Franz X. Birkner
Director/Board Member at University of California San Diego
Profile
Franz Birkner co-founded Rayspan Corp.
and serves as President and Chief Executive Officer.
He co-founded Express Ventures and served as Managing Director.
Previously, he was a Director of Dot Wireless, Inc. and Cognet Microsystems.
He co-founded ComStream Corp.
and served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Vice President of Strategy Development for Linkabit Wireless, Inc. and M/A-COM.
He was a Manager of the Boston Consulting Group, Inc. Franz began his career as an engineer at Watkins Johnson Co. He has 25 years of experience as a telecommunications entrepreneur and venture capital investor in the wireless, wire line and optical networking sectors.
Mr. Birkner received a BS degree from MIT's School of Electrical Engineering.
Franz X. Birkner active positions
| Companies | Position | Start |
|---|---|---|
| University of California San Diego | Director/Board Member | 2009-07-28 |
Former positions of Franz X. Birkner
| Companies | Position | End |
|---|---|---|
Express Ventures LLC
 Express Ventures LLC Investment ManagersFinance Express Ventures LLC (Express Ventures) is a venture capital firm founded in 2005. The firm is headquartered in San Diego, California. | Founder | - |
Cognet, Inc.
 Cognet, Inc. Computer PeripheralsElectronic Technology Part of Intel Corp., Cognet, Inc. develops electronic components for use in Ethernet modules. The company is based in Sherman Oaks, CA. Cognet was acquired by Intel Corp. on April 24, 2001 for $183 million. | Director/Board Member | - |
| CommNexus San Diego | Founder | - |
The Boston Consulting Group, Inc.
 The Boston Consulting Group, Inc. Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services The Boston Consulting Group, Inc. engages in the provision of management consulting services. It specializes in automotive and mobility; biopharmaceuticals; consumer products; education; oil and gas; power and utilities; engineered products and infrastructure; financial institutions; and health care payers, providers, and services. It offers big data and advanced analytics; change management; client learning and enablement; and corporate development and financial services. The company was founded by Bruce Doolin Henderson in 1963 and is headquartered in Boston, MA. | Corporate Officer/Principal | - |
| Watkins Johnson Co. | Corporate Officer/Principal | - |
Training of Franz X. Birkner
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Undergraduate Degree |
Experiences
Positions held
Connections
1st degree connections
1st degree companies
Male
Female
Members of the board
Executives
Linked companies
| Private companies | 10 |
|---|---|
M/A-COM, Inc.
 M/A-COM, Inc. Telecommunications EquipmentElectronic Technology M/A-COM, Inc. manufactured wireless communications components. The firm offered discrete and integrated devices including amplifiers, antennas, diodes, passive devices, switches and specialized transistors. It also offered device packages, as well as semiconductor wafers in plain silicon or compound materials. The company was founded in 1950 and was headquartered in Lowell, MA. | Electronic Technology |
Linkabit Wireless, Inc.
 Linkabit Wireless, Inc. Telecommunications EquipmentElectronic Technology Linkabit Wireless, Inc. develops and markets telecommunications systems. The private company is based in San Diego, CA. | Electronic Technology |
ComStream Corp.
 ComStream Corp. Telecommunications EquipmentElectronic Technology Part of L3Harris Technologies, Inc., ComStream Corp. manufactures products for the satellite industry. The company is based in San Diego, CA. The company was founded by Franz X. Birkner. ComStream was acquired by SPAR Aerospace Ltd., part of L3Harris Technologies, Inc. from January 28, 2002 on December 07, 1992 for $45.50 million. | Electronic Technology |
| Watkins Johnson Co. | Producer Manufacturing |
The Boston Consulting Group, Inc.
The Boston Consulting Group, Inc. Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services The Boston Consulting Group, Inc. engages in the provision of management consulting services. It specializes in automotive and mobility; biopharmaceuticals; consumer products; education; oil and gas; power and utilities; engineered products and infrastructure; financial institutions; and health care payers, providers, and services. It offers big data and advanced analytics; change management; client learning and enablement; and corporate development and financial services. The company was founded by Bruce Doolin Henderson in 1963 and is headquartered in Boston, MA. | Commercial Services |
Cognet, Inc.
Cognet, Inc. Computer PeripheralsElectronic Technology Part of Intel Corp., Cognet, Inc. develops electronic components for use in Ethernet modules. The company is based in Sherman Oaks, CA. Cognet was acquired by Intel Corp. on April 24, 2001 for $183 million. | Electronic Technology |
Dot Wireless, Inc.
 Dot Wireless, Inc. SemiconductorsElectronic Technology Dot Wireless, Inc. develops and markets semiconductor chipsets for third-generation wireless technology. The company is based in Houston, TX. The company was founded by Richard Kornfeld. Dot Wireless was acquired by Texas Instruments Incorporated on September 01, 2000 for $475 million. | Electronic Technology |
Express Ventures LLC
Express Ventures LLC Investment ManagersFinance Express Ventures LLC (Express Ventures) is a venture capital firm founded in 2005. The firm is headquartered in San Diego, California. | Finance |
Rayspan Corp.
 Rayspan Corp. Computer CommunicationsElectronic Technology Rayspan Corp. developed metamaterial air interface solutions for wireless communication networks. The company was founded by Maha Achour and Franz X. Birkner in April 2006 and was headquartered in San Diego, CA. | Electronic Technology |
| CommNexus San Diego |
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