Edgewater Wireless Wins Strategic Federal Grant for Advanced Wi-Fi Chip Commercialization

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Edgewater Wireless Systems Inc. the industry pioneer in Wi-Fi Spectrum Slicing technology, is proud to announce it has been awarded $921,000 in non-dilutive funding from FABrIC, the Government of Canada’s flagship initiative to commercialize advanced semiconductor and sensor solutions. The strategic investment serves as a powerful catalyst for Edgewater’s $2.4 million development project, accelerating the time to market for its next-generation multi-link Wi-Fi silicon platform. This technology is poised to transform high-density, interference-sensitive wireless environments across residential, enterprise, and industrial IoT sectors.

“In today’s complex geopolitical environment, semiconductor innovation has become a strategic national priority,” said Andrew Skafel, President and CEO of Edgewater Wireless. “The FABrIC funding reinforces Canada’s commitment to strengthening its position in the global technology landscape. For Edgewater, it means accelerating our product roadmap, creating jobs, delivering shareholder value, and contributing to Canada’s economic resilience.”

“The Canadian semiconductor ecosystem is energized. Semiconductors are embedded in almost every aspect of daily life, and the sectors that power our economy depend on them. From sensors that detect subtle but significant health changes to complex hardware accelerators and optimized chips that run increasingly complex AI algorithms, semiconductor technology is crucial,” stated Lynn McNeil, Vice President of FABrIC. “The semiconductor supply chain is one of the world’s largest and most complicated. It draws on highly specialized materials, components, manufacturing equipment, expertise, and processes to design, fabricate, assemble, package, and test finished chips. For a country like Canada, with unique expertise in photonics, MEMS, compound semiconductors and quantum technologies, it is a rich and varied supply chain we can flourish in.”1

The strategic initiative, targeting Edgewater’s next-generation Wi-Fi baseband, is designed to address real-world performance limitations in critical residential, enterprise and IoT deployments. The project will run through December 2026 and is expected to reach TRL 6+, bolstering Canada’s vision to build domestic strength in advanced semiconductor design and manufacturing.

Mandated to secure Canada’s future in semiconductors. FABrIC lowers barriers faced by Canadian companies developing semiconductor manufacturing processes and internet-connected products and services for export into global markets. Focused on four core technologies: quantum, photonics, compound semiconductors and MEMS, it offers targeted funding for both Fabrication Process and Product development.

FABrIC forcefully connects the semiconductor sector into Canada’s major industrial performers: from the auto sector to mining, natural resources, agriculture, MedTech, aerospace, defence, and advanced manufacturing. As change and uncertainty rip through global trade relationships, forging these connections is increasingly integral to protecting the ability of these critical Canadian industries to innovate and compete.

Launched in 2024, FABrIC is a five-year, $223M project to build the national ecosystem. By fostering collaboration between industry, not-for-profits, the post-secondary community, and government, it accelerates commercialization, amplifies our competitive advantages, and maximizes the economic impact of Canada’s semiconductor sector. Domestically and internationally.

Edgewater Wireless, a FABrIC member, is proud to lead this project as part of Canada’s growing network of semiconductor innovators working to transform global communications and connectivity challenges into competitive advantages.