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FABIAN BATTAGLIA, CEO OF MOBIX LABS - INTERVIEW WITH WBM TOP 100 INNOVATION CEO
FABIAN BATTAGLIA, CEO OF MOBIX LABS HAS BEEN SELECTED BY THE JUDGES OF WORLD BIZ MAGAZINE'S ANNUAL AWARDS TO BE A RECIPIENT OF THE TOP 100 CEOS IN INNOVATION AWARD 2021.
THIS SELECTION FOLLOWS A STRINGENT PROCESS THAT EVALUATED OVER 40,000 NOMINEES TO SELECT THE EXCLUSIVE LIST OF 100 WINNERS.
Fabian Battaglia is 35-year tech veteran that is quickly building Mobix Labs into a leading global wireless and wired connectivity solutions provider. He co-founded the company in 2020 by offering True Xero™ latency connectivity solutions for 5G wireless and high bandwidth cable networks.
Prior to Mobix Labs, Battaglia served as senior vice president of sales at Microsemi Corp., a provider of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor solutions that was acquired by Microchip Technology in 2018, where he managed over $2B of annual sales from Fortune 500 and well recognized international companies serving communications, medical, aerospace and defense, industrial and data storage markets
Battaglia has held multiple management roles in field application engineering for leading semiconductor companies such as Texas Instruments and Maxim Integrated Products. He also worked as a design engineer focused on advanced systems development for Ford, General Motors and Chrysler.
"Innovation is at the forefront of the work Mobix Labs does every day. The world is ever more connected, and Mobix Labs is providing next-generation connectivity solutions that are bringing more people together faster and more securely."
Please share details about the recent milestones achieved by Mobix Labs.
Mobix Labs has had rapid growth throughout the last year, recently closing $12.5 million in new funding during a pandemic, a testament to the company’s current and future value proposition.
Just recently, the company was named “Outstanding Emerging Technology Company” by Octane, Southern California’s leading accelerator. Now in its 28th year, Octane’s High Tech Awards program recognizes Orange County-based companies and leaders that have exhibited innovation and leadership in both the technology and medical technology fields.
In just a short time since the company was founded, we have established an impressive board of directors that include James J. Peterson, former CEO and chairman of Microsemi Corporation as chairman; David J. Aldrich, former chairman of the board of Skyworks Solutions, Inc.; Kurt Busch, CEO of Syntiant; Bill Carpou, CEO of Octane; and Rick Goerner, former EVP marketing and sales at Microsemi Corporation.
During the last few months, Mobix Labs introduced its MBX10 True5G™ mmWave beamformer AIP (antenna-in-package) and its MIC600 single-chip, single-die beamformer IC (integrated circuit) that deliver ultra-wideband performance from 24.25 – 43.5 GHz.
The company also recently acquired all of the assets and intellectual property of Cosemi Technologies Inc., an Irvine, Calif.-based global leader in innovative, high-speed connectivity solutions that include a broad range of hybrid active optical cables (AOCs), optical transceivers and optical engines. The addition of Cosemi’s AOC technology greatly expands Mobix Labs’ ability to serve these key markets with a True Xero™ latency solution.
In addition to these achievements, Mobix Labs has been approved for the Invest Japan Support Program offered by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), a government-related organization that helps foreign businesses expand into Japan, as well as amassed a growing list of global distributors including Richardson RFPD, Acromax and the Wutong Group that will help bring the company’s wired and wireless solutions to customers worldwide.
How is Mobix Labs advancing technology in your industry?
We are quickly becoming a true global provider of wireless and wired connectivity solutions. We have secured recent partnerships with leading global distributors to bring our products to customers all over the world. For our wireless offerings, our CMOS-based technology allows us to integrate much more functionality into a single chip, closing the performance gap between CMOS and other processing technologies, allowing customers to bring products to market quickly and easily. For wired applications, our True Xero™ hybrid active optical cables combine the high-speed and power of a fiber optic cable that are thin, lightweight and flexible and offer a true plug-and-play experience that includes full compatibility with the HDMI 2.0 standard for 4K/60 video over long distances.
How does Mobix Labs view innovation?
Innovation is at the forefront of the work Mobix Labs does every day. The world is ever more connected, and Mobix Labs is providing next-generation connectivity solutions that are bringing more people together faster and more securely.
5G is the next generation of wireless network technology that will fundamentally change the way people live and work, offering speeds of up to 10x faster and 100x capacity of existing 4G LTE networks. With the advent of streaming video, autonomous vehicles, AR and VR, the demand for data is projected to surpass the capacity of existing 4G LTE networks as soon as 2023.
The complexities of 5G frequencies above 20 GHz require substantially more complicated systems, multiple antennas, and advanced RF front-end devices in order to work. A key component to the deployment of 5G are RF chips that are compact, low cost, and highly efficient.
Mobix Labs simplifies next generation wireless system designs through high performance, low cost and compact components, which offer high levels of integration and universal 5G mmWave frequency coverage. The company manufactures ultra-compact, fully integrated, single-chip, single-die, CMOS-based mmWave beamformers, antenna solutions and RF semiconductors necessary for the deployment of 5G wireless products.
The company’s recent introduction of the MBX10 AIP is a complete 16-channel RF front-end which includes all power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers, phase shifters, variable gain amplifiers, switches, and matching circuits with an integrated 2x2 antenna in package (7.5mm x 7.5mm x 1.8mm) that provides unprecedented levels of integration and scalability in a cost-effective, Bulk CMOS-based solution.
Mobix Labs’ True5G™ portfolio of fully scalable, single SKU solutions provide unprecedented levels of integration and performance across a wide variety of customer platforms, including small cells and base stations, industrial IoT and medical devices, and consumer products and handsets.
The company also develops hybrid active optical cables, transceivers and optical engines for the data center, home entertainment and consumer electronics markets. The company’s line of True Xero™ HDMI and USB active optical cables (AOCs) combine the high-speed and power of a fiber optic cable into an easy-to-install, lightweight, flexible solution that offers a true plug-and-play experience, as well as full compatibility with HDMI and USB applications over long distances.
All of Mobix Labs innovations offer customers True Xero™ latency connectivity solutions for 5G wireless and high bandwidth cable networks.
"Mobix Labs has solved the complexities surrounding the higher frequencies that true 5G demands, which makes this company stand out from its competitors in the market. No other company delivers a solution that reduces congestion on the system level board layout, closing the performance gap between CMOS and other manufacturing processes/nodes such as Gallium arsenide (GaAs) (GaN), SOI, SiGe, and BiCMOS."
From the perspective of your customers, how does Mobix Labs stand out?
Mobix Labs has solved the complexities surrounding the higher frequencies that true 5G demands, which makes this company stand out from its competitors in the market. No other company delivers a solution that reduces congestion on the system level board layout, closing the performance gap between CMOS and other manufacturing processes/nodes such as Gallium arsenide (GaAs) (GaN), SOI, SiGe, and BiCMOS.
Mobix Labs’ IP and proprietary design enable small-size, low-cost CMOS devices that can be used across a wide range of global applications, from small-cell infrastructure towers to handsets and other consumer IoT products. Specific advantages include:
• Single SKU for worldwide coverage of 24.25 – 43.5 GHz
• Integrated 2 x 2 antenna array; multi-directional beamforming
• Square form factor; Fully scalable solution for different device requirements
Additionally, the company’s line of True Xero™ HDMI and USB active optical cables (AOCs) combine the high-speed and power of a fiber optic cable into an easy-to-install, lightweight, flexible solution that offers a true plug-and-play experience, as well as full compatibility with HDMI and USB applications over long distances.
Why is Mobix Labs needed in your industry?
When it comes to wireless, all of the speed and connectivity improvements promised by 5G do not come without challenges. To realize the full performance potential of 5G, networks and devices must operate on significantly higher frequencies (above 20 GHz). These millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies are truly what enable the higher performance capabilities of 5G. This is due to greater bandwidth availability for data transfer and reduced spectrum congestion because of fewer interfering signals. Mobix Labs has solved the complexities surrounding the higher frequencies that true 5G demands by simplifying next generation wireless system designs through high performance, low cost and compact components, which offer high levels of integration and universal 5G mmWave frequency coverage.
"We’re seeing a major shift as 5G represents the future of wireless communications, where the full capabilities of new technologies can be unlocked. 5G mmWave already is here and deployment of mmWave 5G networks has begun worldwide."
Share with us some trends that are emerging in your industry.
We’re seeing a major shift as 5G represents the future of wireless communications, where the full capabilities of new technologies can be unlocked. 5G mmWave already is here and deployment of mmWave 5G networks has begun worldwide. Demand for data is projected to surpass the capacity of existing 4G LTE networks in a couple of years with mobile data volume increasing 1000x in the short term. 5G mmWave spectrum provides greater bandwidth with low latency and speeds up to 10x faster and capacity up to 100x that of existing 4G LTE networks.
Share with us some of your contributions in the area of social responsibility.
As a member of Octane, I continue to leverage the organization’s rich ecosystem of people, resources and capital to help Mobix Labs grow into one of OC’s leading tech companies in the telecom space. I have also become a trusted resource and leading advocate for helping other entrepreneurs and innovators build companies in Orange County.
Mobix Labs also donates a percentage of free cash flow to various charitable organizations.
I try to carry that same passion for helping others in business into my personal life. I have been a supporter of Orange County-based Discovery Science Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1989 to inspire and educate young people through science-based programs and exhibits.
I have also has been a long-time supporter of the Gamechanger Charity, a local nonprofit dedicated to helping children and families through the challenges that come with hospital stays. At a global level, I have been involved in Small Steps for Compassion, a charity that provides a loving home and education for rescued girls in Tanzania.
What improvements does Mobix Labs want to see in your industry?
We are big supporters of STEM (Discovery Cube) to advance and promote science for children. We look to promote R&D globally with hiring design centers internationally. We look to be active participants in advancing science in underprivileged areas.
How is your industry moving forward after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic?
We are glad to see things slowly getting back to normal although today’s “new” normal is morphing into a hybrid of in-person and virtual communications. Either way, demand for increased bandwidth is a necessity in a post-pandemic world as more and more people are communicating virtually and wirelessly. The key players are those that will provide the framework and products and services to fulfill this new demand across 5G wireless networks and high bandwidth wired communications.
"Our people is what drives me the most. We are growing at a rapid rate through acquisitions and aggressive hiring."
What is the driving force behind your entrepreneurship?
Our people is what drives me the most. We are growing at a rapid rate through acquisitions and aggressive hiring. Making sure they are successful by providing them with the necessary tools and support so that they can grow their careers, while we continue to execute on our mission of becoming the leading global supplier of wireless and wired solutions.
What makes a good leader?
According to the dictionary, “leadership” is the action of leading a group of people or an organization. Important qualities needed are integrity, accountability, empathy, humility, resilience, vision, influence, and positivity. But “doing as I say” vs. “doing as I do” can have two completely different outcomes. While rhetoric can influence perception, real leadership comes from a person who does, a quality many people find inspiring. This can and will have greater influence on motivating people for aligning with an organization’s overall initiatives and goals.
What excites you about your work in your industry?
It’s amazing how one single communication whether an email or phone call can travel around the globe in an instant. We bring people together for work or in their personal lives. Right now, we have limited capacity in 4G and that’s why it’s so important that we make 5G easily available so people can continue to do the things they need and love to do.
"5G represents the future of wireless communications, where the full capabilities of new technologies can be unlocked. Mobix Labs is accelerating the deployment and adoption of mmWave 5G networks."
What technologies do you expect will transform business in the coming decade?
5G represents the future of wireless communications, where the full capabilities of new technologies can be unlocked. Mobix Labs is accelerating the deployment and adoption of mmWave 5G networks. We see longer term technologies that will have an impact such as 6G, terahertz, radar, satcom, among others.
What's next for Mobix Labs?
We are focused on global growth across both wireless and wired markets, We just announced a new design center in Sydney, Australia, with the hiring of a veteran team of engineers who have strong track records in the successful development and layout of radio frequency integrated circuits. More than 80 percent of our employees are engineers, and we are currently expanding technical staff in Australia, as well as globally, and plan to introduce more design centers around the world.
About Mobix Labs