Cissoid was founded in 2000 by three engineers - Laurent Demeûs, Pierre Delatte and Vincent Dessard – together with their thesis promoter, Denis Flandre, Professor in microelectronics at UCL.

This spin-off, which benefits from over 20 years research at UCL in the area of Silicon on Insulator, specializes in development and sales of electronic components meant for extreme temperatures, from -200°C to +300°C. Amongst other applications, Cissoid’s components are embedded in Oil&Gas drilling equipment as deep as 3000 meters, in electronic control for aircraft engines and breaks, or in automotive engines. High Technology and prestigious customers in Oil&Gas and Aerospace markets.

End of 2007, the company was at a crossing point. Cissoid had to value their widely recognized technical competences by a refocus of the company’s business plan and an international deployment. With the support of Laurent Demeûs, Cissoid was able to attract a new CEO, Tony Denayer, in order to define and execute this ambitious strategic plan.

Tony Denayer brings more than 20 years experience in the semiconductor market and a strategic vision for the deployment of the company. His various positions at AMI Semiconductor ($2 billion turnover) and Alcatel also represent managerial competences and techniques required for Cissoid’s growth. As Tony Denayer spent a large part of his career abroad, he brings Cissoid access to an international network. This is a crucial asset for a Hitech company that needs to recruit talents, broaden sales channels and negotiate with global companies.

 Tony Denayer, who holds a MEE from UCL, comes back in a known territory. In the beginning of his career, he worked with I.R.I.S., a spin-off from UCL of which Professor Jean-Didier Legat is a co-founder…and a member of the Board of Directors of Cissoid. To close the loop, Tony participated to the supervision of the final thesis of Denis Flandre, who is a co-founder of Cissoid.

What motivated Tony Denayer to join Cissoid are first of all the team and the worldwide recognized expertise of the company. It is also the presence of Mr André-Jacques Auberton, member of the Board of Directors of Cissoid and CEO at SOITEC, worldwide leader of Silicon on Insulator base wafers manufacturing, which adds credit to Cissoid towards key players of the electronics market. Obviously, having worked in large global corporations, the position offered to Tony Denayer was a real challenge for him as well as his team.

After 100 days in the driving seat of Cissoid, Tony Denayer didn’t disappoint nor is he disappointed. The alchemy between the new CEO and the former one worked well. Almost a relief for Laurent Demeûs who focuses now on operational matters: he is happy      with his new COO position. Would this be the beginning of a new winning duo “manager-researcher” ?