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Navitas Semiconductor
Navitas Semiconductor was founded in 2014 in El Segundo, California by CEO Gene Sheridan and CTO Dan Kinzer, veterans of power semiconductor pioneer...
Navitas Semiconductor
Navitas Semiconductor was founded in 2014 in El Segundo, California by CEO Gene Sheridan and CTO Dan Kinzer, veterans of power semiconductor pioneer International Rectifier. The founding team included several other alumni of the same firm. The company identified gallium nitride (GaN) power integrated circuits as the successor to legacy silicon-based power chips, a technology transition comparable to the earlier shift from vacuum tubes to solid-state electronics. Navitas listed on the Nasdaq in October 2021 following a business combination with a special-purpose acquisition company, Live Oak Acquisition Corp. II. The company's core technology integrates GaN power FETs, gate drivers, and logic into a single, monolithic integrated circuit branded as GaNFast. This single-chip design allows for higher switching frequencies and system efficiencies compared to traditional silicon chip designs, targeting applications such as mobile fast chargers, laptop adapters, datacenter power supplies, solar inverters, and onboard chargers for electric vehicles. Confirmed OEM customers include Lenovo, Dell, and Xiaomi for their fast-charging laptops and phones. The company announced a partnership to design power conversion systems for the Xbox Series S gaming console. In the electric vehicle space, Navitas has showcased bi-directional charging designs and partnered with tier-one automotive suppliers on onboard chargers. Navitas is structured as a publicly traded, fabless semiconductor company that outsources its chip manufacturing to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). The company disclosed a headcount of approximately 200 employees globally at the time of its public listing, with additional offices established in Shanghai and Dublin to support sales and engineering. In July 2022, Navitas completed the acquisition of GeneSiC Semiconductor, adding silicon carbide (SiC) technology to its portfolio and extending its reach into higher-voltage applications for EVs, renewables, and grid infrastructure. What structurally differentiates Navitas from a standard fabless chip vendor is its proprietary process design kit (PDK) developed in partnership with TSMC. This GaN-on-Si process is exclusive to Navitas and represents a customization layer atop a standard foundry node. The architecture of the monolithically integrated design, paired with this custom process, created a specific IP moat in the fast-charger market that competitors have taken years to replicate.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2014
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Torrance
Corporate office
Torrance, CA, United States
Principals
Gene Sheridan
CEO and Co-Founder
Dan Kinzer
CTO and Co-Founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What is Navitas Semiconductor's core technology?
Navitas designs and markets gallium nitride (GaN) power integrated circuits. Its main product line, marketed under the brand GaNFast, integrates a GaN power FET, gate driver, and logic circuit onto a single chip. This monolithic design replaces discrete, multi-chip silicon solutions and enables higher switching speeds in smaller form factors, primarily for power adapters, datacenter power supplies, and on-board chargers for electric vehicles.
How did Navitas become a public company?
Navitas listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol NVTS in October 2021 through a business combination with Live Oak Acquisition Corp. II, a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The transaction valued the combined entity at an enterprise value of roughly $1 billion, netting Navitas approximately $320 million in cash to fund its expansion before the acquisition of GeneSiC in 2022.
Does Navitas also produce silicon carbide (SiC) chips?
Yes. Navitas announced its entry into the silicon carbide market with the acquisition of GeneSiC Semiconductor in July 2022. This deal added a portfolio of SiC MOSFETs and Schottky diodes to Navitas's existing GaN capabilities, extending the company's addressable market into higher-power applications like grid infrastructure, heavy-duty EVs, and high-power industrial motors.
Who are Navitas Semiconductor's primary manufacturing partners?
Navitas is a fabless semiconductor company. Its primary manufacturing partner for GaNFast chips is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Navitas developed a proprietary GaN-on-Si process design kit in collaboration with TSMC, which remains exclusive to Navitas and represents a key operational asset in its supply chain.
Which end-product companies use Navitas chips?
Navitas chips are integrated into fast chargers and adapters sold by major consumer electronics OEMs. Documented design wins include higher-wattage chargers for Lenovo and Dell laptops, fast wall chargers from Chinese OEMs such as Xiaomi and OPPO, and accessories from aftermarket brands like Anker and Belkin. Navitas also disclosed a custom-design win for auxiliary power inside the Xbox Series S console.
Is Navitas a venture-funded startup, a family office investment, or a public company?
Navitas is a publicly traded, fabless semiconductor company. While it was originally backed by venture and growth equity before its SPAC listing, it now operates as a Nasdaq-listed corporation subject to standard SEC reporting requirements. The primary shareholders include institutional asset managers who invested pre- and post-listing. It is not structured as a family office or a portfolio company of any single fund.
What is Navitas's relationship to International Rectifier?
Navitas has a strong DNA link to International Rectifier, the pioneer in power MOSFET technology acquired by Infineon Technologies in 2015. Co-founders Gene Sheridan (CEO) and Dan Kinzer (CTO) are both former senior executives at International Rectifier, and several other early team members are alums of the firm. The technical approach — building a monolithic integration that reduces complexity in power systems — draws on experience with integrated driver-MOSFET designs that International Rectifier once popularized.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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