this decades-old technology has not kept up with the energy efficiency requirements needed today. Other solutions, like Silicon Carbide, offer the promise of greater efficiency but today are significantly higher cost and complex to manufacture.

Pakal was founded in 2018 by Richard Blanchard, one of the original developers of the IGBT, in response to the growing push to electrify everything. Pakal’s patented high-voltage power semiconductor (IGTO(t)) is a drop-in replacement to the industry standard Silicon IGBT.  Pakal’s IGTO(t) delivers significantly greater energy efficiency at a comparable price point.

Pakal’s Impact

The IGTO(t) technology introduces a breakthrough in energy efficiency for high-voltage power conversion. Before Pakal, the most recent innovation and efficiency improvement in power semiconductors was in 2005, leaving power conversion efficiency rates stagnant, even as the world continues to electrify.

Pakal’s technology offers 30% efficiency improvements relative to the industry standard IGBT power semiconductor. This improved performance delivers a 1-4% reduction in overall power consumption of any given system. When scaled, these improvements will make a marked impact on global electricity consumption.

The Transaction

Arborview co-invested in Pakal’s Series B-4 alongside lead investors New Science Ventures and Translink Capital.  The proceeds will enable Pakal to develop distributor and customer supply agreements and to begin scaling chip manufacturing.