Focal Point Positioning, a UK-based deep tech start-up whose patented technology improves the performance of GPS chips in smartphones, wearables and vehicles, announced the hiring of GPS industry veteran Scott Pomerantz as its new CEO. Pomerantz founded Global Locate in 2000; the company was acquired by Broadcom in 2007.
Pomerantz brings 30 years of experience in positioning and semiconductors. HGlobal Locate brought GPS to the mass consumer smartphone market, supplying the first GPS chips to companies including Apple and Samsung, before being acquired by Broadcom for $250 million, including an $80 million earn-out. He joins FocalPoint at a time of intense growth following the company’s Series B round of investment.
Focal Point’s core Supercorrelation technology is a chipset-level software upgrade that uses patented methods to increase the sensitivity, accuracy and reliability of GNSS receivers by detecting and rejecting false signals, including those reflected off buildings and spoofing signals. Applications include high accuracy positioning for smartphones, wearables, autonomous vehicles and drones, as well as cyber security and resilience – protecting location-dependent devices and businesses from spoofer attacks.
Focal Point has also set up a US subsidiary, FocalPoint Inc, to accelerate the commercialization of its technologies in the mobile, wearables and automotive sectors.
Pomerantz commented: “FocalPoint’s technology portfolio is truly novel and groundbreaking. I am convinced that this is an inflection point for the positioning and semiconductor industry. Their technology solves an industry-wide problem and creates phenomenal opportunities for businesses who depend on the accuracy, reliability and security of location and timing information. Having spoken to the team, customers and investors I am extremely confident that on the three vectors that really matter: technology, customer traction and company culture, FocalPoint is in a tremendous position.”
“We have great technology, an extremely strong IP position and one of the most impressive technical teams that I have ever come across. We now need to scale up our technical support and customer integration so that we can maintain our development speed on IP and R&D while servicing customers and commercializing our technology.”
FocalPoint Founder Dr Ramsey Faragher added: “When I established FocalPoint, one of my goals was to grow the business and IP portfolio to a point where we could attract one of the industry’s great CEOs to help us to complete our vision of powering the positioning of all GNSS receivers worldwide. I am thrilled to have succeeded in that goal and look forward to working with Scott on our next chapter.”
Faragher will work alongside Scott as the President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of FocalPoint, focusing on accelerating the firm’s technology roll-out and R&D activities.
Faragher is also the author of “OneWeb LEO PNT: Progress or Risky Gamble?” and “Supercorrelation Plus 3D Mapping-Aided GNSS” in Inside GNSS magazine.
