BMW i Ventures has announced a strategic investment in semiconductor maker GaN Systems.

GaN Systems focusses on power transistors based on Gallium nitride (GaN), a wide band gap semiconductor material that promises higher energy efficiency, smaller form factors and higher performance.

“GaN Systems’ power transistors have created new possibilities for engineers to build the power electronics demanded by today’s systems,” said Uwe Higgen, Managing Director, BMW i Ventures. “Gallium nitride-based transistors have become the next big stepping stone in miniaturization. We have seen systems a quarter the size while providing better efficiency than traditional silicon-based alternatives. With GaN, any system that needs power can become smaller, lighter and more efficient.”

“There are many examples of how GaN benefits power systems,” said GaN Systems CEO Jim Witham. “With autonomous cars, there will be the need to massively scale the data center infrastructure. Data center power consumption is one of the biggest cost drivers, and increasing the efficiency of power conversion will account for billions of dollars in cost savings and enable a more sustainable infrastructure around the globe.”

Source: BMW