Hyperstone selects Toshiba's ASIC technology, IP and services for development and manufacture of fabless semiconductor company's next-generation ICs

Konstanz, Germany, October 12, 2010 – Hyperstone and Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) have signed development and manufacturing agreements that will see TEE provide a variety of ASIC design and manufacturing services to Hyperstone.

Hyperstone is a leader in the field of flash memory and solid state disk (SSD) controllers with over a decade of experience in flash management and firmware development. The company is focusing on highreliability industrial standard product ICs as well as selected customer-specific flash memory controller solutions. Innovative new flash memory controller ICs based on advanced Toshiba semiconductor process technology will cover a range of standard host interfaces and target a number of current and future applications within the global flash memory market. Projects have started and first samples are expected during Q1, 2011.

Toshiba’s ASIC cooperation with Hyperstone will include design, intellectual property, foundry and manufacturing services.

“Toshiba is one of the world’s leading semiconductor companies. Together with their European operations we have found an ideal match and most complementary business model to optimally support our development and production needs,” said Dr. Harald Westerholt, Managing Director of Hyperstone. “Together we want to lead innovation and rely on Toshiba, a world class quality partner.”

“Hyperstone offers recognized quality and reliability to their customers. By providing ASIC technology, design and manufacturing services to Hyperstone, we are enabling the company to deliver competitive products that are complementary to our flash products,” said Hitoshi Otsuka – President of Toshiba Electronics Europe.

About Toshiba

Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) is the European electronic components business of Toshiba Corporation, which is ranked among the world’s largest semiconductor vendors. TEE offers one of the industry's broadest IC and discrete product lines including high-end memory, microcontrollers, ASICs, ASSPs and display products for automotive, multimedia, industrial, telecoms and networking applications. The company also has a wide range of power semiconductor solutions. TEE was formed in 1973 in Neuss, Germany, providing design, manufacturing, marketing and sales and now has headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany, with subsidiaries in France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. TEE employs approximately 300 people in Europe. Company president is Mr. Hitoshi Otsuka. Toshiba Corporation is a world leader and innovator in pioneering high technology, a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products spanning information & communications systems; digital consumer products; electronic devices and components; power systems, including nuclear energy; industrial and social infrastructure systems; and home appliances. Founded in 1875, Toshiba today operates a global network of more than 740 companies, with 204,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing US$68 billion.

For more company information visit TEE’s web site at www.toshiba-components.com 

About Hyperstone

Hyperstone, a fabless semiconductor and microprocessor design company, was founded in 1990 and is based in Konstanz, Germany. Together with subsidiaries in Taiwan, USA and with other worldwide partners, Hyperstone serves a global customer base. Hyperstone is a member of the CML Microsystems Plc group, traded on the London Stock Exchange. The group currently consists of eight subsidiaries and has over 170 employees. Hyperstone research and development is based in Germany and Taiwan. Industry-leading partners provide world-class wafer subcontracting, packaging, and testing services. Hyperstone’s success is based on its proprietary 32-Bit RISC processor, optimized for flash handling applications.

Hyperstone’s products include microcontrollers for Solid State Disks (SSD), Disk-on-Module (DoM), Diskon- Board (DoB), embedded Flash solutions such as eMMC, and Flash cards such as CF, SD & microSD. Flash controller firmware is supplied complementary to the controllers and customized for each flash and application. Hyperstone is one of the pioneers in the flash memory controller business and owns several patents for flash handling, including wear leveling algorithms and microprocessor design... More information is available at www.hyperstone.com.