TDK Ventures Invests in XCOM Labs’ Vision for a High-Speed Wireless Future

Introduction

• Delivering on a promise to #keepinventing, XCOM Labs is innovating 5G infrastructure by adding enhanced spectrum capability and bandwidth.
• Groundbreaking technology targets spectrum efficiency gains of more than 10x, novel innovations in wireless, and extended reality (XR) solutions that can change the future of entertainment, training, and work.
• Partnering with XCOM, TDK Ventures seeks to accelerate bringing XCOM’s solutions to market, and further their collective vision for digital transformation for a better tomorrow.

TDK Corporation (TSE: 6762) announced today that subsidiary TDK Ventures, Inc. has invested in wireless communications disruptor XCOM Labs to expedite the development of their 5G and wireless communications solutions, which emphasize bandwidth capacity, latency reduction/elimination, and compute load balancing. XCOM is working to apply their technology to the future of work and Industry 4.0, where wireless technologies could enable smart factories, automation, off-site training, and more immersive telework experiences. This extends further to telemedicine, entertainment, and even defense applications to help train and prepare military personnel. XCOM’s executive team – Dr. Paul Jacobs, Derek Aberle, and Matt Grob – was responsible for many of the breakthrough technologies seen in the 2G/3G/4G revolutions.

5G and wireless infrastructure are experiencing huge demand for greater expansion and rollout of enabling technologies, as current infrastructure can’t keep up. At its core, each “G” generation represents a push for greater wireless transmission speed, capacity, and overall value. To do this requires not just updates in hardware and software, but leveraging frequency spectra in either new and innovative waves, or utilizing new frequency bands entirely. One of many tradeoffs is in balancing energy, frequency, and transmission. Higher frequency – and thus energy signals – can carry more information in a shorter span of time, but decay more quickly over distance. From an infrastructure perspective, this means more transmitting “nodes” in the network are necessary to carry higher frequency signals across a given area.

XCOM is designing technology to change the playing field. Their solutions target increasing capacity and utility of spectrum over 10x, enabling the potential promised by 5G and next generation developers to become a reality. For example, XCOM is further innovating to push digital transformation to the next level through extended reality (XR). Using a globally available 60GHz millimeter wave band, they are developing a high throughput, low latency wireless system to deliver seamless virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences. What was previously limited by either bulky processing equipment needed nearby, or low throughput limited by smartphone processing, is becoming a comprehensive system that can immerse the user in a metaverse or digital world environment. This will be a  leap forward in the integration of edge computing processing to provide a natural user experience.

“The XCOM team is set on continuing our tradition of excellence and innovating in the wireless space. We understand how important high throughput/low latency is for the future of compute-heavy applications and are working to deliver those capabilities to create real and positive change in our world and industry applications,” said XCOM’s Dr. Jacobs. “Our XR technologies are evidence of this progress and show that seamless processing through edge computing can deliver a truly immersive and agile VR/AR system fit for business, entertainment, and more.”

“XCOM technology represents more than just an improvement in capability, but a new potential for how we work, connect, and experience life,” commented TDK Ventures President Nicolas Sauvage. “Their solutions are being designed to be pervasive to our digitally transforming world and represent a future that TDK wants to see and is committed to bringing to fruition.”

TDK Ventures shares XCOM’s commitment to a digital transformation for a positive, more sustainable tomorrow. TDK Ventures will work with XCOM to scale the impact of their technology, including leveraging their network connections, industry partners, and connecting XCOM to other TDK business units. TDK Ventures’ platform team additionally provides support to include early product validation, pilots, customer/channel/ecosystem access, market knowledge, operating expertise (e.g., materials, manufacturing, fabless, supply chain) and go-to-market/branding mentorship. To learn more about TDK Ventures, interested startups or investment partners should visit www.tdk-ventures.com or reach out at [email protected].

About TDK Corporation

TDK Corporation is a world leader in electronic solutions for the smart society based in Tokyo, Japan. Built on a foundation of material sciences mastery, TDK welcomes societal transformation by resolutely remaining at the forefront of technological evolution and deliberately “Attracting Tomorrow.” It was established in 1935 to commercialize ferrite, a key material in electronic and magnetic products. TDK’s comprehensive, innovation-driven portfolio features passive components such as ceramic, aluminum electrolytic and film capacitors, as well as magnetics, high-frequency, and piezo and protection devices. The product spectrum also includes sensors and sensor systems such as temperature and pressure, magnetic, and MEMS sensors. In addition, TDK provides power supplies and energy devices, magnetic heads and more. These products are marketed under the product brands TDK, EPCOS, InvenSense, Micronas, Tronics and TDK-Lambda. TDK focuses on demanding markets in automotive, industrial and consumer electronics, and information and communication technology. The company has a network of design and manufacturing locations and sales offices in Asia, Europe, and in North and South America. In fiscal 2022, TDK posted total sales of USD 15.6 billion and employed about 117,000 people worldwide.

About TDK Ventures

TDK Ventures Inc. invests in startups to bolster innovation in materials science, energy/power and related areas typically underrepresented in venture capital portfolios. Established in 2019 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of TDK Corporation, the corporate venture company’s vision is to propel the digital and energy transformations of segments such as health and wellness, next-generation transportation, robotics and industrial, mixed reality and the wider IoT/IIoT markets. TDK Ventures will co-invest and support promising portfolio companies by providing technical expertise and access to global markets where TDK operates. Interested startups or investment partners may contact TDK Ventures: www.tdk-ventures.com or [email protected].

About XCOM Labs

XCOM Labs is delivering on the promise of next-gen mobile technologies. Founded in 2018 by the former executive and technology team that developed and/or launched pioneering 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, and other transformative wireless technologies, XCOM has attracted some of the world’s most accomplished mobile, software and hardware talent. Headquartered in San Diego, XCOM has developed a suite of patented technologies leveraging licensed and unlicensed spectrum for seamless and secure mobile XR experiences, and ultra-high performance 5G and next-gen networks serving military, defense, entertainment, communications, logistics and warehousing, training and development, and medical tech leaders. To learn more about XCOM Labs, visit www.xcom-labs.com.

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