NZ tech firm twice as powerful following US wireless win

The New Year parties may now be over, but Kiwi wireless firm PowerbyProxi is still celebrating after signing a technology licensing agreement with a giant of the semiconductor industry.

After penning a contract with US company Texas Instruments (TI), the Auckland-based business plans to double its staff count during 2014, which means more opportunity for a host of Kiwi engineers.

“We’ve doubled our staff count during the past year,” says Cross, confirming staff numbers had risen from 22 to 60 last year.

“Securing these types of deals allows us to expand even further, and we hope to double our staff count again in 2014.

“We recruited close to 40 new engineers during the past twelve months and we’re certainly looking to add to this.

“There is a lot of talent here in New Zealand, talent we’re keen to recruit but of course the number of really experienced engineers is infinite so we will be broadening our search overseas also.

“Our core R&D centre will always remain in New Zealand but we will be looking at establishing development centres closer to our customers as well.

“We believe this deal will significantly help our efforts to expand the company both at home and abroad.”

As a result of the deal, the wireless power system provider claims TI will leverage PowerbyProxi’s “resonant and closely coupled wireless power expertise and patents to add new products to its broad range of wireless power and charging solutions.”

According to Cross, the deal further validates PowerbyProxi’s strength in the wireless power market.

“We look at it as another validation point for sure,” he says, in an exclusive interview with Telco Review.

“We’ve had some great wins in the past and it’s reassuring to know these big firms that have evaluators and talk to our competitors doing their homework so securing these contracts are major wins that we celebrate.

“But it’s a competitive market and you talk up a win like this but then you’ve got to start running to secure the next deal given the ever-changing technology landscape.”