Arralis gets €50m from Hong Kong-based consortium Investment will allow UL-based tech firm to create 25 new jobs in expanded operation

Arralis, which achieved profitability in 2016, is developing products that are considered the future of global radar and wireless communications. Using high millimetre-wave (mmwave) technology that forms the foundations of 5G communications, its products have applications in self-driving car technology and satellite technology among other industries.
The high frequency and short wavelength allows for higher resolution radar and will allow the size of components to be scaled down to a fraction of the size of the current ones.
The company’s chief executive, Barry Lunn, said the low frequency used for current communications radar was a case of “too many cars, not enough road”, but said the new technology had more space available.
“It’s like the Holy Grail,” he said.
Arralis was voted “Innovation of the Year” at the 2016 Irish Times Innovation awards, along with being named the IT and Telecommunications category winner.
The identity of the new investors is not being made public, but previous backers, including Enterprise Ireland, Kernel Capital and ACT, have exited as part of this round.
“It was inevitable from day one that we would hit a stage when we would need this level of investment, due to the type of product we do,” explained chief executive Barry Lunn. “There is always money if you have the right product and the right market.”
Established in 2013 by Mr Lunn and chief technology officer Mike Gleaves, Arralis has already won contracts with the European Space Agency, the UK Ministry of Defence, and Beijing Bluesky Aviation Technology and Sino TekCo in China.
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