“`html

A technology that originated in a University of Michigan laboratory is currently enhancing battery longevity in devices from Fitbit, Garmin, and Whoop, in addition to smart glasses and medical wearables.

Established in 2010 as Ambiq Micro, Ambiq is initiating its public offering on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker AMBQ as it broadens its objective of running AI models on comparably compact devices.

“Ambiq exemplifies how publicly funded research can transform into a technology that enhances the daily lives of numerous individuals, in this instance by facilitating more effective and user-friendly wearable devices,” stated Dennis Sylvester, U-M professor and head of electrical and computer engineering.

Ambiq was co-founded by Sylvester, U-M engineering professor David Blaauw, and Ambiq CTO Scott Hanson. Hanson acquired his doctorate in electrical and computer engineering in 2008 in the lab shared by Blaauw and Sylvester, developing the foundational technology for Ambiq with funding from the National Science Foundation.

Currently, Ambiq employs 190 individuals, and its chips have been integrated into 270 million commercial devices. The company is shifting toward deploying AI capabilities from the cloud, addressing the power constraints that hinder running AI models on wearables, smartphones, cameras, vehicles, and beyond.

“Our chips are embedding intelligence everywhere,” said Hanson. “One of the most remarkable aspects is that I can walk through any airport, any shopping mall, attend one of my children’s sporting events, and witness the influence of our chips.”

Ambiq, a concise blend of “ambient intelligence”, is designed to evoke sensing and computing technology that is so seamless and easily maintainable that it can exist in any location people desire it.

The primary issue the U-M research group investigated in the mid-2000s was how to push the limits of low-power computing so that battery longevity ceased to be a hindrance for wireless sensors. Hanson likened transistors—the elements that regulate 1s and 0s in computers—to cups that fill beyond a certain limit. When a transistor operates at its designated voltage, the cup fills up to the line, clearly indicating it is in the 1 state. Conversely, when it’s empty, it unmistakably sits in the 0 state.

The inquiry that Hanson was probing under the mentorship of his Ph.D. advisors was: How much voltage is genuinely necessary to switch to a different state? Rather than functioning with volts, they worked with fractions of a volt. Hanson compared it to adding just a few drops into a cup and labeling it the 1 state.

“When we first unveiled this technology and presented it to other companies in this sector, numerous technical personnel remarked that this was precisely the incorrect direction to take,” stated Blaauw, professor of electrical and computer engineering. “Occasionally, a sound idea isn’t well accepted. It’s not always simple to differentiate, as some ideas are truly poor concepts. Even when the concept is sound, identifying the market fit requires time and genuine persistence.”

The research devices Hanson crafted were successful, being up to five times more energy-efficient than commercial devices available at that time. However, lower power brings numerous challenges. The reduced voltage increases the sensitivity of transistor operation to environmental factors, such as temperature. These were issues Hanson and Ambiq’s initial personnel had to address to launch a viable product.

Sylvester emphasized that achieving success in research differs significantly from attaining success in the market regarding the quantity and quality of devices produced.

“In research, we create a few copies of a device, or a few dozen, and announce, ‘Hey, this functions!’” he articulated. “A company must manufacture millions, and every single one must operate.”

Upon completing his Ph.D., Hanson recognized his desire to establish a company, with Blaauw and Sylvester on board. They engaged with U-M Innovation Partnerships, formerly known as Tech Transfer. Experts in entrepreneurship guided them through the startup process and the licensing of the technology the team had developed and patented within the university.

Hanson spent an additional two years at U-M as a postdoctoral researcher, supported by a grant provided by Innovation Partnerships, working on further troubleshooting of the device.

“Scott capitalized on every opportunity to showcase his work at conferences alongside industry veterans,” said David Hartmann, an advisor for Innovation Partnerships who collaborated with the early Ambiq team. “This refined his product technology model and instilled the confidence to pursue the bold idea of an ultra-low-power microcontroller. Though this was an extremely ambitious business model, Scott and his advisors rose to the challenge.”

By the time Ambiq Micro launched in January 2010, Hanson comprehended the microprocessor he aimed to develop, but he also recognized it was too ambitious for an initial product. Instead, Ambiq initially provided an ultra-low-power clock. One customer employed it to generate dynamic CVC codes—the three-digit security code on the rear of a credit card. This clock fit within the card, and its battery lasted until the card expired.

“It was a compact chip that we were able to produce with a small team, and that allowed us to navigate some of these mass manufacturability challenges that weren’t necessarily tackled in academia,” mentioned Hanson.

Once that technology proved successful, Hanson shifted his focus to the challenge of creating a low-power microprocessor, which evolved into the Apollo series at Ambiq. Initially, Blaauw and Sylvester remained on the Ambiq board, but as Hanson delved deeper into the complexities of mass production, the need for scientific advisors diminished.

Blaauw and Sylvester pursued different avenues, launching the startup CubeWorks, which concentrates on constructing entire computers that measure a millimeter in each dimension. Their primary product, affixed with stickers, verifies that refrigerated items, such as food and medication, maintain their target temperature from production to consumer delivery.

In scientific contexts, these computers have tracked the migration of monarch butterflies and investigated the reasons one snail species survived a local extinction event. Soon, they will be integrated with brain implants in a research study aimed at aiding stroke victims in regaining their ability to speak.

Sylvester holds the Peter and Evelyn Fuss Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Edward S. Davidson Collegiate Professorship in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Blaauw is the Kensall D. Wise Collegiate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Sylvester, Blaauw, and the University of Michigan possess financial interests in Ambiq and CubeWorks.

“`