Modern electronics, from wireless sensors to wearables, are everywhere. Most rely on batteries, which, while convenient, create a growing environmental challenge. It is estimated that 78 million batteries are thrown away from such devices, every single day in Europe alone.
Nanopower’s mission is to address both the operational shortfalls of limited battery life and the sustainability issue of electronics through a unique low-power technology. The company has brought to market its own chip that, enables wireless systems to operate in the nanowatt-range while still keeping functions and sensing abilities intact.
The Nanopower IPN project focused on developing a groundbreaking chip that uses extremely little energy. This means devices equipped with Nanopower’s chip can function for much longer on the same battery, or even switch to alternative energy sources like radio waves, temperature differences, or tiny indoor solar cells.
To achieve this, Nanopower worked with the University of Southeast Norway (USN), the University of Porto (FEUP), Imec in Belgium, and several industry partners.
The project created the foundation for Nanopower’s first commercial chip, and will continue to influence future products through:
Advancing chip design to minimize energy use through innovative subthreshold design, including building and validating prototypes and proof-of-concept systems. Results are directly included in the company’s first product and will continue to influence upcoming designs.
Increase understanding of subthreshold behavior and improved prediction tools. Nanopower developed and validated new models and testing to better predict and characterize chip performance at ultra-low power levels.
Integration with various energy harvesting technologies into wireless systems, knowledge that directly shapes the specifications for Nanopower’s commercial chips.
Collaborating with industry leaders to create real-world demonstrators. Working with partners like TDK, Maxell, and Epishine, Nanopower built systems that combine our chip with solar cells and solid-state batteries in wireless systems. These systems prove that battery-free or battery-extended operation is possible.
Looking ahead, the IPN project has been a springboard for Nanopower, helping move the company through research and development to commercial success. The first chip is now available to customers, and ongoing work continues to refine the technology, making future products even more efficient and environmentally friendly. The collaboration with universities and industry partners ensures that Nanopower remains at the forefront of sustainable electronics innovation.
Technical Outcomes:
Completed and submitted Gen0 IC to foundry; testing underway (Q1 2024).
Developed test platform, measurement procedures, and hardware for Gen0 and future Gen2 evaluation.
Generated and validated a new library of standard cells optimized for subthreshold operation.
Built a proof-of-concept demonstrator for energy harvesting using solar cells, solid-state batteries, Bluetooth, and sensors in collaboration with TDK.
Achieved important milestones in energy modeling and mixed-signal simulation tools.
Substantial groundwork laid for the transition into Gen2 design and industrialization phase.
Strategic & Business Impact:
Stronger internal IC design capabilities and reusable IP blocks.
Accelerated roadmap toward commercially viable self-powered IoT solutions.
Strengthened collaboration with USN and international partners (FEUP, Portugal).
Enabled alignment with EIC Accelerator funding.
Supported Norway’s position in green, energy-autonomous microelectronics.
Nanopower is using its own specialized patent pending technology to achieve a world leading advanced power management hub for any system’s wireless chip, processor, sensors, and other peripherals with regards to power consumption. The goal is a Smart Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) that enables completely new applications and scale of IoT solutions, including integration of low power harvesting technologies. Unlike PMICs on the market, it will offer substantially lower power consumption and the ability to operate in a series of modes without an active processing unit. The planned innovation includes further development of Nanopower subthreshold IC design.
The project will have significant challenges linked to enabling smart operations of a system based on energy harvesting. USN will build on own specialist competence linked to power harvesting technologies and integration.
Subthreshold design includes challenges like management of non-linear subthreshold behavior and development of tools to accurately predict such behavior. A key issue is that subthreshold voltage means systems start to behave non-linear and normal tools’ ' basic assumptions are challenged or breached. Creating robust solutions not only implies creating specialized subthreshold IC designs, but achieving unprecedented low consumption involves understanding fundamental material and electrical behavior at low voltage and low current conditions.
