It is pleased to introduce the coverage of Mr. Satoshi Hanazawa, CPO (Chief Product Officer) from ABLIC by EE Times as of November 4th, 2026, a leading online media for the electronics industry in the United States of America and European market as follows.
ABLIC's Small, Smart, and Simple Strategy for High-Value Analog Semiconductors
ABLIC is a comprehensive analog semiconductor manufacturer focused on five key sectors: lithium-ion battery protection, automotive applications, medical and high-voltage applications, magnetic and temperature sensors, and battery-less water leak sensors. By building on low-power-consumption technology developed over more than half a century, a legacy rooted in developing semiconductors for watches, ABLIC continues to create high-value-added products prized by customers for their performance and accuracy. We spoke with Satoshi Hanazawa, ABLIC's Director, Senior Vice President, and CPO (Chief Product Officer), about market conditions, product strategy, and the company's development system.
● Achieving continuous growth in analog semiconductors even under stagnant market conditions
- What can you tell us about the current state of business?
Satoshi Hanazawa: Business has been strong. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the whole industry was left with excess inventory, followed by a period of adjustment. As a result, the analog semiconductor market remained flat from 2023 to 2025, yet ABLIC continued to grow, achieving over 10% year-over-year sales growth in FY 2025. We believe this growth was the result of consistently providing high-value-added products that make ABLIC our customers' first choice.
Looking at the market overall, the AI sector is definitely where all the attention is focused. Since competition is already fierce, we want to respond quickly to market demand. In the future, we have high hopes for humanoid robots, commercial drones, and autonomous driving.
● Expansion into new markets with medical and high-voltage applications and battery-less water leak sensors
- Tell us about the current products or technologies receiving attention.
Hanazawa: Our focus is on five key sectors: lithium-ion battery protection, power management ICs for automotive applications, medical and high-voltage applications, Hall effect ICs (magnetic sensor ICs), and battery-less water leak sensors powered by CLEAN-BoostTM technology. These are fields where we have a proven track record and where we expect further growth. Among these, the medical and high-voltage sectors and battery-less water leak sensors are where we expect the highest growth.
*) “CLEAN-Boost*” is a registered trademark of ABLIC.
In the medical and high-voltage sectors, transmitter ICs for ultrasound diagnostic systems have always been one of our strengths. In December 2024, the company acquired Socionext's medical business, thereby gaining access to receiver LSIs that are low-power, compact, and lightweight while delivering high diagnostic image quality. This acquisition allowed us to offer comprehensive transmitter-receiver solutions for ultrasound diagnostic systems.
Thanks to synergies between transmission and reception technologies, the ABLIC viewphii series of ultrasound solutions for handheld devices continues to evolve steadily. We are currently developing a third-generation model, which is scheduled for mass production in 2027. The new model will improve diagnostic image quality for deep-tissue imaging by increasing transmission voltage to ±100V. We plan to showcase our rapidly expanding viewphii series for handheld devices at RSNA 2026 in Chicago, Illinois, this November. We'll also share our product lineup and development roadmap for transmitter ICs and high-voltage switch ICs, which deliver even higher performance, functionality, and reliability for conventional cart-based systems.
[Related News] ABLIC Begins Sampling of "viewphii-Gen3" Handheld Ultrasound Solution for Medical Applications
*) “viewphii” is a registered trademark of ABLIC.
ABLIC has a long history of collaborating with medical device manufacturers to quickly bring products that meet their needs to market. This approach allows medical device manufacturers to begin evaluating ICs as early as the development stage, enabling a swift transition to mass production once the ICs are completed. This has been one of the factors driving the rapid growth of our medical-related business, and we expect that growth to continue in the future.
Our battery-less water leak sensor is powered by CLEAN-BoostTM technology, a power storage and boost circuit technology. This wireless water leak sensor draws its power from the tiny electrical charge generated when it contacts water, giving it the sensitivity to detect even a few drops and the accuracy to minimize false alarms (an explanatory video is available at the end of the article).
While these sensors have traditionally been installed in factories and buildings, the increasing number of water-cooled AI servers has led to growing demand from data centers. Other companies also manufacture water leak detection sensors, but most rely on changes in resistance between electrodes. In contrast, battery-less water leak sensors from ABLIC identify leaks based on the chemical reaction between water and metal. This mechanism allows the sensor to detect leaks even in pure water, which has low electrical conductivity. Furthermore, these sensors can be easily retrofitted to existing infrastructure in large data centers and smart city developments in Europe because they require no power wiring or battery replacement.
Our battery-less water leak sensors are already widely adopted in Japan, building a strong track record, with trial tests now underway at several infrastructure facilities. In the US and EU markets, we obtained FCC certification, a communication and safety standard, and began sales last year. In June 2026, we showcased our battery-less water leak sensor overseas for the first time at BOMA 2026, an international trade show in Los Angeles, California, which generated a great deal of interest.
[Product Specifications] Batteryless Water Leak Sensor
We intend to propose lithium-ion battery protection solutions for industrial equipment, including energy storage systems (ESS) and battery backup units (BBUs) that guard against momentary power interruptions in AI servers. We will also expand the product lineup to include 48V-compatible products, ensuring that our in-vehicle power supplies can be used in a broad range of electric vehicles (EVs) and related applications.
In addition to the five key sectors, including the medical and high-voltage sectors and CLEAN-BoostTM, we plan to develop new fields that will constitute the sixth and seventh pillars of our business.
● Also underway: efforts to improve development efficiency through AI
- Are there any other initiatives by the company related to product and technology development?
Hanazawa: We aim to increase the proportion of new products in the company's total sales, and that effort is progressing as planned.
ABLIC will continue to focus its investments on technology and talent. M&As are an additional means of creating high-value-added products. The company is also working to improve development efficiency with AI. We intend to train AI to acquire design expertise so that it can eventually handle all stages of the process. At the same time, we believe it is important for humans to make all final decisions. Given the security concerns involved, we are consulting with EDA vendors on how to proceed.
● Delivering high-value analog semiconductors based on the concept of “Small Smart Simple”
- Given the increasingly fierce global competition in the semiconductor industry, could you tell us again how ABLIC plans to make the best of its strengths?
Hanazawa: ABLIC is committed to a vision of inspiring customers with our “Small, Smart, Simple” analog semiconductor solutions. The company started out by developing semiconductors for watches, and ABLIC has always placed a high priority on low power consumption. This philosophy continues to shape the current business. In the future, ABLIC will continue to explore ways to leverage these strengths for the benefit of customers and consider what combinations of technologies will help to make contributions in new fields. The company is committed to creating products with even higher added value than ever before.
This article was originally published in EE Times on November 4th, 2026.
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