What Semi Zabala does

Semi Zabala SL is a privately-held power semiconductor company founded in 2022 and headquartered in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain, with a production facility in Zubieta. The company designs, manufactures, qualifies, and markets radiation-hardened Gallium Nitride (GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) devices and integrated circuits for space, aerospace, defense, and high-reliability industrial applications. Its core technology centers on enhancement-mode GaN HEMT devices on silicon substrates engineered for radiation tolerance, offered across voltage ratings of 100V, 200V, 400V, and up to 600V+, with radiation survivability validated up to 83 MeV Au heavy-ion levels — a specification claimed as the highest voltage survivability of any industry-supplied lateral GaN HEMT device. Semi Zabala is positioned as Europe's only domestic source of rad-hard GaN transistors for space applications.

The company generates revenue through three primary streams: hardware sales of its GaN semiconductor devices and circuits; custom chip design services tailored to specific power electronics applications; and R&D funded through participation in publicly-funded European consortia — notably the SAGAN project (€2,398,623 budget, January 2023–December 2025, with SENER TAFS SAU, IMEC, and Disco Hi-Tec Europe) and the ESGAN project (€3,370,416 budget, February 2025–January 2028, coordinated by Semi Zabala with Airbus SAS, X-FAB Dresden, and Aixtron SE). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; given the high-reliability space and defense customer base, transactions are quote-based and negotiated on a per-project basis. The go-to-market motion is long-cycle, engineering-embedded, and relationship-driven, anchored on consortium-driven co-development with tier-1 European space primes that act as both partners and end customers.

The company is building a vertically-integrated European GaN supply chain through these consortia and its 'Beyond The Power' industrial project (announced November 2025) to establish an advanced aerospace-grade power semiconductor plant in Zubieta, funded by MONDRAGON and Fagor Electrónica. The leadership team blends veteran GaN/power semiconductor expertise (CEO Simon Wainwright, formerly of Microsemi's High Reliability Division and founder of Freebird Semiconductor/EPC Space; CSO Jim Larrauri with 30+ years across Microsemi, Synqor, and International Rectifier) with European space ecosystem pedigree (Director of Applications Antxon Arrizabalaga from ESA's Power Management Group; Director of Device Technology Thibault Cosnier from IMEC).

Name

Semi Zabala

Legal name

Semi Zabala SL

Website

https://semizabala.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Semi Zabala designs, manufactures, and qualifies radiation-hardened Gallium Nitride (GaN) HEMT transistors and integrated circuits (100V-600V+) for space, aerospace, defense, and high-reliability industrial customers in Europe, offering the only domestic European source of space-grade GaN power semiconductors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radiation-Hardened Power Semiconductors

NAICS

Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (33441), Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (3344)

SIC

Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674)

akta.pro primary industry

Wide-Bandgap Power Devices (SiC/GaN Discretes) (HDAHAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

High-Voltage, Power Discretes & Modules (IGBT/MOSFET/SiC/GaN) (HDAHAAAK), Compound Semiconductor Wafers & Substrates (SiC/GaN/GaAs/InP/Sapphire) (HDAHAGAB), Wide-Bandgap (SiC/GaN) Power Modules, Gate Drivers & Packaging (EUAFAIAJ)

Keywords

• Radiation-hardened semiconductors
• Gallium nitride transistors
• Space-grade power electronics
• High-reliability semiconductors
• GaN HEMT devices

Headquarters

HQ city

Donostia-san Sebastián

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. GaN Semiconductor Devices and Circuits: Design, manufacture, qualification, and marketing of semiconductor devices and circuits for power electronics in high reliability and high performance applications. Revenue is generated through the sale of radiation-hardened GaN HEMT transistors and integrated circuits to space, aerospace, defense, and high-end industrial customers.
2. Custom Chip Design Services: Tailored semiconductor solutions to meet unique customer business requirements and challenges, including custom chip design services for specific power electronics applications.
3. R&D and Consortium Project Participation: Participation in publicly funded European projects (SAGAN budget: €2,398,623; ESGAN budget: €3,370,416) where Semi Zabala contributes design, test, and packaging of GaN transistors and integrated circuits as part of the consortium.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Semi Zabala designs, manufactures, qualifies, and markets radiation-hardened Gallium Nitride (GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) and integrated circuits for space-borne and high-reliability power electronics applications. The company provides end-to-end semiconductor solutions from concept through qualified space-component manufacturing, with voltage ratings from 100V up to 600V+ and radiation survivability validated up to 83 MeV Au heavy ion levels. Its offering spans custom chip design, advanced manufacturing, and qualification/testing services for the aerospace, space, and defense sectors.

Product overview

Semi Zabala is a power semiconductor company offering a unified portfolio of GaN-based products and services for high-reliability and high-performance applications. The core offering consists of radiation-hardened GaN HEMT transistors available at multiple voltage ratings (100V-600V+) and Radiation Hardened Design Platforms, supported by Custom Chip Design, Advanced Manufacturing, and Qualification and Testing services. The company provides end-to-end solutions from design through manufacturing qualification for space and aerospace applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Radiation-Hardened GaN HEMT Transistors

Quantifiable outcome

• 600V+ voltage ratings without degradation in space-borne heavy ion testing, fully validated up to 83 MeV Au levels — the highest radiation survivability of any industry-supplied lateral GaN HEMT device
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Airbus SAScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Airbus SAS is one of Europe's leading companies dedicated to the design and manufacture of satellite equipment and systems. Airbus serves as end user and consortium member in the ESGAN project, working with Semi Zabala (coordinator), X-FAB Dresden, and Aixtron to establish a fully capable European supply chain for space-grade GaN transistors.
• X-FAB Dresden GmbH & Co. KGmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025X-FAB is a semiconductor foundry company that has developed and offers processing services for GaN transistors. X-FAB is a member of the ESGAN consortium, providing foundry/processing services for GaN transistor manufacturing as part of the European supply chain.
• AIXTRON SEmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025AIXTRON SE is a company dedicated to the design and manufacture of equipment to grow advanced substrates for GaN transistors. AIXTRON is a member of the ESGAN consortium, contributing epitaxial/substrate growth equipment capabilities to establish the European supply chain.
• SENER TAFS SAUcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023SENER TAFS SAU is a satellite equipment manufacturer with component packaging capabilities and serves as the end user of GaN transistors developed in the SAGAN project. SENER TAFS SAU acts as the project coordinator for the SAGAN consortium. Semi Zabala designs space-level GaN transistors and integrated circuits as part of this partnership.
• IMECmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023IMEC is a research foundry and one of the world's leading independent research institutions in nanoelectronics and digital technologies. IMEC is part of the SAGAN consortium, providing wafer processing capabilities for GaN transistors to standards required by the technology.
• Disco Hi-Tec Europe GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Disco Hi-Tec Europe GmbH is a company that processes wafers to the standards required by GaN technology. Disco Hi-Tec is a member of the SAGAN consortium, contributing wafer processing capabilities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• EPC Space: EPC Space (formed from Freebird Semiconductor, co-founded by Semi Zabala's CEO Simon Wainwright) is the closest direct competitor, supplying radiation-hardened GaN HEMT transistors and ICs for satellite power applications. It is essentially the predecessor technology and customer set Semi Zabala is targeting to reclaim from a European base.

Broad incumbents

• Microchip Technology: Through its acquisition of Microsemi, Microchip is a leading supplier of rad-hard silicon MOSFETs and mixed-signal ICs for space and defense, and a former employer of both Semi Zabala co-founders. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping customer relationships across European and US space primes.
• Infineon Technologies: Infineon (including the former International Rectifier, where CSO Jim Larrauri worked) is a dominant power semiconductor incumbent with growing SiC and GaN portfolios targeting industrial, automotive, and aerospace applications. It competes with Semi Zabala for the same wide-bandgap power device opportunity.
• Wolfspeed: Wolfspeed is a leading silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor manufacturer with an expanding GaN portfolio. While focused on larger-volume EV and industrial markets, its wide-bandgap technology competes for the same radiation-tolerant power device design slots in defense and aerospace applications.
• Qorvo: Qorvo is a major GaN-on-SiC RF and power device supplier with established space and defense customers. Its GaN HEMT and MMIC portfolio overlaps with Semi Zabala's wide-bandgap device offering in high-reliability applications.
• MACOM Technology Solutions: MACOM designs and manufactures compound semiconductor devices (GaN, GaAs, InP) for RF, microwave, and power applications, including products for defense and aerospace. Its GaN HEMT portfolio makes it an adjacent competitor for rad-hard and HiRel power sockets.
• STMicroelectronics: STMicroelectronics is a major European power semiconductor incumbent with SiC and GaN product lines serving automotive, industrial, and increasingly aerospace customers. As a European-headquartered competitor with strong institutional relationships, it could compete with Semi Zabala for European space and defense contracts.
• Renesas Electronics: Renesas (including its former Intersil and Dialog Semiconductor businesses) supplies power management and rad-hard components to aerospace and defense customers. Its wide power semiconductor portfolio makes it a broad incumbent competing for the same HiRel sockets Semi Zabala targets.

Emerging players

• GaN Systems: GaN Systems is a pure-play GaN power transistor company focused primarily on industrial, data center, and consumer applications. While not space-focused, it represents a comparable GaN HEMT technology base that could pivot into rad-hard defense and aerospace markets.
• Navitas Semiconductor: Navitas is a GaN power IC company focused on fast-charging, data center, and industrial applications. Its GaN technology and packaging expertise are adjacent to Semi Zabala's discrete GaN HEMT focus and a potential future competitor in HiRel markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SemiZabala
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/semi-zabala

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors11 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 Semi Zabala