Getting ahead of the game: Start-up ecosystem analysis

Given the rapid technological changes in the front-end circuitry for 5G applications, our client, a leading semiconductor firm wanted to analyze acoustic filter technologies. They sought to understand the technology’s performance requirements for future applications and explore potential partnership opportunities with innovative startups.

Realizing the need for a start-up ecosystem analysis, the firm sought Netscribes’ expertise to help strengthen its competitive position in the semiconductor industry. This required a comprehensive assessment of performance requirements in the 5G ecosystem, evaluating technology readiness, investigating new solutions, and highlighting key emerging players in the acoustic filter domain.

Objective

The standardization of 5G has led to various developments across the telecommunications sector. While the market has been focusing on realizing 5G wireless data rates, band expansion will create a need for more filters to support multi-band and multi-standard technologies.
Given these technological changes in the radio frequency front-end (RFFE) circuitry for 5G applications, our client – a semiconductor major – wanted to analyze acoustic filter technologies based on:

• The performance requirements and challenges specific to the 5G ecosystem
• Their technology readiness and the impact of innovative solutions
• New solutions under research and recent developments in the market
• Key emerging players in the acoustic filter domain

Solution and Approach

Netscribes set out to conduct a comprehensive analysis of acoustic filter technologies. This involved:

• Determining the effects of 5G concepts on RF (radio frequency) filtering technologies to provide an overview of the technical requirements
• Identifying emerging players and their focus on addressing concepts such as carrier aggregation, multiband operations, integration and miniaturization for the next generation market
• Deriving a relevancy score of these emerging players based on factors such as technology maturity, collaborations, investments, acquisitions, product development stages, and awards

Results Delivered

Our in-depth quantitative analysis equipped the client with:

• A keen understanding of the emerging solutions in the acoustic filter domain suitable for future millimeter wave (mmWave) applications
• Trends in the acoustic filter space, and the active entities involved, which highlighted opportunities for research and collaboration
• Business strategies of prominent semiconductor players
• Several key deductions based on research activities and novel solutions from patent studies, technology landscape assessments, and competitive analysis