Renesas is seeding AI racks with a chip Navitas wants a court to ban
Renesas began sampling its 650V GaN part to AI data center OEMs on 30 September, with volume set for mid-2027. Navitas has asked a Texas court to block Renesas' GaN products first, while Renesas seeks to stop Navitas using its GaN trade secrets.
Vincent Jiang · 3 min read
The launch, and the injunction aimed at it
Renesas launched the TP65H020G4PLSGBD on 30 September: a 650-volt gallium-nitride device, 20 milliohms in an 8x8mm dual-side-cooled package, built for the stage of an AI rack that steps 800 volts down to 48, 12 or 6 12. Samples ship now to major AI data center OEMs and ODMs, mass production is planned for mid-2027, and the lineup goes on show at the OCP Global Summit in San Jose, 12 to 15 October 12.
The package spec was written "in collaboration with major AI infrastructure customers" 13, so sockets are being drawn around this exact part now. None of the launch copy mentions either lawsuit 123.
Four patents and an order blocking the products
Navitas sued Renesas on 10 August in the Eastern District of Texas, asserting four GaN patents against Renesas' GaN lines, including SuperGaN, and asking for damages plus a court order blocking the infringing products 45.
Three suits in five weeks, one pool of know-how
Wolfspeed opened the season in early July, suing Navitas in Delaware and alleging its GaNFast, GaNSlim, GaNSafe, GeneSiC and SiCPAK products violate multiple Wolfspeed patents; Navitas called the claims without merit 6.
Renesas followed on 22 July in the Northern District of California, naming CEO Christopher Allexandre and executive Felicia Cheng and alleging they carried confidential Renesas presentations to Navitas 7. The complaint says Navitas' "2.0" strategy "directly mirrored Renesas's confidential plans" and could let a rival "beat Renesas to market to steal billion-dollar contracts" 7.
Navitas counter-sued on 10 August, citing U.S. Patent Nos. 9,929,079; 11,545,838; 11,770,010; 11,862,996 5.
The money: a $3.09bn cap on a $10.5m quarter
Renesas' own complaint sizes the GaN chip market at $355 million in 2024, growing to $3 billion by 2030 on AI demand 7. That is the pool under Navitas' $3.09bn market cap 8: revenue of $45.9m across 2025 9, quarterly sales down from $21.7m in Q3 2024 to $10.5m in Q2 2026, and $558.3m of cash at the end of June 9. Renesas, the other party, carries ¥6tn of market value on ¥1tn of revenue 4.
Navitas revenue halved in eight quarters while its IP fight escalated
Data
| Revenue | |
|---|---|
| Q3 '24 | $21.68M |
| Q4 '24 | $17.98M |
| Q1 '25 | $14.02M |
| Q2 '25 | $14.49M |
| Q3 '25 | $10.11M |
| Q4 '25 | $7.3M |
| Q1 '26 | $8.6M |
| Q2 '26 | $10.53M |
Navitas' cash rose sixfold as its revenue halved
Data
| Cash at quarter end | |
|---|---|
| Q3 '24 | $98.61M |
| Q4 '24 | $88.24M |
| Q1 '25 | $75.61M |
| Q2 '25 | $161.34M |
| Q3 '25 | $151.22M |
| Q4 '25 | $238.6M |
| Q1 '26 | $223.37M |
| Q2 '26 | $558.27M |
Each side claims to own the same future
"We respect valid intellectual property rights and we expect our competitors to do likewise," Allexandre said 5. Navitas says it built its business through independent research, with more than 300 patents issued or pending 5. Renesas' spokesperson declined to comment on the July suit, and the company did not respond on the August one 47.
What decides it: the courts against the calendar
Navitas has asked its Texas court for damages and an order blocking Renesas' infringing products 45. Renesas has asked its California court for damages and an order blocking Navitas from misusing its secrets 7.
The race is dated. Renesas' volume lands mid-2027 12, samples are already in OEM hands 1, and the sockets an injunction would strand are being drawn now. The first question is whether either court moves before the volume does; the second is what those OEMs do with an IP risk the launch copy never priced. Renesas has the part, Navitas has the patents, and mid-2027 belongs to whichever court moves first.
Deepdive
AI-generated from this story and its cited sources. Not investment advice.
