Integrated circuit supplier Frontier Silicon has been backed by Mitsui Private Equity in a £16 million funding round. The proceeds will develop Frontier’s semi-conductor systems for mobile TV and digital audio products.

Integrated circuit supplier Frontier Silicon has been backed by Mitsui Private Equity in a £16 million funding round. The proceeds will develop Frontier’s semi-conductor systems for mobile TV and digital audio products.

Lead investor Mitsui – part of London-based Mitsui & Co – was headed by investment directors Richard Lewis and Naoki Nakata.

The round’s other participants were new investors Cheyne Capital Management and Plutus Capital Management, along with existing funders Apax Partners, GLG Partners, ACT Venture Capital, Alta Berkeley and BlueRun Ventures.

Taylor Wessing was legal adviser to Frontier, while law firm Simmons & Simmons acted for Mitsui.

Watford-based Frontier Silicon develops digital and RF integrated circuits and modules. Chief executive Anthony Sethill says: ‘We are also very confident about our new WiFi radio solution, which is helping to create a new segment in the digital audio market; one that is predicted to boom over the coming few years.’

Founded in 2001, Frontier employs more than 200 people and operates in Cambridge, Dublin, Hong Kong, China, Korea and Japan. Its customers include Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Bush, Goodmans, Hitachi, Philips and Yamaha.

The company generated a £23.7 million turnover and reported a £5.2 million loss after tax for year-end December 2005.