A graphic of the details of the NRFC's investment in Morse Micro.

The NRFC has made a $35 million investment in Morse Micro to help the company accelerate growth and develop its next-generation Wi-Fi HaLow solutions.

The NRFC’s investment will help to ensure that next-generation Wi-Fi technology is developed and commercialised in Australia. It will also support highly skilled jobs at Morse Micro’s Design and Production Hub in Picton in regional NSW, strengthen the nation’s sovereign manufacturing capabilities, and diversify the Australian economy by building local expertise in semiconductor design and innovation.

About Morse Micro

Morse Micro is a fabless semiconductor company headquartered in Sydney. It is Australia’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, and its Wi-Fi HaLow technology is revolutionising Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity.

Morse Micro’s secure, long-range, low power Wi-Fi HaLow microchips enable Wi-Fi signals to penetrate walls and other obstacles, dramatically extending the range of Wi-Fi coverage from its current limited range to one kilometre in urban environments and up to 16 kilometres in rural locations. 

This advancement is transforming IoT connectivity across a range of industries, including consumer, agriculture, mining, renewable energy, transport, and smart metering. Morse Micro’s award-winning Wi-Fi HaLow technology has been recognised around the world, with the company’s patent portfolio consisting of 36 patent families across these areas.

Investment impact

Commercialising Australian innovation

Wi-Fi was originally invented and patented by CSIRO scientists in 1993. The NRFC’s investment is continuing this proud tradition by supporting an Australian company in bringing the next generation of Wi-Fi technology to the rest of the world.

Growing industrial capability

Morse Micro is Australia’s largest manufacturer of semiconductors, which are a critical technological component of an advanced economy. The NRFC’s investment will be used by Morse Micro to further enhance its capabilities, grow its business, and continue to develop its world-leading technology.

Creating high-skilled jobs

Morse Micro currently employs over 130 staff in New South Wales across its Sydney and Picton locations. These include highly skilled roles such as radio frequency engineers, integrated circuit design engineers, embedded system engineers, and test and verification engineers. The NRFC’s investment will support these existing jobs and create more opportunities as the company continues to expand.

Crowding in finance

The NRFC’s $35 million investment is part of Morse Micro’s Series C funding round and the investment will help the company to attract further private sector finance. Morse Micro's other investors include Analog Devices founder Ray Stata, leading venture capital firms such as Blackbird Ventures, Main Sequence Ventures, and Uniseed, and other institutional investors.