Newcomer Giantec to Focus on 8-bit MCUs

While top MCU players are paying more and more attention to higher end products, the 8-bit market continues to expand, creating new spaces for new Chinese players to step in. The latest one is Giantec Semiconductor – a fabless design house located in Zhangjiang Semiconductor Industry Park in Shanghai. Established in January this year, the company is headed by Pu Hanhu, a Chinese native formerly with U.S.-based Integrated Silicon Solution Inc. (ISSI), which is also an investor in Giantec.

Giantec’s product line includes EEPROMs, MCUs and Smart Cards. At present, the company is focusing on power management IC development. Future product offerings will include mixed signal EEPROM+temperature sensor; 512kb to 1Mb EEPROM, and ROM-type contactless CPU.

Building on the highly matured 8-bit MCU technology, Pu says Giantec will rely more on its capability in developing application solutions, instead of single chip design. He adds that he sees more bright spots in integrated devices such as MCU+EEPROM and MCU+EEPROM+Power management. Pu also expects more opportunities in energy-saving solutions for applications in areas such as smart instrument and home appliance markets in China, wherein 80 percent of the higher end power management chips are still imported.

Giantec expects to achieve $20 million sales in its first year, thanks to the strong client base of its investor ISSI. For foundry partners, Giantec collaborates with SMIC and Grace Semiconductor, which are also located in Zhangjiang.

Giantec Semiconductor