Forefront RF is placed to alter the way global smartphones, wearables and IoT devices are designed. The chip allows connected devices to operate over the increasingly wide range of 3G to 6G mobile telephony frequency bands. The company’s cancellation technology redesigns the RF system in a wireless device, allowing manufacturers to simplify the design and distribution of frequency agnostic products while decreasing cost and supply chain waste.
Forefront RF, founded in 2020 by Dr Leo Laughlin, commented: “The growth in mobile networks driven by the ever-increasing demand for data means that available frequency bands vary from region to region and, using today’s technology, has driven the need for region-specific smartphone variants each including multiple RF components. The space consumed within each smartphone adds cost and leads to inefficiencies in the supply chain.”
The chip uses the company’s Adaptive Passive Cancellation (APC) technology, similar to that employed in noise-cancelling headphones. The APC chip replaces the banks of RF filters and switches with a low cost, tunable RF circuit. The component utilises embedded software to sustain the accuracy of unique passive self-interference cancellation circuits. This allows a smartphone’s receiver to ‘hear’ the weakest signals while transmitting at full power.
Harry Destecroix, general partner at Science Creates Ventures, commented: “We are extremely impressed by the Forefront RF team and their technology and are delighted to be working with them and our co-investors. Together, we will enable the company to accelerate its impact on this important global industry.”