CICLON Semiconductor, a client of the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern PA (BFTP/NEP), was acquired by Texas Instruments (TI) to help expand that firm's work to improve energy efficiency in high-power computing and service systems. The application of this technology reduces overall power consumption up to 20 percent, reduces air conditioning requirements and extends the battery life of portable devices of all kinds.

CICLON was founded in 2004 and launched at the Ben Franklin Business Incubator on Lehigh University’s campus, Bethlehem, an award-winning business incubator managed by BFTP/NEP, which invested $150,000 in CICLON to conduct thermal, electrical, material, and mechanical analyses of its new, low-cost, high-performance power semiconductor package.

Just two years later, CICLON graduated to occupy the entire post-incubator space at the new Ben Franklin TechVentures facility, which is located across the street from the original incubator. The company raised $24 million in venture capital investments in addition to BFTP’s seed funding.

CICLON’s products have been designed into products offered by world leaders in electronics. The company enjoyed design wins with major electronics corporations, a strong and expanding patent portfolio, and growing sales. After beginning with three employees in 2004, CICLON employed 50 at the Ben Franklin TechVentures facility. With TI’s acquisition of CICLON, all 50 high-wage jobs will remain in Bethlehem.

"Ben Franklin Technology Partners is a vital resource in transitioning Pennsylvania for leadership in the new economy," says Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell. "The partnership strengthens the state as a leader of cutting-edge research, innovation and commercialization and ensures that our emerging and growing technology enterprises have access to the resources needed to become more competitive and more successful in the global marketplace.

"Critical investments like these help to brace Pennsylvania against economic downturns, and position us for strong business gains once the recession ends. CICLON is a case-study of a company that took advantage of the full range of services available to it and is now seeing its idea transform into an innovation that will be used worldwide."