Delfmems
DelfMEMS is a French fabless semiconductor company that designs and supplies RF MEMS ohmic switches (SPST to SP16T) for mobile phone RF Front-End module makers, targeting 4G LTE-Advanced and 5G handset applications via direct enterprise sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersVilleneuve, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Delfmems does
DelfMEMS S.A. is a French fabless semiconductor company founded in 2006 (according to the company's own company-history record; firmographic data lists 2005) by Olivier Millet to develop Radio Frequency Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (RF MEMS) switching solutions for mobile telecommunications. The company is headquartered in Sainghin-en-Mélantois, France, with an additional operations site at the Hub Innovation in Villeneuve d'Ascq and a US Business & Operations office serving North American customers. Its core technology is the patented FreeFlex™ platform — an anchorless, push-pull membrane switch design using electrostatic actuation that addresses the long-standing commercial failure modes of conventional RF MEMS (stiction, anchor stress, beam creep, low commutation speed). The portfolio is protected by seven key patents, with CTO Karim Segueni holding four RF-MEMS-related patents personally.
The company manufactures surface micro-machined RF MEMS ohmic switches spanning SPST to SP16T configurations, anchored by the flagship SP12T twelve-throw switch — billed as the world's first twelve-throw RF MEMS ohmic contact switch for mobile applications, demonstrated at Mobile World Congress 2015 and having passed one billion test cycles by June 2015. Performance claims versus incumbent SOI/SOS solid-state switches include -0.2 dB insertion loss at 2 GHz, -45 dB isolation at 2 GHz, >90 dBm IIP3 linearity, sub-microsecond switching time, hot-switching capability, and up to 20% reduction in RF Front-End module power consumption. First-generation switches are manufactured by Honeywell/Tronics in Dallas, Texas under a fabless model, with qualification completed by end of 2015. Complementary offerings include digital capacitor banks and a PXI-based RF MEMS characterization test system co-developed with Presto Engineering.
DelfMEMS sells directly to Tier One mobile phone RF Front-End module makers and mobile device OEMs under a B2B enterprise sales motion, with revenue derived from hardware sales of its switch portfolio and intended for integration into 4G LTE-Advanced and 5G handsets. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set via bespoke B2B contracts. The company has raised approximately $19.8M across three rounds (2010, 2013, 2014) from European investors led by Bpifrance (FSN PME), Iris Capital, VIVES, Capitalaria and regional French funds, with first commercial SP12T shipments anticipated in H2 2016 per the most recent disclosed commentary. No revenue is publicly disclosed and no post-2016 operational data is available in the input.
Delfmems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Delfmems
- Legal name
- DelfMEMS S.A.
- Website
- https://delfmems.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- DelfMEMS is a French fabless semiconductor company that designs and supplies RF MEMS ohmic switches (SPST to SP16T) for mobile phone RF Front-End module makers, targeting 4G LTE-Advanced and 5G handset applications via direct enterprise sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Delfmems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- RF MEMS Switches
- NAICS
- Communications Equipment Manufacturing (3342), Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334290)
- SIC
- Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674)
- akta.pro primary industry
- RF MEMS & Resonators (SAW/BAW/Filters/Timing) (HDAHALAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- RF Switches, Tuners & Antenna Tuning ICs (HDAHAMAD), RF, Microwave & Wireless ICs (HDAHAAAF), RF Front-End Modules (FEMs) & Integrated RF Modules (HDAHAMAA)
Keywords
Where Delfmems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Villeneuve
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Delfmems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- RF MEMS Switch Hardware Sales: DelfMEMS generates revenue from the sale of RF MEMS switches (SP12T and related multi-throw switch products) to mobile device manufacturers and RF Front-End module makers. The company is a fabless semiconductor firm working with volume semiconductor foundries for production.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Delfmems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DelfMEMS develops and produces RF MEMS (Radio Frequency Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) ohmic switches for mobile phone RF Front-End modules, using its proprietary FreeFlex™ anchorless, push-pull membrane architecture. Its commercial switch portfolio spans SPST through SP16T configurations (with the SP12T twelve-throw switch as the flagship), supplemented by digitally tunable capacitor banks, targeting Tier One mobile phone module makers for 4G LTE Advanced and 5G handsets. The company is fabless, manufacturing through the Tronics/Honeywell MEMS foundry in Dallas, Texas.
Product overview
DelfMEMS is a fabless semiconductor company that develops and produces RF MEMS (Radio Frequency Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) switching solutions for mobile phone RF front-end modules. Its core product is the FreeFlex™ RF-MEMS technology platform, which powers a family of ohmic contact switches ranging from SPST to SP16T (including the SP12T flagship twelve-throw switch), alongside digital capacitor banks. These components integrate into LTE-Advanced and 5G mobile handsets to enable carrier aggregation, reduce insertion loss, improve linearity, and cut RF module power consumption by up to 20%. DelfMEMS also offers a companion PXI-based ultra-fast RF MEMS test system developed with Presto Engineering for production characterization. The company operates without a public or partner-facing API.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SP12T Twelve-Throw RF MEMS Ohmic Switch A twelve-throw RF-MEMS ohmic contact switch built on the patented FreeFlex™ technology, designed to enable full uplink carrier aggregation for 4G LTE Advanced and 5G mobile handsets with ultra-low insertion loss, high isolation (>45 dB at 2 GHz), and superior linearity (>90 dBm IIP3). It targets RF Front-End module designers at Tier One mobile phone OEMs and module makers.
- RF MEMS Switch Family (SPST to SP16T) A family of surface micro-machined RF MEMS switches spanning SPST to SP16T configurations, using mechanical movement to switch RF transmission lines on or off, with Figure of Merit below 10, switching time under 1 microsecond, operation across 0.1 to 40 GHz, and designed for RF transmission line switching in mobile phone RF Front-End modules.
- Digital Capacitor Banks RF MEMS-based digitally tunable capacitor arrays integrated alongside RF switches to provide reconfigurable RF Front-End functionality for multi-band, multi-mode mobile handsets, enabling tunable matching networks and adaptive filtering.
Quantifiable outcome
- Insertion loss reduction to -0.2 dB @ 2GHz and isolation of -45 dB @ 2GHz, with linearity above 90 dBm IIP3 for high throw count T/R switches — 2-3 generations ahead of the best SOI technologies
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Delfmems
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Delfmems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Delfmems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.
- Presto EngineeringcorePresto Engineering and DelfMEMS collaborated to design the first full PXI-based test system for ultra-fast characterization testing of RF MEMS switches. The PXI-based test cell reduces total cost of ownership, shortens characterization test time by a factor of ten compared to manual bench testing, and enables faster yield ramp and time-to-volume production. Designed to characterize RF-MEMS chips from SPST to SP16T configurations with transient Kelvin measurement at 250ns sampling rate.
- Tronics (Honeywell/Tronics MEMS Fab)coreDelfMEMS has collaborated with Tronics' MEMS Fab in Dallas, Texas since Q2 2011 for the RF MEMS switch process transfer and platform qualification. First-generation DelfMEMS switches are manufactured by Honeywell/Tronics in Dallas, Texas, with qualification completed by end of 2015. This partnership is a core element of DelfMEMS's fabless supply chain strategy.
- NTT DOCOMOkeyDelfMEMS successfully delivered custom arrays of MEMS ohmic switches to NTT DOCOMO to enable tunability into RF front-end modules for mobile applications. This was an early commercial engagement demonstrating DelfMEMS's technology in a Tier 1 mobile operator ecosystem.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Delfmems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Menlo Micro: Direct RF MEMS switch competitor developing high-performance MEMS switching technology for RF front-end and test/measurement applications, with comparable product positioning to DelfMEMS' FreeFlex™ switches.
Broad incumbents
- Qorvo: Major RF front-end module supplier using SOI switch technology acquired from Cavendish Kinetics (an RF MEMS pioneer); a key incumbent competitor to DelfMEMS in mobile RF switching sockets.
- Skyworks Solutions: Leading RF semiconductor supplier serving the same Tier One mobile handset OEMs that DelfMEMS targets, offering competing SOI-based RF switch and front-end module solutions.
- Broadcom (AVAGO): Diversified semiconductor incumbent with a major RF front-end and switch product line serving the same Tier One mobile customers as DelfMEMS, with FBAR filter technology that competes on integration.
- Qualcomm (RF360 / Qualcomm Technologies): Mobile chipset leader with integrated RF front-end solutions including SOI switches and tuners, competing directly for the same LTE-A / 5G handset design slots DelfMEMS targets.
- Murata Manufacturing: Japanese RF component supplier offering switch and front-end module solutions to the same mobile handset OEMs; relevant incumbent competitor for next-generation RF switching.
- STMicroelectronics: European semiconductor major with RF and MEMS capabilities and historical involvement in RF MEMS development; competes in mobile RF switching and is headquartered in the same European ecosystem as DelfMEMS.
- TDK (EPCOS / InvenSense): Global electronics component supplier with RF switch, filter, and module products serving the mobile RF front-end market, overlapping with DelfMEMS' target customers.
- Analog Devices: Diversified analog and RF semiconductor incumbent producing RF switches, tuners, and signal-chain components used in mobile and infrastructure RF applications.
Emerging players
- Akoustis: Emerging RF component company developing novel MEMS-based RF filter solutions for 5G; relevant adjacent emerging player in the next-generation RF component space.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Delfmems social profiles
Digital presenceDelfmems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Delfmems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Delfmems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors12 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Delfmems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Delfmems
What does Delfmems do?
DelfMEMS develops and produces RF MEMS (Radio Frequency Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) ohmic switches for mobile phone RF Front-End modules, using its proprietary FreeFlex™ anchorless, push-pull membrane architecture. Its commercial switch portfolio spans SPST through SP16T configurations (with the SP12T twelve-throw switch as the flagship), supplemented by digitally tunable capacitor banks, targeting Tier One mobile phone module makers for 4G LTE Advanced and 5G handsets. The company is fabless, manufacturing through the Tronics/Honeywell MEMS foundry in Dallas, Texas.
Is Delfmems a public or private company?
Delfmems is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Delfmems founded?
Delfmems was founded in 2006. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Delfmems based?
Delfmems is headquartered in Villeneuve, France, in the Europe region.
How does Delfmems make money?
One revenue line is on record: RF MEMS Switch Hardware Sales.
Who are Delfmems's main competitors?
Menlo Micro is listed as a direct peer. Broad incumbents are Qorvo, Skyworks Solutions, Broadcom (AVAGO), Qualcomm (RF360 / Qualcomm Technologies), Murata Manufacturing, STMicroelectronics, TDK (EPCOS / InvenSense) and Analog Devices. Akoustis is listed as an emerging player.
Does Delfmems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Delfmems.
What industry is Delfmems in?
Delfmems's product category is RF MEMS Switches. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHALAI, RF MEMS & Resonators (SAW/BAW/Filters/Timing), with a secondary code of HDAHAMAD, RF Switches, Tuners & Antenna Tuning ICs. Its NAICS code is 3342 and its SIC code is 3674.