Caelus Tech
Entrepreneur First '18Shenzhen, CN · Founded 2018 · 3 known investors
Caelus is a chip design company that develops high-performance ADC/DAC integrated circuits, including high-precision SAR ADCs and high-speed ADCs, using its own patented technology. Its products serve industries such as industrial automation, energy, instrumentation and measurement, data acquisition, communications, and medical imaging.
Also known as Caelus Technologies
Founders & leadership
Caelus Tech was founded in 2018 by Morris He and Chi Fung Lok.
Investors · 3
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Caelus Technologies (Caelus Tech) is a semiconductor design company founded in 2018 that develops low-power, high-performance data converter chips, principally analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs). Its portfolio spans two product directions: high-resolution converters of 14-20 bits operating at moderate sample rates of 100 kS/s to 5 MS/s, and high-speed converters running at 1 GS/s to 32 GS/s at 10-12 bit resolution. The company states its designs are based on its own patent portfolio, with its founder and CTO reporting having created more than 20 patents for the company covering high-resolution and high-speed data conversion.
Target applications described by the company include instrumentation, medical imaging, data acquisition, sensors, and wireless and wireline (optical) communications. In 5G contexts, the company positions its high-speed ADCs for sub-6 GHz direct RF sampling transceivers, where customers can pair MIMO antennas with SAW filters and low-noise amplifier front ends and perform demodulation and filtering in the digital domain, and for 28 GHz millimeter-wave transceivers with simplified down-mixing and filtering. As of May 2022 the company said it had taped out two chips, both functional, with a team of six people, five of whom had more than ten years of experience across analog, digital and layout design.
Founding story
Chi Fung Lok is described as founder and CTO of Caelus Technologies, and states he created more than 20 patents for the company to enable high-resolution and high-speed data conversion.
Business model
The company designs and supplies data converter chips/IP to hardware manufacturers, who integrate them into their own systems and transceiver designs.
Traction
As of May 2022, two chips taped out and reported functional and well-performing, developed by a six-person team.
Latest developments
As of the May 2022 profile, the company was developing a high-speed data converter aimed at matching ADI/TI performance at significantly lower power, and had outlined a 2-3 year plan to address the millimeter-wave market with 20-40 GS/s, 10-12 bit ADCs, followed by exploration of RF front-end and DSP technologies for more complex system chips.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
A small startup competing against incumbent US data converter suppliers Analog Devices and Texas Instruments, which the CTO describes as dominating the market; the company's stated approach is to establish itself in the Chinese market before expanding internationally.
Positioning centers on simultaneously higher conversion rates and lower power consumption than incumbent ADI/TI parts at equivalent performance, achieved with in-house patented techniques said to be free of infringement risk, enabling lower bill-of-materials cost in transceiver designs.
Technology
Patented circuit techniques for data converters that the company says raise conversion rate by 20-35% relative to comparable Analog Devices and Texas Instruments parts while cutting power consumption by 60-65% at similar performance on the same process technology. A cited example is an ADC delivering over 10 GS/s at 12 bits using roughly 35% of the power of comparable ADI/TI products. The company states its patented approaches differ from those of ADI and TI and avoid patent infringement issues. Planned development includes 20-40 GS/s 10-12 bit ADCs for direct RF and millimeter-wave transceivers, and later integration of RF front-end and digital signal processing functions into data converter system-on-chip products.
Go-to-market
Direct sales to hardware manufacturers, with stated plans to increase participation in exhibitions to introduce products to customers, initially prioritizing customers in China.
Hardware manufacturers building systems for instrumentation, medical imaging, data acquisition, sensors, and wireless and wireline communications, including 5G sub-6 GHz and 28 GHz millimeter-wave transceivers.
Geography
Described as a Hong Kong company based in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, operating across Hong Kong, with stated plans to expand beyond Hong Kong into mainland Chinese markets and, subsequently, international markets.
History
The company was founded in 2018 and, as described in a May 2022 profile, is based in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, operating across Hong Kong. At that point it had completed tape-outs of two chips and was working on a high-speed data converter intended to match the performance of Analog Devices and Texas Instruments products at substantially lower power.
Compiled by commissioned research from 3 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
▸Research sources · 3
primary sources listed
- Focusing on Data Converter Chips: Caelus Technologies Plans to Expand its Geographical Footprint beyond Hong Kong, Explore Deep Chinese Marketsthesiliconreview.com · web
3 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Caelus Tech do?
- Hong Kong/Shenzhen-based chip startup designing low-power, high-performance ADC and DAC data converter ICs.
- Who founded Caelus Tech?
- Caelus Tech was founded by Morris He, Chi Fung Lok in 2018.
- Who are Caelus Tech's investors?
- Caelus Tech's investors include AngelCentral, Entrepreneur First, QBN Capital.
- Where is Caelus Tech headquartered?
- Caelus Tech is headquartered in Shenzhen, CN.