ABOUT

ABOUT ORCA SYSTEMS

Live Wireless™

Orca Systems is a champion of always live wireless connectivity, delivering a groundbreaking low-power digital RF transceiver portfolio for the exploding IoT semiconductor market.

Orca Systems, a fabless semiconductor company, was founded in 2004 and focuses on the design, development, test, and manufacturing of RF ICs, RF IPs, mixed signal ASICs and RF based SoC integrated circuits for our partners and customers.

SoC integration often includes the integration of RF, analog, PMU, digital logic, baseband and applications processors, security features, memory including SRAM and eMRAM (similar to Flash), interface logic and Design For Manufacturing (DFM) test logic (i.e. JTAG, scan, BIST, etc.). Orca is also able to take licensed IP, and take ownership and integrate these for complete system integration and optimization.

For a semiconductor company to succeed, it is necessary to have a tremendous level of chip design and manufacturing, systems design, and architecture expertise which Orca has and provides for the benefit of its clients.

A highlight of Orca capabilities is our expertise focused on the development of Intellectual Property (IP) circuitry necessary for low power Radio Frequency (RF) communications. The architecture of our RF IP allows Orca to retarget the architecture towards alternate applications or new semiconductor processes. This is a key advantage allowing for rapid IP development in the RF arena, often the most complex and schedule intensive area of a chip design, while enhancing time to market for our customers. Currently, Orca’s RF IP is complete and on its 4th generation development.

In addition, Orca develops, designs and integrates the Power Management Unit (PMU) and regulators for a complete fully integrated SoC. Having the PMU integrated into the SoC allows for a highly optimized, lowest overall system cost and the lowest power system solution possible.

Orca Directors

  • John McDonough
    CEO/CTO & Director

    John has over 30 years of experience in the wireless semiconductor industry where he has held operational and strategic roles.  Prior to Orca, John was GM of the CDMA Chipset BU of Texas Instrument where he was also a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff.  John directed the development of TI’s first WCDMA baseband modem and IC.  John joined TI as a result of their $475M acquisition of Dot Wireless in 2000, which he co-founded and where he was VP of Engineering and a board member.  Prior to Dot, John was Director of Engineering at NextWave Telecom, responsible for CDMA subscriber chipset development with Qualcomm, where he pioneered the development of Qualcomm’s proprietary DSP solutions over multiple generations.  John holds a Master of Engineering from Harvey Mudd College and completed the Executive Program at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. He is an inventor on more than 40 issued patents in wireless communications and systems.

  • Sagar Pushpala
    Director

    Sagar is currently a strategic advisor with a broad technology and operations background. He was previously CEO of TSI Semiconductors, a niche, specialty analog mixed-signal foundry focused on technologies and manufacturing services serving emerging market products.

    For the past 30 years, Sagar has held executive and senior-level operations, engineering, and technology management positions at such analog & mixed-signal companies as Nuvia/Qualcomm, Intersil, Maxim, National Semiconductor, Saratoga Semiconductor, and AMD.

    Previously VP of Business Development at TSMC and before that an Operating Partner at Khosla Ventures, Sagar continues to serve in board and advisory roles for many system and medical device companies.  In addition, he has held board positions in various industry consortiums, including the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) and the Fab Owners Association (FOA). Sagar’s mix of experience from technology development to manufacturing gives him a well-rounded view on how to innovate, adapt to new environments, and serve customers that are on the leading edge of technology. Even on the weekends, you’ll find him in coffee, lunch, and wine settings, learning about new businesses and how they operate. He thrives on working with customers of all sizes, helping them explore new breakthrough technologies and achieve operational excellence.

    Sagar holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, India, and a Master’s of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Kansas.

  • Raghuveer Mendu
    Director

    Raghu is a General Partner & co-founder of Ventureast. He invests in the broad technology and services space – including, Technology, Mobile, Medtech, Education and Alternative Energy. Raghu has had extensive corporate and entrepreneurial experience and as an angel investor in the US. As an entrepreneur, he has built and sold three companies in the technology products and services space. He also has significant buy side M&A experience as part of a US publicly listed company. Raghu also founded the The Heart of a Child Foundation, to support kids born with congenital heart defects. Raghu holds a Bachelor of Technology degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, India and obtained his MBA from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.