Alejandro Rivera, CTO of LeapWave Technologies: "This is how, with the support of CDTI Innovation and the European MRR funds, we promote the communications of the future"

The advancement of digital technologies, from mobile networks to artificial intelligence, depends largely on the ability to process and transmit information at ever-increasing speeds. However, this progress faces a key challenge: the physical limitations of current interconnections in high-frequency systems.

At that point comes LeapWave Technologies, a spin-off from the Carlos III University of Madrid that has developed a disruptive technology based on low-loss dielectric guides and ultra-wide band. Its project, promoted with the support of the CDTI Innovation and the European funds of the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (MRR) through NEOTEC, has sought to eliminate one of the main bottlenecks that slow down the evolution of communications and microelectronics.
 

From research to market: detecting a structural problem

LeapWave Technologies was born in 2022 as a result of years of research in the field of high-frequency communications. The founding team identified a critical constraint that affects the entire industry: the difficulty of interconnecting electronic devices when working at very high frequencies.

As explained by Alejandro Rivera, CTO of the company, "a search in the catalog of the main suppliers of microelectronic components is enough to realize the current limitations: those of higher frequency are offered without encapsulation". This format, known as DIE, involves extremely small devices, difficult to manipulate and integrate into real systems.
 

Founding team of LeapWave Technologies
 

Beyond this example, the problem is much deeper. Current encapsulation and interconnection solutions, based primarily on metal connections, have significant limitations when certain frequencies are exceeded. “There are no efficient encapsulation or interconnection solutions that can reasonably extend electrical technology to frequencies above a few tens of gigahertz (GHz),” he says.

Meanwhile, the electronic devices themselves are already advancing much faster. There are components capable of operating even above 500 GHz, which generates a disconnection between the potential of the technology and the real ability to integrate it into functional systems.
 

A “bottleneck” that slows down innovation

The project "Enabling the communications networks of the future" focuses precisely on resolving this gap. The origin of the solution lies in the previous work of the team in the European project TERAmeasure, where challenges related to the measurement and testing of high-frequency chips were already addressed.

From that experience, the team identified a broader opportunity. "The proposed technological solution not only solved the immediate connection of the measuring equipment with the chip: with a few changes, the same solution became a connector with an unprecedented frequency range," explains the CTO.

The objective of the project has therefore been to eliminate the bottleneck represented by the current interconnections, developing a technology capable of operating in a much wider frequency range, with lower losses and greater efficiency.
 

A disruptive technology: ultra-wideband interconnections

The solution proposed by LeapWave is based on dielectric guides that allow signals to be transmitted with very low losses and in an exceptionally wide frequency range.

One of the most relevant advances is the breaking of a fundamental commitment in communications engineering: the relationship between distance and bandwidth. In current technologies, increasing the transmission distance involves reducing the maximum frequency and thus the data transfer rate.

In Rivera’s words, “At such high frequencies, any solution forces a trade-off of distance per bandwidth. We break that commitment.” The results obtained are especially significant: “We have shown a loss of 0.15 dB for every centimeter traveled up to 500 GHz.”

This advance has direct implications for the design of electronic systems. It allows devices to be interconnected at higher speeds without the need to increase encapsulation density, which facilitates thermal management and improves reliability.
 

Technology developed by LeapWave Technologies for interconnection and measurement applications in high-frequency systems

In addition, this aspect is especially relevant in the context of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. “Breaking this compromise between distance and speed will result in more reliable systems, with a special impact on the hardware used to train AI models,” he says.
 

Flexibility for the networks of the future: beyond 6G

One of the differential elements of the technology developed is its ability to operate continuously from direct current (DC) to frequencies above 350 GHz, with the potential to exceed 500 GHz.

This feature provides great flexibility for the development of future communications networks. Unlike current solutions, which require working in fragmented bands, the LeapWave proposal allows for continuous spectrum coverage.

According to the CTO, "covering from DC up to at least 500 GHz we offer a long-term evolution that could support several generations with the same interconnection." This opens the door to more sustainable and reusable infrastructures, both in phases of development and exploitation.

On the other hand, technology can facilitate the evolution towards software-defined communications systems. "Our technology would allow us to apply that concept to the entire range of frequencies it covers," says Rivera. 
This is an important step towards more adaptable and efficient networks.
 

Industrial applications: from test to AI

Although the impact on future mobile networks is evident, the applications of this technology go much further.

During the development of the project, LeapWave has initiated contacts with manufacturers of test and measurement equipment to expand the capabilities of their products. Another key area is microelectronics, especially in high-speed interconnections for computing systems. In this sense, technology can contribute to improving the performance of data centers and applications based on artificial intelligence.

"The use of high-performance computing electronics may be of particular interest in improving the capabilities of data centers and the applications running on them," he says. In a context in which the demand for processing grows exponentially, this type of progress is strategic.
 

New tools for the industry: measurement without limits

The project has also allowed the development of new instrumentation solutions, such as probes for on-wafer testing and device characterization.

"Until now, the state of the art industry limited continuous measurement to frequencies around 220–250 GHz. Above that, the spectrum was segmented by the coexistence of different technologies and standards, each useful for a limited frequency range," says the CTO.

All this improves the technical capabilities and, in addition, contributes to reducing the complexity and associated costs. "With this, it is expected to catalyze the development of technology above 100 GHz, both in the field of communications and in the field of microelectronics," he adds.
 

Key to adoption: compatibility with the existing ecosystem

One of the main challenges of any disruptive technology is its adoption by the industry. LeapWave has addressed this aspect from the outset, betting on backward compatibility with existing solutions.

The reason is clear: "The investment made in this type of equipment by companies is considerable. A solution that requires discarding will find resistance to further adoption," explains the CTO.

By enabling integration with current technologies, the company helps reduce one of the main market risks and facilitates the transition to new solutions.
 

From laboratory to market: transfer strategy

LeapWave has adopted a B2B model aimed at instrumentation manufacturers and device developers. In the first phase, the company has developed its own production capacities to manufacture the first products.

“We have created a chain of diversified and, as far as possible, geographically close suppliers and suppliers,” says the CTO, stressing the importance of resilience in the supply chain.

In the medium term, the company is committed to a fabless model based on the commercialization of intellectual property through licenses. This approach will allow the technology to scale to more complex sectors and expand its impact.
 

The role of the CDTI Innovation: key impetus for deep tech innovation

The development of technologies of this level of complexity involves high levels of risk, investment and long lead times. In this context, public support is essential. Rivera summarizes it clearly: "The support of the CDTI Innovation has been an essential help."

In sectors such as hardware, where development cycles are longer, this type of financing makes a difference. “Developing hardware means significant investment and longer development times. For this reason, this type of aid considerably reduces the time of arrival on the market," he adds.

Beyond financial support, the program has also brought strategic value. "The exercise carried out during the preparation of the proposal allowed us to reflect on our business project, expose its weaknesses and work on them."

This accompaniment helps to strengthen the innovative business fabric and reduce the competitive gap against other regions with greater access to private financing.

In this sense, initiatives such as NEOTEC are key to transform scientific knowledge into technological solutions with real impact on the market. 
 

Looking to the future: consolidation and scaling

After the completion of the project, LeapWave is in a validation and growth phase. The company has already achieved its first sales and, most importantly, success stories that support its technology proposal.

"The validation obtained is rigorous and careful, equal to the technological promise," says Rivera.

Currently, the company is working with microelectronic component manufacturers to bring to market devices that integrate their technology, with applications in instrumentation, testing and industrial sensing.

In parallel, the development for its integration into the microelectronics industry continues, with the aim of expanding its use in mobile communications and high-performance computing.
 

A boost to technological innovation in Spain

The collaboration between CDTI Innovation and LeapWave Technologies exemplifies how support for innovation can accelerate the development of key technologies for the future.

By addressing one of the major bottlenecks of modern electronics, LeapWave not only contributes to the advancement of communications networks, but opens up new possibilities in multiple industrial sectors.

With the support of the CDTI, the company is taking firm steps to transform an innovation arising in the academic field into a solution with real impact on the market, reinforcing the role of Spain in the development of strategic technologies at a global level.
 

CDTI Innovation

The Center for Technological Development and Innovation, CDTI E.P.E. It is the innovation agency of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, whose objective is the promotion of technological innovation in the business environment. The mission of the CDTI is to ensure that the Spanish business fabric generates and transforms scientific and technical knowledge into globally competitive, sustainable and inclusive growth. In 2025, within the framework of the Strategic Plan 2024-2027, the CDTI provided more than 2 billion euros of support to Spanish companies and startups.

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