What SPARK Microsystems does

SPARK Microsystems International Inc. is a Montreal-based fabless semiconductor company founded in 2016 that designs and markets LE-UWB (Low Energy Ultra-Wideband) impulse-radio wireless transceivers for short-range Personal Area Network applications. The portfolio comprises two transceiver ICs (SR1010 3.1-5.8 GHz and SR1020 6.0-9.3 GHz, each delivering up to 6 Mbps) and the second-generation SR1120 (6.2-9.5 GHz, up to 41 Mbps at 25 microseconds airtime per kbit), supported by an in-house SDK and three evaluation kits plus reference designs for wireless headsets and 8 kHz gaming mice. The technology targets applications where Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi and ranging-only UWB cannot simultaneously deliver low power, low latency and high throughput - principally gaming peripherals, premium wireless audio, AI wearables, AR/VR, presence detection, medical devices and industrial robotics.

The company monetizes primarily through hardware sales of transceiver ICs to OEM/ODM customers, complemented by development kits, evaluation kits and licensing of pre-verified reference designs. Pricing is quote-based with Net 30 terms and a one-year warranty. Go-to-market is a hybrid: direct enterprise sales through regional offices in North America, EMEA and APAC, plus a multi-tier channel stack of authorized distributors (Digi-Key, Seltech International, Edom Technologies, WPG EMEA, Holystone) and 15+ regional sales representatives, with demand generation from a heavy trade-show presence (CES, Computex, Sensors Converge, Embedded World, Wi-Fi World Congress, AES, Electronica, Gamescom). Approximately 80-85 employees support customers across consumer audio (Focal, Sonus Faber), gaming peripherals (CHERRY XTRFY, ELECOM) and reference-design partners (Puretone, Golion, Primax). Cumulative funding exceeds CAD $70M across two Series B rounds, supplemented by CAD $1M from the FABrIC program and CAD $7.1M from Sustainable Development Technology Canada.

Name

SPARK Microsystems

Legal name

SPARK Microsystems International Inc.

Website

https://sparkmicro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SPARK Microsystems is a Montreal-based fabless semiconductor company that designs LE-UWB impulse-radio wireless transceiver ICs (SR1010, SR1020, SR1120) for ultra-low-power, low-latency, high-throughput short-range connectivity in gaming peripherals, premium audio, AI wearables, IoT sensors and medical devices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wireless Semiconductors — Ultra-Wideband Transceivers

NAICS

Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing (334413), Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing (33429)

SIC

Computer Communications Equipment (3576)

akta.pro primary industry

UWB, NFC & Short-Range Connectivity ICs (HDAHAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

RF Transceivers & RFIC SoCs (Cellular/Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth) (HDAHAMAE)

Keywords

• Ultra-wideband transceivers
• Low-power wireless ICs
• Impulse radio semiconductors
• Short-range UWB chips
• Wireless connectivity SoCs

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Wireless Transceiver IC Sales: Sale of semiconductor chips (UWB transceivers) including SR1000 series (SR1010, SR1020) and SR1100 series (SR1120). Products sold to OEM/ODM customers for integration into consumer, industrial, and medical devices.
2. Development and Evaluation Kits: Sale of software development kits (SDK), hardware evaluation kits (EVK), and presence detection kits for system designers to evaluate and develop applications using SPARK UWB technology
3. Reference Designs: Pre-verified reference designs for wireless headsets, gaming mice, and other applications that customers can license or purchase for rapid product development

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SPARK Microsystems designs, develops, and sells ultra-low-power Low Energy Ultra-Wideband (LE-UWB) wireless transceiver semiconductor ICs (the SR1010, SR1020, and SR1120 chips) along with associated software development kits, hardware evaluation kits, presence detection kits, and reference designs. These products are sold to OEM/ODM customers for integration into consumer electronics, gaming peripherals, premium wireless audio, AI wearables, AR/VR headsets, industrial IoT sensors, and medical devices requiring short-range, high-throughput, low-latency, low-power wireless connectivity.

Product overview

SPARK Microsystems is a Canadian fabless semiconductor company offering a portfolio of ultra-low-power, low-latency, high-throughput UWB wireless transceivers and associated development tools. The product line centers on three wireless transceiver ICs: the SR1010 and SR1020 (first-generation SR1000 series) delivering up to 6 Mbps, and the SR1120 (second-generation) delivering up to 41 Mbps. These transceivers are supported by the SPARK LE-UWB SDK (software development kit) and three hardware evaluation kits — the SR1120 EVK, the SR1000 Series EVK, and the SR1120 Presence Detection Kit with Tags. The company also publishes reference designs for wireless headsets and 8k gaming mice to accelerate customer product development. The technology competes with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for short-range Personal Area Network (PAN) applications, targeting gaming, audio, AI wearables, presence detection, and industrial IoT.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LE-UWB: Low Energy Ultra-Wideband wireless technology platform delivering ultra-low power, high-speed connectivity with low latency.
• PURETONE

Quantifiable outcome

• 40x greater data throughput than Bluetooth with 25x lower power consumption
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FocalcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 17 June 2026Premium French audio brand using SPARK LE-UWB technology in flagship Diva Alta Utopia, Diva Mezza Utopia, and Diva Utopia active wireless loudspeakers. SPARK's technology enables lossless, ultra-low latency wireless audio connectivity between paired speakers.
• FiRa ConsortiumcoreTechnology or Integration · 8 June 2026Associate member of FiRa Consortium dedicated to advancing ultra-wideband (UWB) technology standards and interoperability. SPARK actively participates in FiRa working groups and release initiatives, contributing expertise to develop specifications for an interconnected UWB ecosystem. Hosted live demonstrations at FiRa Consortium Demo Showcase in Montreal June 2026.
• CHERRY XTRFYcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 2 June 2026Global computing peripherals pioneer using SPARK LE-UWB for world's first LE-UWB gaming keyboard (K63W Pro) achieving 8K polling rate and up to 1100 hours battery life.
• MotsaiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026Canadian technology partner in FABrIC initiative collaboration for edge AI technologies.
• Bittele ElectronicsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026Canadian technology partner in FABrIC initiative collaboration for semiconductor design and prototyping.
• C2MIminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026Canadian technology partner in FABrIC initiative collaboration for manufacturing capabilities.
• UWB AlliancecoreTechnology or Integration · 4 February 2026Promoter-level member (highest tier) with co-founder/CTO Frederic Nabki elevated to Board of Directors. Leadership role in shaping strategic direction, regulatory advocacy priorities, and engagement with government bodies worldwide. Positions SPARK to influence UWB technology development for the emerging physical AI era.
• ELECOMminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 10 September 2025Japanese electronics company featuring SPARK LE-UWB connectivity as exclusive wireless option in new gaming mice products.
• Primax ElectronicsminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerODM partner using SPARK reference platforms to help customers get to market quickly with high-performance UWB products.
• Canada's Semiconductor CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational semiconductor industry association. SPARK joined CSC in 2023 and was honored with Product Innovation Award in 2026.
• CMM MicrosystemscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages FABrIC program. President and CEO Gordon Harling praised SPARK's wireless technology leadership in connecting AI devices with unprecedented efficiency.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Qorvo: Qorvo acquired Decawave in 2020 and is the leading merchant supplier of UWB transceivers, selling into many of the same consumer, industrial, and automotive OEMs SPARK targets. Both companies compete head-to-head on UWB IC performance, power efficiency, and OEM design wins in short-range wireless applications.
• STMicroelectronics: STMicroelectronics offers UWB products within its wireless MCU portfolio and is also a technology partner (STM32U5 MCU in SPARK's SR1120 Evaluation Kit). The two companies overlap on UWB ICs serving industrial and IoT customers, making ST a hybrid partner/competitor.
• Infineon Technologies: Infineon acquired 3db Access in 2023 to strengthen its UWB position, now competing directly with SPARK in secure ranging, automotive access, and consumer UWB. Infineon's power semiconductor scale and automotive OEM relationships pose a significant competitive threat to SPARK's expansion plans.
• NXP Semiconductors: NXP's Trimension family of UWB transceivers competes directly with SPARK's SR1120 and SR1000 series in automotive, mobile, and IoT segments. NXP's scale, broader MCU/security portfolio, and established OEM relationships make it one of SPARK's most consequential direct UWB competitors.
• Sony Semiconductor Solutions: Sony acquired Altair Semiconductor to enter the UWB and low-power cellular IoT market. Sony competes with SPARK in UWB ICs for IoT and consumer applications and brings significant semiconductor scale and Japanese-OEM relationships that SPARK must contend with.

Broad incumbents

• Espressif Systems: Espressif's ESP32 series dominates low-cost BLE/Wi-Fi IoT designs and competes with SPARK's SR1000 series in cost-sensitive IoT and presence-detection applications. While not a UWB vendor, Espressif's aggressive roadmap and ecosystem pose a threat at the lower-complexity end of SPARK's target market.
• Texas Instruments: TI's SimpleLink wireless MCU family (BLE/Wi-Fi/Multiprotocol) competes with SPARK in industrial IoT, medical, and consumer applications where SPARK targets medical devices and industrial automation. TI's broad portfolio and large sales channel mean it is frequently on the same OEM shortlists as SPARK.
• Nordic Semiconductor: Nordic is the dominant BLE SoC vendor and competes with SPARK in the same short-range wireless sockets, even though it does not sell UWB today. Its installed base, developer ecosystem, and roadmap (including Wi-Fi and Matter) make it the most likely competitor to expand into UWB and contest SPARK's positioning.
• MediaTek: MediaTek supplies short-range wireless combo ICs and connectivity solutions into smartphones, hearables, and IoT devices — overlapping with SPARK's target segments. Its scale and relationships with Asian OEMs position it as a credible competitor for any SPARK design wins in mass-market consumer devices.
• Renesas Electronics: Renesas (which acquired Dialog Semiconductor) offers BLE and Wi-Fi connectivity SoCs serving industrial and IoT markets that overlap with SPARK's industrial and presence-detection segments. Renesas' deep industrial customer base makes it a relevant competitor for SPARK's non-consumer growth opportunities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spark-microsystems
• Xx.com/SPARKmicro
• Facebookfacebook.com/sparkmicrosystems

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds10 records

Investors14 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SPARK Microsystems