Forefront RF, a fabless semiconductor company working out of Cambridge, UK, recently announced the closure of a £16 million Series A funding, which was backed by existing investors BGF and Foresight Group, alongside new VC partners, Octopus Ventures and Cambridge Innovation Capital.
Raising this capital will support the company’s mission to redefine how mobile devices manage RF environments. The investment will help the company to transition from an early-stage startup to a mature player in RF technology, preparing for its 2026 launch of its first-generation product, the FFM51010, for the cellular-enabled smart watch market.
“Securing this Series A funding underscores the strong confidence our investors have in Forefront RF’s vision and market potential. With continued support from Foresight Group and BGF, and new partnerships with Octopus Ventures and Cambridge Innovation Capital, we’re well-positioned to scale rapidly from engineering prototypes to mass production,” commented Ronald Wilting, CEO of Forefront RF.
Forefront’s technology, rooted in research conducted by Founder Dr. Leo Laughlin, empowers mobile device manufacturers to overcome printed circuit board (PCB) size limitations while supporting more frequency bands with simplified, cost-effective designs.
The company’s first solution is aimed cellular-enabled wearables, where every millimetre of PCB is critical and expanding frequency band capabilities is essential. By replacing bulky fixed-frequency filters and duplexers with a self-configuring tunable duplexer, Forefront RF enables devices to dynamically adjust to any required frequency, reducing overall component list and manufacturing complexity. This innovation not only saves valuable PCB space but also minimises variants, reducing waste and enhancing supply chain efficiency—creating a win-win for manufacturers and their CSR goals.
“Forefront RF has created a solution to one of the greatest bottlenecks in mobile data connectivity, based on a decade of advanced research and development. Cambridge Innovation Capital is delighted to partner with Forefront RF as it prepares to launch its highly differentiated product lines into the growing wearables market. We look forward to supporting the team as they scale to deliver global impact across billions of connected devices,” said Edward Inns of Cambridge Innovation Capital.
Since its founding in 2020, the company has pushed the boundaries of wireless technology with its patented Foretune technology, a self-interference cancellation system that addresses leakage and interference issues inherent in all wireless devices. By dynamically inverting and neutralising unwanted signals, much like noise-cancelling headphones, Foretune enables cleaner signal transmission and reception in software-defined radio systems.
As well as enhancing device performance, this breakthrough simplifies product design and production processes. With Foretune, Forefront RF is poised to redefine RF standards and drive significant advancements in next-generation wireless technology.
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