Brains Behind the BAN: Ixana’s Power Trio

Ixana’s founding team brings together a powerhouse of expertise in engineering and advanced technology. Dr. Shreyas Sen, a distinguished professor at Purdue University, co-founded Ixana along with Angik Sarkar and Shovan Maity. They are located in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA and have offices in  Seattle USA and Bangalore, India.

Dr. Shreyas Sen

Founder & CTO of Ixana, Dr. Sen is an Elmore Associate Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. Sen’s research focus on mixed-signal circuits, electromagnetics, and hardware security led to the invention of Wi-R technology, a breakthrough in wearable communication. With over 25 patents and hundreds of published papers, Sen has received numerous awards, including the NSF CAREER Award and the Intel Outstanding Researcher Award. His vision for Ixana was to create a “Body Area Network” that uses the human body’s natural properties to transmit data efficiently, securely, and privately—laying the foundation for Ixana’s Wi-R chip technology. (Purdue University) (Dr. Shreyas Sen)

Angik Sarkar

Angik Sarkar, who serves as CEO, has a strong background in technology and is an serial entrepreneur. He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University, focusing on information processing through spin-coupled magnet networks. His previous ventures include Waylo, a travel tech company that was later acquired, and Rescue.io, a non-profit emergency communication startup. Angik’s industry experience includes a role at Intel, where he developed performance-evaluation software for advanced processing devices, honing his skills in AI and data processing. (Angik Sarkar)

Shovan Maity

Shovan Maity, Ixana’s Head of Research, brings expertise from his experience as an engineer at Intel and Qualcomm. He holds a Ph.D. from Purdue University, where he researched secure, low-power communication systems in the SPARC Lab. His industry experience includes roles at Qualcomm, where he worked on power management for mobile SoCs, and at Intel, where he contributed to voltage regulation in processor cores. Shovan’s expertise lies in analog and power management systems, critical for the efficient functioning of wearable devices​. (Shovan Maity)

Wear to Next? : Riding the Wave in Wearable Tech

The wearable technology market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by increasing demand across health, fitness, and consumer electronics sectors. In 2024, the market size was estimated at approximately $186 billion, and it’s projected to grow to over $493.26 billion by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.6% from 2024 to 2029. (Mordor Intelligence)

The demand for wearables continues to climb due to advancements in health monitoring and remote patient care. Devices like fitness trackers, smartwatches, and AR/VR headsets lead the market, with fitness applications representing over 48% of market revenue. Innovations in wearable devices, such as glucose monitors and smart rings, make real-time health data accessible to users, further expanding wearables’ role in healthcare​. (​Fortune Business Insights)

Regional markets show unique trends. North America, which currently holds the largest share due to early tech adoption, emphasizes healthcare and fitness. Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific region, projected to grow at the highest rate, is capitalizing on smart city initiatives and increasing disposable income, making wearables a lifestyle norm. Europe also shows promising growth, particularly in elder care and remote health monitoring, driven by an aging population and supportive digital health policies​. (Global Insight Services)

This booming sector is drawing significant investments and innovations from tech giants like Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi. With increasing focus on connectivity, energy efficiency, and functionality, the wearable technology market is set to evolve, offering more personalized and essential digital experiences to users worldwide.

A Mission to BAN Bluetooth: Ixana’s Vision for Seamless Tech

Mission and Vision

Ixana’s mission is to create a future where technology seamlessly integrates with human interaction. By developing high-speed, secure human-computer interfaces, Ixana envisions a world where wearables are as intuitive as natural human movement. They aim to transform wearable technology with low-power, touch-based data exchange, enabling devices to act as true extensions of the human body. (About Ixana)

Problems They Solve

Traditional wearable technology faces challenges like high power consumption, latency, and security issues with wireless data transfer. Ixana addresses these problems with its innovative Wi-R technology. Unlike Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, Wi-R operates as a non-radiative, body-confined network. Through this, Ixana enables wearables to transmit data through simple human touch, whether it’s sharing files or streaming content to nearby devices​.

Business Model

Ixana’s business model centers on partnerships with manufacturers across various industries, including healthcare, AR/VR, and consumer electronics. They license their Wi-R chip to these partners, allowing them to integrate the technology into diverse products, from smartwatches to augmented reality headsets. Additionally, Ixana offers developer kits to facilitate custom applications, empowering companies to create unique, real-time AI experiences on their wearables.

Tools of the Trade: Ixana’s Game-Changing Gadgets

Wi-R Chip

The YR22 Wi-R Chip is the core of Ixana’s innovative product line. With a 4 Mbps data transfer rate, this compact chip (2 mm x 2 mm) delivers high-speed, low-latency communication, consuming 100 times less energy than traditional Bluetooth. This enables efficient, secure data transfer in a confined “bubble” around the user rather than traditional radiative wireless technologies like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, making it ideal for privacy-focused applications in wearables. The YR22 chip’s design offers unmatched reliability and energy efficiency, positioning it as a powerful solution for companies looking to integrate advanced connectivity into various wearable devices. (Wi-R Chip)

Wi-R Module

The Wi-R Module, also based on the YR22 chip, is a versatile 1.5 cm x 2 cm board designed for seamless integration. This module maintains the high-speed performance of the YR22 chip, offering a practical solution for developers looking to incorporate Wi-R technology into a limited production of devices. Its compact size and energy efficiency make it suitable for applications like smartwatches, fitness trackers, and other wearable tech. (Wi-R Module)

YR21 Evaluation Kit

The YR21 Evaluation Kit is a toolkit designed for developers, engineers, and innovators to explore Ixana’s Wi-R technology. This kit includes the YR22 chip, which supports a data transfer rate of 4 Mbps. The kit helps users test and implement Ixana’s advanced wireless technology across different applications. It comes with a Wi-R USB-C smartphone plugin, making it easy to connect and experiment with various devices. This evaluation kit is essential for those looking to integrate Ixana’s body-area network technology into their products​. (YR21 Evaluation Kit)

Ixana is expanding its product line with several exciting future releases designed to push the boundaries. (Future Products)

20Mbit/s Wi-R Chip 

Expected to sample later in 2024, this high-speed Wi-R chip will offer a substantial upgrade from the current 4Mbit/s capacity. With speeds up to 20Mbit/s, this chip is ideal for applications requiring rapid data transfer, such as real-time video streaming and advanced augmented reality (AR) uses.

Wi-R Audio/Video SoC (System on Chip) 

Designed specifically for smartglasses and hearables, this Wi-R Audio/Video SoC aims to revolutionize audio and video streaming for wearable devices. By offloading processing demands to a smartphone or nearby device, this SoC will enable devices like AR glasses and wireless headsets to deliver high-quality audio and video with minimal power consumption. 

Wi-R EXG Sensor Platform 

The EXG (Electrogastrogram) sensor platform is another innovative solution under development. This platform is intended for advanced health and fitness monitoring, allowing wearable devices to capture bio-signals directly from the body. Integrating Wi-R with EXG sensors will enable real-time health data tracking, useful for both consumer fitness devices and medical applications​.

Touch and Go: Powering Technology with Touch

Ixana’s Wi-R technology transforms wireless communication by using Electro-Quasistatic (EQS) fields, creating a secure, confined communication bubble around the body. EQS fields are low-frequency electric fields that remain nearly static or change very slowly over time. Unlike electromagnetic (EM) waves, which radiate energy into the surrounding environment and propagate over long distances, EQS fields are localized and confined close to their source.This also ensures efficient, private communication, providing a “wire-like” experience in wireless form. (Wi-R Technology)

Wi-R technology is inspired by wired communication methods like USB-C, known for ultra-low energy use. Traditional wireless methods are inefficient in energy consumption due to their radiative nature, which disperses energy and reduces battery life. Wi-R, on the other hand, uses EQS fields to transmit data at just 0.1 nanojoules per bit. This low energy consumption enables charging-free wearable applications and long-lasting devices, making it ideal for continuous use in smart devices and AR headsets​.

With data transfer rates of up to 20 Mbps, Wi-R supports high-bandwidth applications like video streaming and real-time augmented reality (AR). Its latency of less than 1 millisecond provides immediate responsiveness, essential for tasks requiring real-time interaction.

Distributed Computing for Wearables

By enabling low-energy, high-speed data transmission, Wi-R allows for distributed computing across connected devices. This approach reduces the need for powerful processors on small devices like AR headsets, shifting heavy tasks to a paired smartphone or central device. This distributed model helps overcome size and thermal constraints.

How Wi-R Differs from Other Near-Field Communication

Traditional near-field communication (NFC) and near-field magnetic induction (NFMI) technologies rely on magnetic fields, which are inefficient over longer distances and provide limited data rates. Wi-R, however, leverages EQS fields, which effectively confine signals to the user’s body and enable broad data channels without energy loss. This unique use of EQS fields allows Wi-R to maintain both high-speed data transfer and robust security without interference from nearby devices​.

Backing the BAN: Allies, Accolades, and Assets Driving Ixana

Ixana’s innovative approach has garnered significant industry recognition. One of its most prominent achievements is winning the CES 2024 Innovation Award for Embedded Technologies and Computer Hardware. This award highlighted the Wi-R chip’s design as a solution to the growing demand for sustainable, secure, and user-friendly wearable devices. (CES 2024) 

Further, Ixana also won the Startup of the Year award at the 2023 Mira Awards, an award given to Indiana’s most promising tech companies. And have been featured in Electronic Engineering Times’ list of the Top 100 Silicon Startups to Watch in 2024. (Techpoint Mira Awards)

Power in Partnerships

As partnerships can make or break a company, Ixana has partnered with key players to expand the applications of its Wi-R technology in high-demand fields. One of its most notable collaborations is with OTTO Engineering, a leading manufacturer of ruggedized communications equipment. 

This partnership aims to integrate Ixana’s Wi-R technology into soldier communication devices, such as tactical audio equipment, military radios, and control interfaces. This alliance is particularly valuable for the military, as Wi-R provides secure, low-energy communication that is invisible to external monitoring, making it ideal for tactical environments. OTTO serves as Ixana’s exclusive integration partner in the federal and military markets. Additionally, Ixana has secured support and funding from Purdue Innovates Ventures, a branch of Purdue University that backs innovations with market potential. (OTTO)

Funding and Revenue

In late 2022, the company raised $3 million in seed funding from prominent investors. The seed round received strong institutional support, with investors including Uncorrelated Ventures, Samsung NEXT, EvoNexus, Paradigm Shift Capital, Hack VC, and Purdue Ventures. Additionally, Tom Chi, co-founder of Google X, participated as an angel investor. EvoNexus, a prominent incubator based in San Diego, also played an essential role by providing early-stage guidance and resources. EvoNexus’ A&I Program enabled Ixana to accelerate development and refine its tech for broader markets. (Tracxn)

Wrapping Up : Chip Off the New Block

Ixana is transforming the wearable tech landscape with its pioneering Wi-R chip technology. By enabling ultra-efficient, secure communication within a Body Area Network (BAN), Ixana’s technology allows wearable devices to exchange data without relying on Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. 

As Ixana moves forward, it is poised to redefine connectivity in wearables, AR/VR headsets, and healthcare devices. This vision supports a future where devices act as natural extensions of our bodies, communicating seamlessly and efficiently without the limitations of traditional wireless systems. And very soon this technology will cause another revolution in the tech space like the AI revolution we are a part of now.

If you’re inspired by Ixana’s journey, let their story motivate you to work on your own ideas. The wearable tech industry is growing fast, and it’s companies like Ixana that show us how creativity and cutting-edge science can solve real problems. For more insights into groundbreaking companies like Ixana, explore other articles on Venture Kites. We dive into the stories, technologies, and market impacts of innovative startups shaping the future.