TAV Silicon, a South Korean startup specializing in audio amplifier ICs based on power semiconductor technology, has successfully secured seed investment from Hanyang University Holdings. Composed of first-generation power semiconductor experts in Korea, TAV Silicon plans to launch a fully digital Class D audio amplifier chip with an integrated feedback solution in 2024, aiming to revolutionize the Class D audio amplifier market, which has seen little technological advancement over the past two decades.

Audio systems consist of components such as CODEC, DSP, audio amplifiers, and speakers. While other components have continued to advance, the development of fully digital Class D audio amplifiers has stagnated for the past 20 years. Specifically, technology developed in the early 2000s is still being used in mass-market fully digital Class D audio amplifiers.

A TAV Silicon representative stated, “Our fully digital Class D audio amplifier chip offers superior price and technological competitiveness compared to Texas Instruments (TI), the global leader in the Class D audio amplifier market.”

The global Class D audio amplifier IC market was valued at approximately 4.2 trillion KRW in 2023 (source: Prescient & Intelligence 2024) and is expected to grow at an annual rate of 12.6%, reaching 9.3 trillion KRW by 2030.

Ryu Tae-ha, CEO of TAV Silicon, said, “TAV Silicon has successfully developed a feedback solution that compares and corrects output and input signals in nanoseconds. We plan to release the world’s first fully digital Class D audio amplifier with an integrated feedback solution.”