Taiwan-based acoustic solutions specialist Merry Electronics, now in the supply chain for Apple's AirPods, is gearing up to deepen its deployments also in the non-Apple TWS (true wireless stereo) earbuds market that is growing robustly amid the growing popularity of such earphones driven by AirPods series, according to industry sources.

Merry has newly purchased NT$280 million (US$9.96 million) worth of corporate bonds through private placements by SYNergy ScienTech, a specialist in offering customized battery cells for TWS devices, seeking to integrate its acoustic components with miniaturized cells into modules to strengthen competitiveness and better serve TWS brand clients, the sources said.

SYNergy has successfully developed button cells for TWS devices, and has sent samples for validations by potential clients, the sources said, adding with the new proceeds from Merry, the company will be able to ramp up its capacity for the new cells and develop other innovative cells.

Apart from investing in SYNergy, Merry has also set up a joint venture with Universal Scientific Industrial (USI), an EMS affiliate of ASE Technology, to develop miniaturized audio modules that are processed with SiP (system in package) technology.