VOLUME 9 - OCTOBER 2019
SILICON STARTUP SOLUTIONS it’s about what’s next.®
A SILICON CATALYST NEWSLETTER
A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR THE SEMICONDUCTOR STARTUP COMMUNITY
www.siliconcatalyst.com VOLUME 9 2 OCTOBER 2019 VOLUME 9 IN THIS ISSUE Lance Bell - Partner When an interview question starts out, ‘tell us what it was like to work for Steve Jobs, Andy Bechtolscheim and T.J. Rogers’ you know we’re not talking small ball. That is indeed the opening question posed to Silicon Catalyst Advisor Mark Ross in this edition of Silicon Startup Solutions. Mark is one of over 150 Advisors in Silicon Catalyst’s talent-rich pool of seasoned semiconductor veterans that proffer their advice and guidance to our startup companies. We think you’ll find the interview a worthwhile read. In April of this year, Silicon Catalyst celebrated its four year anniversary. The company that UBM/Canon named its 2015 Startup Company of the Year, has become a vital part of the semiconductor startup ecosystem having screened nearly 300 startup companies and admitted 21 Portfolio Companies.
Since our last issue, much has happened. Silicon Catalyst expanded its global reach into Israel with the appointment of Israel-based semiconductor executives Danny Biran and Moshe Zalcberg. The company joined the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) with Executive Director Shrikant Lohokare stating, “Silicon Catalyst is fueling a wave of startup innovation in the semiconductor segment that has reinvigorated the investment community’s interest and appetite for hardware.” We admitted three new Portfolio Companies - Ecosystems, Mentium, and Quadric, established a Strategic Profile Semiconductor Industry Veteran Collaboration with Silicon Valley Bank and in May held our Portfolio and Silicon Catalyst Advisor Mark Ross on his career in the Company update along with our Spring Forum Event hosted at SVB. Semiconductor industry We hope you enjoy this issue and we thank you for your support. 6 Mathworks Leading developer of mathematical computing software 8 U.S.-China Trade War IEEE Spectrum By Tekla S. Perry
10 Certus In-Kind Partner Profile
12 Bosch Ecosystem Partner Profile
14 Mark Ross An Interview with a Silicon Catalyst Advisor
18 Events
VOLUME 9 3 OCTOBER 2019 WELCOME
and pitch decks. I urge you to stop non-dilutive. Even private equity firms reading this, and go read this - http:// are getting into early stage investing. rightsidecapital.com/your-pitch-deck-is- wrong/ . Feel free to come back, though. Myth 5: VCs take a big risk when they invest in your company. Most assuredly, CHAIRMAN’S CORNER Back? Let me send you off to another this isn’t true, at least with respect to rather connected view of good decks. their own money. Roughly 99% of the RICK LAZANSKY Jean-Louis Gassée suggests three slides funds from which they invest come from limited partners; around 1% comes Co-Founder - Silicon Catalyst are all you need. You can read about serial entrepreneur them here - https://mondaynote.com/ from the venture capitalists themselves. and incubator fanatic three-slides-then-shut-up-the-art-of- Also typically, they receive 20% of the the-pitch-85221afe993a I particularly profits, if there are any, returning 80% to like the reference to monkey brains and the limited partners. More importantly, September, 2019 distraction. they also take around 2% per year Thoughts about funding of the fund size as management As a case in point, Richard Curtin fees. Compared to other investment If you’re building a company, raising remembers his visceral reaction to professionals they take more risks money is likely nowhere near the top of a startup’s impactful type 1 leading with less oversight, and perhaps less your “this is fun” list. It certainly wasn’t description – “Early breast cancer accountability (Mutual funds are valued mine, though it’s great to look back detection through saliva testing”. We’ve daily. Venture investments are realized upon the trials and tribulations, once all had those “ah, they got me right here.” after many years and relatively hard to the money is in the bank. And if you’re assess before then). building a company, by all means you Myth 2: You need a product and revenue. Myth 6: VCs offer great mentoring and should have a list of fun things you want Ok, it really does help a lot, but investors networking. Some do, many don’t. to achieve. are looking for traction as much as Talk to the CEOs in whose companies revenue. And traction is in the eyes of the they’ve invested – this is your turn to I want to address the myths, or what I beholder. For very early stage it may be in run due diligence on the VC! There are believe are myths. Some of this is my the huge number of potential customers perhaps better potential mentors and interpretation of random meetings you’ve met. For slightly later it may be advisors, and some of those same folk with VC, reading the occasional Harvard a demonstrator that you’ve engaged are often approached by VCs in their Business Review, and just talking with those potential customers with. It may pursuit of due diligence. my fellow angels and lots of startups. be numbers of users, growth in those users, all without significant revenue. Just Myth 7: The bigger the VC, the better Myth 1: All you need is a really great expect that investors will want better they’ll be for you. Definitely not! What deck. A really good deck is very helpful, deal terms the further you are from matters is that they’re at the right stage particularly the first three or so slides proving a revenue stream. in their fund, and they make the size of that get the emotional interest going, investment that makes sense for your and the rest of the deck that fill in the Myth 3: Angels are ‘easier’ investors company. Typically you’d have a lead and rest of the story. “Backup” slides can to target than VC. For early stage two or more other investors. VCs make demonstrate that you have the answers companies, this is sometimes true. There 1-3 investments per partner per year, in to investors’ questions. Andy Freeman, are more of them, and they invest in the first 2-4 years of a 10 year fund for one of our advisors, is spot on in his more startups. And angels love to learn ‘first investments’ and hold onto the rest observation that you’ve got investors new things, and are often ready to have of the capital for follow on investments in hooked in the first few slides, and all coffee and discuss whether you’re ready the later years. A very large fund needs to you can do in the rest of the deck is for funding. But they do the same due invest in a very large opportunity. lose them, so don’t. Timing, team and diligence, and since they’re investing market are also important. Presentation their own money, they are (or should be) Myth 8: With VC, you only get one shot. of the deck doesn’t lead directly to more cautious. Many venture capitalists are happy to an investment – that happens when meet and talk with you about your plans, investors are convinced, and that doesn’t Myth 4: Venture capital is the primary even before you’re ready. Just ask them to happen in 15 minutes. The purpose is source of startup funding. Less than 1% meet you for coffee and discuss your idea. to begin the conversation and the due of US companies are venture funded – diligence that leads to one. I’m a big at any stage. Angels annually invest in Try it and let me know how it works. fan of behavioral economics, and in 15x more companies. Any thorough I always feel I’m getting closer when particular of Daniel Khaneman. Kevin investment strategy should consider they’ll let me buy the second cup. Dick at Right Side Capital made the friends-and-family VC, angels and angel connection between Khaneman’s work groups, family offices, grants which are [email protected]
VOLUME 9 4 OCTOBER 2019 SILICON CATALYST ANGELS A NEW SILICON CATALYST VENTURE
Funding and Fostering the Innovations, Technologies, and Companies that will Improve our Lives
Silicon Catalyst Angels was spawned from Silicon Catalyst, the world’s only incubator focused exclusively on accelerating solutions in silicon.
What makes Silicon Catalyst Angels unique is not only our visibility into an exclusive deal flow pipeline, but our membership is comprised of seasoned semiconductor veterans who bring with them a wealth of knowledge along with their ability to invest.
Driven by passion and a desire Board members, Raul Camposano, Amos Ben-Meir & Michael Joehren to ‘give back’, our members understand the hardware startups learn from our investors growing its membership space thanks to a lifetime of how to think, how to act, and and welcomes your potential engagement in the industry. how to communicate their value involvement. When you couple our members propositions, and how to build a enthusiasm, knowledge, and company poised for business growth. For more information, visit broad network of connections Silicon Catalyst Angels is actively www.siliconcatalystangels.com with companies that have been vetted and admitted to Silicon Catalyst, you have a formula that is to date, non existent within the investment community.
Silicon Catalyst Angels provides a veritable boot camp where
VOLUME 9 5 OCTOBER 2019 MATHWORKS ECOSYSTEM PARTNER PROFILE
Leading developer of mathematical computing software
Andrew Willard, Global Leader, Startup Accelerators and Incubators
Q. PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR COMPANY AND GOALS.
A. MathWorks is the leading developer of mathematical computing software. Our primary foundation products are MATLAB® and Simulink®. Engineers and scientists worldwide rely on these product families for development in signal processing, communications, automotive, When you use MATLAB® and Simulink® together, you combine textual and graphical aerospace, electronics, renewable programming to design your system in a simulation environment. energy, biotech, and other industries. From both platforms we provide a responsibility is to expand our work Our goal is to change the world by robust API allowing users to integrate within the accelerators, provide accelerating the pace of discovery, existing work from C, C++, Python as needed engineering and business innovation, development, in engineering well as several engineering platforms support to both the programs and science. We work to provide the including CAD, FEA, CFD, and others. and the startups within. I am ultimate computing environment for MATLAB® and Simulink® provide working with commercial and technical computation, visualization, tools that autogenerate C, C++, CUDA, industry supported organizations design, simulation, and implementation. Verilog and Structured Text which such as CESMII, Silicon Catalyst, We use this environment to provide provides engineers a development Cyclotron Road, Greentown Labs, innovative solutions in a wide range of platform that is not end target specific. and ventureLab, but also university application areas. supported programs such as UC Q. PLEASE DESCRIBE SPECIFIC Berkeley’s SkyDeck, Stanford’s StartX, MATLAB®, the language of ROLE/TITLE AND BACKGROUND. and Imperial College of London’s engineers and scientists, is a White City Incubator. MathWorks programming environment for A. I am the manager of MathWorks is currently partnered with 205 algorithm development, data Accelerator & Incubator program. programs and we have supported analysis, visualization, and numeric My position is part of our Startup over 4,000 startups in the past 5 computation. Simulink® is a Business unit, a collaborative team years. block diagram environment for built of Commercial & Educational simulation and Model-Based Design Sales, Application Engineering and Prior to this role I was a Senior of multidomain and embedded our Marketing Department. Our Account Manager in our sales engineering systems. charter is to grow our engagement organization for fourteen years. within the startup community. My I managed a variety of industries
VOLUME 9 6 OCTOBER 2019 around the world. We consider be able to make our tools flexible startups full commercial customers enough that leading and bleeding and provide them an equal level of edge solutions can be linked to us. technical support we offer our largest customers. For startups, we find Q. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE ROLE and markets including ten years as many have teams based in multiple IS OF STARTUPS AND INCUBATORS the global leader in our Oil & Gas locations, so we can meet with them LIKE SILICON CATALYST? Industry. and address questions locally, it provides a better level of service. A. Large companies tend to drift to Q. WHY ARE YOU PARTNERING WITH SILICON CATALYST? Additionally, our startup support is not risk aversion as they grow, the focus linked to capitalization or fund raising. is on stable quarterly results. Risk A. We find the goals of Silicon aversion limits the investment Catalyst tightly aligned with into longer term innovation ours in supporting startups, investment. Startups, and the helping them to limit capital incubators that support them, expenses and provide them with now serve as the primary engineering support needed innovation labs. Supporting so they can succeed. Silicon accelerators, incubators and Catalyst is supporting one of startups is supporting the engineering’s most difficult creation of the next generation market spaces, hardware and Machine learning uses two types of techniques: of technology leaders. silicon-based solutions. supervised learning, which trains a model on known input and output data so that it can predict future outputs, and unsupervised learning, which finds hidden patterns or Q. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS The startups at Silicon intrinsic structures in input data. Catalyst are solving problems FOR 2019/2020 WITH our tools are adept at. The signal, Silicon Catalyst firms need millions SILICON CATALYST? mixed-signal, and communication of dollars in capitalization to get to areas are important markets market, we do not change our support A. We are looking to have deeper for MathWorks; we have a large because a firm was successful with a engagement with the portfolio development team focused on pre-seed or even a seed round. firms. We want the firms to be solving challenges in this space. Our comfortable contacting us with recent efforts include building 3GPP, Q. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED IN technical questions. We find the startup community working at the LTE, 5G and WLAN standards as well WORKING WITH SILICON CATALYST leading edge of many technologies, the development of tools for Signal AND OUR PORTFOLIO COMPANIES? Integrity. they provide us excellent guidance to what direction we need to A. We find portfolio firms are focus our development. A recent Q. WHY SHOULD COMPANIES pushing our technology to the limits PARTNER WITH MATHWORKS AND engagement with a portfolio and calling us for assistance at the SILICON CATALYST? firm has provided our HDL outer edge of the design envelope. Coder developers two areas for A. For MathWorks, we bring a global We need that perspective of the enhancement, we like that real collection of engineers and support leading edge to push us in the right world feedback and direction. teams to startups, we have resources direction. We may not be able to in all major technology centers solve every issue; but we do want to www.mathworks.com
VOLUME 9 7 OCTOBER 2019 U.S.-CHINA TRADE WAR PORTENDS PAINFUL TIMES FOR U.S. SEMI. INDUSTRY Semiconductor Industry Forum
IEEE Spectrum 06/05/19 of Pear Ventures, Kim is managing go up whether we sell to them or not.” director of Silicon Valley Bank’s Frontier Can China’s tech industry really do just By Tekla S. Perry Technology Group, and Rodriguez fine without U.S. chips? The panelists is CEO of startup incubator Silicon debated the question. Semiconductor industry mavens Catalyst. The five took the stage at in the United States anticipate Silicon Catalyst’s second industry “I think China is going to struggle with damage from U.S.-China trade policy forum, held in Santa Clara, Calif., last memory,” Hutcheson said. “In memory, and call for a national strategy for week to discuss several aspects of the the costs are in the equipment and semiconductor manufacturing trade war: the efficiencies of running the fab; only • Effects on China 5 percent of the cost is labor. That is “There is going to be a lot of pain for • IP theft going to be difficult for them, to have the semiconductor industry before it • Immigration policy to get materials and equipment from normalizes,” says Dan Hutcheson. • A call for a national strategy around world.” • Missing investment dollars “It’s a mess, and it’s going to get a lot • Effects on China French disagreed. “If we take a policy worse before it gets of not selling the best better,” says David stuff to China,” he French. said, “if they are forced to use their own “If we aren’t going [technology], they will, to sell them chips, it even if it’s a little bit is not going to take worse.” them long [to catch up to us]; it is going “Maybe they can to hurt us,” says Mar be competitive in Hershenson. China where they are protected,” Hutcheson French, Hutcheson, countered, “but they and Hershenson, won’t be able to sell along with Ann Kim outside China.” and Pete Rodriguez, were discussing the Moderator Pete Rodriguez, with panelists Ann Kim, David French, That won’t matter, U.S.-China trade Mar Hershenson, Dan Hutcheson (l to r) Kim indicated. “If you war that escalated are the dominant last month when the United States player in China, you are already doing placed communications behemoth Tight trade policies, these good.” Huawei on a trade blacklist. All five semiconductor industry veterans are semiconductor industry veterans expect, will hurt the U.S. industry On IP theft and investors: French is currently more than China. “The consumption of semiconductors in China is 40 to chairman of Silicon Power Technology; But what about all that theft of 50 percent” of the world supply, said Hutcheson is CEO of VLSI Research; intellectual property, Rodriguez asked Hershenson is managing partner French. “And that number is going to
VOLUME 9 8 OCTOBER 2019 the group. Shouldn’t China be punished? A member of the audience of about The missing investment dollars 150 asked for a show of hands from “IP theft is a big emotional issue, and those attendees who weren’t born in Building semiconductor foundries is not there is legitimacy to the issue,” French the United States. The vast majority of cheap, several attendees pointed out. said. “But I don’t think China has people raised a hand. “Companies can’t do it because payback cornered the market on IP theft. I don’t analysis fails,” French said. “And you think they are the best at it or the most A call for a national strategy can’t do it with venture capital.” prolific.” So what should the United States do, “Hardware companies have started “If there were people from 19th century besides back down on restrictions on avoiding using the word hardware. Britain,” he mused, “they would say the trade with China and be more open to They are just saying it’s a form factor same thing about Americans.” skilled immigrants? that collects data.” —Ann Kim, Silicon Valley Bank In any case, it’s a short-term problem. “I believe we should have a national While the venture capital model When China’s home-grown intellectual strategy on semiconductors,” said doesn’t make sense for semiconductor property “gets to a significant level— French. “And I believe we should foundries, Hershenson pointed out and it will—China will become more invest as a country, through the that a lot of semiconductor innovation about the protection of IP than government, in advanced technology on other fronts has been funded by acquisition,” French said, reminding for manufacturing semiconductors.” startups and venture capital. the audience that Japanese tech companies followed a similar path. “If we focus as a country on being “But,” she said, “there’s been a drought number one in semiconductor of it in the last 15 years. It used to be, Hutcheson pointed further back manufacturing,” he continued, “we could you went to any Sand Hill [venture] in history. “Europeans today are do that for a small percentage of our firm and they had someone who knew competitive even though we stole military defense budget. I truly believe something about semiconductors; all their tech in the 19th century,” he that we need to continue to be a leader now, most megafirms don’t. So, how said. “We all love German cars, we buy in semiconductors if we want to be the do we support innovation?” European products.” leading economy in the world.” “I can start a software company at On immigration policy Rodriguez pointed out that a set of Starbucks,” she said. “I can’t do a custom government policy recommendations microprocessor without money.” Restrictive immigration policies are also released in April by the Semiconductor hurting the semiconductor industry, Industry Association talked about 5G, Maybe, the panelists suggested, the panelists indicated, particularly AI, and quantum computing, but not the industry needs to do better at in an era in which U.S. students are about a national strategy to support marketing itself, making itself as cool tending to ignore electrical engineering semiconductor manufacturing. as it was back in the days of the space and other hardware-oriented fields in That, he indicated, was a significant race. Just how to do that, however, is favor of computer science programs. oversight. not clear—nor will it be easy.
“The immigration problem is real,” said Some audience members There’s such a bias against hardware Hershenson. “When I did my graduate countered that various arms of these days, Kim pointed out, that research, 70 percent of the students in the U.S. government do invest in “hardware companies have started my group were from Iran; for the last semiconductor companies, but others avoiding using the word hardware. couple of years, Iranians can’t even pointed out that these initiatives, for They are just saying it’s a form factor come to the country.” the most part, come out of defense- that collects data.” related entities. Said one, “That’s all well Hutcheson agreed: “That’s the and good, but the defense department https://spectrum.ieee.org/view-from- American strength, bringing those has a different economic model than the-valley/semiconductors/processors/ people in. The diversity of our industry commercial industry.” china-trade-war-portends-period-of- makes us strong, brings new ideas, pain-for-semiconductor-industry [and] radical thinking.”
VOLUME 9 9 OCTOBER 2019 CERTUS SEMICONDUCTOR IN-KIND PARTNER PROFILE
Custom IO and ESD Solutions
Certus Semiconductor provides a sleep; by ensuring power sequence SPECIALTY IO SOLUTIONS unique niche to the semiconductor independence with built-in power- industry by providing custom IO on-reset control; and by enabling Specialty IO solutions are our strength. solutions. Certus Semiconductor fail-safe modes for when power- We hold 3.3V-5V digital & analog transforms the traditional concept downs occur. solutions in native 1.8V processes. We of IO and ESD Libraries and IP by offer >20V switches in standard low- providing specifically targeted IO ROBUST ESD voltage CMOS technology, allowing solutions to align with the needs of PERFORMANCE for their direct integration with the customer and their product goals high-voltage analog, sensors, RF and and target markets. Robust ESD performance is MEMS solutions. Our full-custom RF challenging for many companies and analog libraries target robustness, PERFORMANCE making new designs. Certus was noise, distortion, low-capacitance, founded by ESD and our results increased ESD, and more. We even Performance is addressed by our speak for themselves. Not only do we have TSV (through-silicon-via) IOs. multi-protocol GPIO that can support address standard ESD requirements Whatever your application requires, a variety of standards with extended such as HBM and CDM, but we we can probably make it! specs across multiple voltages, also provide on-chip solutions for features, and interfaces, including standards such as system-level IEC our specialized high-speed die-to-die 6100-24-2 and Cable Discharge interface solutions. Events (CDE). Many of our standard IO designs exceed 2KV IEC. Certus AREA also supports solutions for EOS.
Area is optimized by stripping CLOSE CLIENT away unnecessary features and by RELATIONSHIPS our proprietary ESD architectures, delivering better ESD performance Certus works closely with our in a smaller footprint. Additionally, clients to provide custom solutions our solutions can support multiple affordably and with fast turnaround. protocols on a single efficient design, By leveraging our large IP database THE INTERNET OF THINGS reducing pin count requirements. spanning geometries from 180nm to 12nm and applications from The Internet of Things (IoT) is low-voltage CMOS to HV, we likely POWER transforming the silicon industry have a starting point from which from a traditional scaling path to a we can affordably create the Power is optimized by offering diverse ecosystem with applications variations you need. Our building- IOs that can operate at different spanning a range of technologies, block design style easily enables voltages selectable by the system; performance, power and area. By us to create configurations to fit a by creating dedicated IOs tailored using generic IO solutions you are variety of cell sizes, aspect-ratios, pad for low-power operation; by offering likely leaving something on the table. arrangements, and packages sleep modes, latching data during
VOLUME 9 10 OCTOBER 2019 CERTUS SEMICONDUCTOR IN-KIND PARTNER PROFILE
CONNECTING Stephen Fairbanks, has worked 10 semiconductor companies) in the semiconductor industry and on 350+ products. Stephen Connecting handheld devices, for 21 years. At Intel Corporation, helped develop ESD process homes, cars, appliances, and he led the development of ESD design rules, ESD libraries, and items yet to be imagined requires and I/O libraries for what was or I/O libraries in all major nodes a diverse range of IP, optimized then Intel’s wireless, cellular, and including 0.5um, 0.25um, 0.18um, across different points of the power- mobile computing groups. Stephen 0.13um, 90nm, 65/55nm, 45/40nm, performance-area spectrum, as well also lead the development of I/O 32nm, 28nm, 22nm, 16nm, 12nm as IP that can span into specialty and ESD used on the initial and and 7nm processes. Stephen is technologies such as HV and MEMS. many subsequent generations also familiar with several specialty Custom IO & ESD solutions are of the wireless components (MAC processes including: HV BiCMOS, inherently optimized for your desired basebands and RF Front Ends) for Flash memory, FD-SOI, SiGe, SOI, application. the Intel Centrino chipsets. In 2006, SOS, and InP. Since 2009, Stephen he founded SRF Technologies as has personally led the Certus ABOUT CERTUS an ESD and IO Consultant; since Semiconductor design teams on 20 then, he has worked with over 93 fully custom Certus IO Libraries. The founder and Chief Technology companies in the semiconductor Officer of Certus Semiconductor, industry (including 6 of the top https://certus-semi.com
28NM IO LIBRARY DATASHEET GPIO BLOCK DIAGRAM
GPIO Features: • Multi-voltage 1.8V / 3.3V switchable operation • 25MHz, 75MHz, & 150MHz GPIO speed options • Full-speed output enable • Independent power sequencing • Shorted output protection • Schmitt Trigger receiver • 60KΩ selectable pull-up or pull-down resistor • ESD: 2KV HBM, 500V CDM3, 2KV IEC 61000-4-24 • Silicon-proven
VOLUME 9 11 OCTOBER 2019 BOSCH ECOSYSTEM PARTNER PROFILE Bosch helps to cultivate start-up technology for future IoT microchips
As new mobility, sensors early stage, innovative startups unsung hero - semiconductors. and IoT electronics bring focused on creating higher They are vital core components of new demands, Bosch is performing, intelligent and power- all electronic and sensor systems. partnering to develop efficient solutions in silicon, targeting In the vehicle, semiconductors more innovative and future mobility, sensing and IoT empower automation, connectivity impactful semiconductor- applications. and electrification advancements. In IoT, semiconductors improve the centric solutions “We are extremely pleased to consumer experience for connected be working with Bosch, as they devices by enabling longer battery life. To foster semiconductor-centric are an industry leader bringing innovations, Bosch is now a strategic together comprehensive expertise Bosch has been developing and ecosystem partner with Silicon in vehicle technology and offering manufacturing semiconductors Catalyst, the world’s only incubator complete mobility solutions that for more than 45 years. The focused exclusively on accelerating include hardware, software and supplier of technology and services solutions for semiconductor startups. services,” said Pete Rodriguez, CEO is responsible for numerous of Silicon Catalyst. “The number innovations in semiconductors. Bosch has been developing and of connected vehicles on the road This includes inventing the deep manufacturing semiconductors for is greatly increasing, creating reactive-ion etching (DRIE) process, more than 45 years. unique opportunities for innovation, now more commonly known especially for semiconductor worldwide as the “Bosch process.” Automation, connectivity and solutions.” Bosch has nurtured its expertise electrification are fueling growth in since, continuously improving its automotive semiconductors. The Silicon Catalyst ecosystem manufacturing process performance includes industry-leading companies to become the undisputed leader Bosch is building a 300mm wafer-fab as In-Kind Partners, expert advisors today in microelectromechanical in Dresden (Germany) to strengthen and investors specialized in systems (MEMS) sensors design and its leadership. semiconductors. The focus is guiding production. advancements in silicon from idea to Plymouth, Mich. and Silicon Valley prototype to product. Already more “Bosch is the only company equally – In order to facilitate innovation and than 300 startup companies have at home in the automotive and bring its expertise in semiconductor engaged with Silicon Catalyst since semiconductor industries,” said manufacturing and validation, Bosch April 2015. Tim Frasier, regional president of has become a strategic ecosystem Automotive Electronics for Bosch partner with Silicon Catalyst, a global Semiconductors – the heart of IoT in North America. “We have an start-up incubator headquartered in and mobility unrivaled track record for deploying Silicon Valley focused exclusively on holistic automotive-grade solutions semiconductor-centric innovations At the heart of new mobility, IoT and applying our knowledge across and solutions. Through this and sensing technologies is an adjacent markets.” collaboration, Bosch engages with
VOLUME 9 12 OCTOBER 2019 Going beyond Moore’s Law with engineering and manufacturing its a smooth road surface. The ESP more intelligent and power-efficient semiconductors. In fact, every vehicle electronic stability program uses this silicon solutions newly registered worldwide in 2016 information to keep cars, trucks, and had an average of more than nine even motorcycles safely on track and In order to support a sustainable Bosch chips on board. in their lanes. growth of semiconductor applications into the future, technology node For automotive use in particular, Beyond automotive – advancements are no longer semiconductors must be able to semiconductors as a key enabler for sufficient. In fact, the physical limit is withstand stresses such as strong IoT and consumer applications being reached and semiconductors vibrations and extreme temperatures can no longer just get smaller. The for a vehicle’s entire lifetime. Bosch semiconductors have semiconductor must become more Bosch uniquely understands the applications that extend far beyond intelligent and efficient. higher standards for development the world of vehicles. Bosch MEMS- of automotive applications. It is based sensors can be found in more “Our rich history in semiconductors especially about understanding the than half the world’s smartphones, makes Bosch an ideal business physical principles at work. and are indispensable for fitness partner that can help to materialize trackers, drones, game consoles, and industrialize new ideas for Bosch’s current semiconductor and smart home applications. When those technologies,” Frasier said. portfolio focuses on it comes to MEMS sensors, Bosch “The pace of innovation especially in microelectromechanical systems is both a pioneer and the world’s mobility and IoT applications can’t be (MEMS), application-specific leading manufacturer. tackled single-handedly. A dedicated integrated circuits (ASICs), and power and strong ecosystem for the semiconductors and modules. One billion euros for one of the most development of new semiconductor Demand for higher functional advanced wafer fabs solutions is what we sought and integration will ensure more found with Silicon Catalyst.” semiconductors with increasingly Bosch is underpinning its growth complex features. strategy for semiconductors with Standard bearer for semiconductors the single largest investment in the in automotive Power semiconductors and modules company’s history: it is putting some are for instance at the heart of every one billion euros into a new wafer fab Within the global semiconductor hybrid or electric vehicle to transfer in Dresden. Following a rollout phase, market, applications for mobility power from the battery to the electrical pilot manufacturing operations are set to increase, driven by motors. Looking ahead, silicon are expected to start at the end of advancements in automation, carbide (SiC) power switches open 2021. Up to 700 associates will be electrification and connectivity. The new technical opportunities for better involved in the highly automated global automotive semiconductor performance and greater range for manufacturing process, working market was nearly $35 billion in 2017 electric vehicles to plan, manage, and monitor and is expected to grow at more than production. After Reutlingen, the eight percent per year from 2018 ASICs are integrated circuits tailored to Dresden plant will be Bosch’s until 2027, according to Research & a particular application thus enabling second wafer fab in Germany. With Markets. By 2027, the market will be high functional integration and highly it, the company aims to expand its worth nearly $77 billion globally. optimized performance vs. costs. manufacturing capacity, and thus to further boost its competitive edge in Bosch has been applying its Bosch MEMS are the sensory organs global markets. semiconductor expertise to of modern vehicles. They supply vehicles since the 1970’s, resulting a vehicle’s ECUs with important Additional information: in numerous smart applications information regarding its handling, for vehicles. Bosch holds over 1,500 such as if the vehicle is braking or www.bosch-semiconductors.com patents and patent applications for accelerating, or if it is skidding on
VOLUME 9 13 OCTOBER 2019 SILICON CATALYST ADVISOR PROFILE Interview with Mark Ross
Q. YOU WORKED FOR AND IN by a friend at PARC who went to COMPANIES RUN BY SOME OF THE NeXT and there I was hired by another LUMINARIES IN SILICON VALLEY Silicon Catalyst Advisor, Rich Page. INCLUDING STEVE JOBS, ANDY The experience at NeXT set the stage BECHTOLSHEIM, AND TJ RODGERS. in multiple ways for my subsequent WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? career. Rich might not remember it, but he told me that building computers A. I have had the privilege to work with was a “social problem, not a technical and for incredible people throughout my problem” and that prompted me to career. The ones you list are obviously look beyond technology into sociology brilliant, similar in that they push you and psychology as important factors to do more than you think possible, in achieving success. At NeXT, I built and completely different in how they the greatest computer you’ve never approach people and business. heard of. Today, it sits as a monitor stand (yes, really), reminding me what Steve was a visionary product person MARK ROSS happens when you do everything right who pushed to include technology technically but fail in either of two other that was 5+ years ahead of what was PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT critical areas: marketing and most possible. He assembled incredibly MANAGEMENT importantly, sales. That computer, the talented teams and was able to unite us NeXT RISC Workstation (NRW), had ARCHITECTURE behind a “we are the best” and “we are user level device drivers, was the first changing the world” philosophy. computer to boot Unix on a PowerPC PC’S. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR processor, and had the most efficient Andy is a consummate engineer, BACKGROUND AND DON’T BE SHY? IO system of any workstation built capable of distilling a collection of data during this time. When we shut down into a cohesive architecture. He is also A. I started my career in 1984 after hardware at NeXT, I interviewed at an insightful investor. finishing my Bachelor’s and Master’s only one company, our arch rival, Sun degrees and passing the PhD qualifying TJ is a renaissance man who can span Microsystems, because I wanted to exam at Stanford. I wanted to “stop device physics, chemistry, business, and exorcise my demons for not achieving out” for a year before pursuing my politics and who pushed me to raise my commercial success. There, I led the PhD studies - that has turned out thinking more than any other boss. first three Ultra-SPARC workstation to be the longest year of my life! My projects, all of which were commercially Being around them all made me first company was a startup, Weitek, successful. a better engineer, businessman, designing full custom chips. I designed manager, and thinker. the first commercial CMOS multiplier While no longer building full custom and multiplier accumulator chips; most chips, ASICs were a critical part of this Q. YOU HAVE ENJOYED A students don’t realize that a 16 by 16 phase of my career. I did architecture, DISTINGUISHED CAREER IN THE multiplier was an entire chip back then. logic design, verification, and tool SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY. AS building throughout this period. I A SILICON CATALYST ADVISOR, I went to Xerox PARC after an issue with learned how to lead teams and moved YOU ARE ONE OF THE OVER 150 a Bell 202 modem paused my next chip up the management ladder. I joined SEASONED VETERANS SERVING for more than a year and I didn’t want to Granite systems, moving my focus TO HELP GUIDE AND ADVISE THE become a full time manager - I wanted from computers to networking where SILICON CATALYST STARTUPS WHICH to remain a technical contributor. In I built the first gigabit ethernet NIC, WE CALL PORTFOLIO COMPANIES OR 1989, I was encouraged to join NeXT the world’s first multi-channelgigabit
VOLUME 9 14 OCTOBER 2019 Many of the companies that apply to Silicon Catalyst have good ideas and they need help shaping those ideas into success. They also don’t always appreciate that the things you don’t know will often get you into trouble - a great technical idea won’t always lead to success. ethernet switch, and created a memory and the portable equipment used by is itself a reason to become involved. It technology that would generate Sirius Satellite Radio. That company was is filled with brilliant, successful people hundreds of millions of dollars per year sold to Dell where I remained through who are fun to be around. in revenue: the TCAM. TCAM stands for 2009. After a year, I co-founded another Ternary Content Addressable Memory startup, Striiv, building wearable fitness Q. YOU TRULY ARE AN ASSET TO and was widely used in processors for monitors. Our goal was to use personal BOTH SILICON CATALYST AND ITS Translation Lookaside Buffers. Unlike informatics plus behavior change to PORTFOLIO COMPANIES. PLEASE traditional memory where you provide positively effect peoples’ lives. Most TELL OUR READERS WHAT A SILICON an address and get the data at that of the major chip companies we used CATALYST ADVISOR DOES. address, a TCAM does a parallel lookup asked for advice on upcoming chips A. Advisors are a source of knowledge, of all possible values and returns the so advising chip companies has been experience, and intuition about what address of any matching entry if there ongoing for some time. works and what doesn’t work in building is one. The “ternary” part means that great companies. We listen, encourage, for any bit being compared, a check I left Striiv in early 2018 and have been advise, and sometimes roll up our may be made for “0”, “1”, or “X” meaning working on “what’s next” since then. I sleeves and do work to help startups “don’t care”. TCAMs were known in came across Silicon Catalyst because succeed. Many of the companies that networking but considered too large another advisor knows Pete Rodriguez apply to Silicon Catalyst have good ideas and slow to work. I worked with an and suggested that a conversation might and they need help shaping those ideas outside startup to prove this wrong. be worth both our times. That lunch was the start of my involvement with into success. They also don’t always Granite was purchased by Cisco as Silicon Catalyst. I’m grateful to have met appreciate that the things you don’t their 13th acquisition and I stayed at Pete, the Silicon Catalyst Team, and the know will often get you into trouble - a Cisco through 2001. After leaving, I was advisors who make up the ecosystem. great technical idea won’t always lead consulting and worked with one of to success. I learned this painfully with the early TCAM startups that had been Q. WHAT ARE YOUR INTERESTS my NeXT experience. Also, relating to acquired by Cypress. After that year, OUTSIDE OF SEMICONDUCTORS. that, Rich Page’s comment about “social Cypress made me an offer I couldn’t problems” in addition to “technical A. Photography, travel, art, and refuse: join as their CTO working for TJ problems” makes me constantly think humpback whales. If you like Rodgers. That experience was one of about the people, relationships, and humpback whales, book a trip to Tonga the best of my career. Cypress values leadership required for success. and go swimming with them. I just learning, multi-disciplinary thinking, came back from a trip to Tonga and it is Q. ARE YOU CURRENTLY ENGAGED and results. I have never worked for an experience you’ll never forget. WITH ANY OF OUR STARTUPS? IF SO, anyone who encouraged me to raise WHO AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING my thinking the way that TJ did. Q. AT SILICON CATALYST, WE FOR THEM. MARVEL AT THE TALENT THAT LIES I left Cypress in 2005 to co-found a WITHIN OUR ADVISOR ECOSYSTEM. A. Yes, I’m currently involved with one startup working with someone I’d WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO BECOME Silicon Catalyst Startup: Mentium. I known back in my NeXT days. I had AN ADVISOR? am playing multiple roles right now always built chips and systems that used including making key introductions, chips and this was a further push up I joined because I believe in the A. advising on system architecture, the stack into systems companies. We mission of helping and recognize the company and product goals, and even built connected music players similar difficulty most semiconductor startups writing code. While perhaps not typical to what later became the iPod Touch face. Additionally, the advisor network of all advisors, I find that sometimes
VOLUME 9 15 OCTOBER 2019 there is no substitute for being able A TWO PART QUESTION. WHERE to fill gaps and push you to be better in to quickly prototype an idea to show DO YOU SEE SILICON CATALYST your core areas of strength. what can be done. I’m also working FITTING INTO THE SEMICONDUCTOR n Competitors - hopefully you have some with another company that will apply STARTUP ECOSYSTEM AND WHAT DO and you need to know what they are to Silicon Catalyst in the near future YOU THINK OF THE QUALITY OF THE capable of doing. Make sure you consider and worked with another that chose to STARTUPS WE HAVE ADMITTED? where they will be, not where they are become an In-Kind Partner. when understanding your advantages. A. Silicon Catalyst is completely unique Q. MANY OF OUR READERS ARE in its outlook, its ability to bring so Q. WHAT IS THE BEST SINGLE PIECE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE LEVEL many In-Kind Partners, and its advisor OF ADVICE YOU WOULD LIKE SOMEONE OF ENGAGEMENT SOME OF OUR network. Also, unlike traditional VCs, TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS INTERVIEW? ADVISORS HAVE WITH OUR Silicon Catalyst seems to do more STARTUPS. YOU ARE AWARE THAT directly and through the advisor A. Focus on time to revenue. It is a single JOHN EAST WENT FROM SILICON network to help companies succeed. I thought that will encourage you to CATALYST ADVISOR TO BOARD am pleased with the level of companies n identify, cultivate, and satisfy your MEMBER AT SPARK, A SILICON that have been admitted and having customers CATALYST PORTFOLIO COMPANY. been a part of multiple screening n build a product not just a technology IS THERE ANY COMPENSATION YOU sessions can attest that the quality of n build the team to realize this vision. RECEIVE FROM A STARTUP AS AN applicants has reached a very high level. Q. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE? ADVISOR? Q. WHAT ARE THE FIVE MOST A. I have several but let me pick one: I did realize that about John East IMPORTANT THINGS A STARTUP A. Gattaca. Interesting insights, dystopian and it just goes to show the advisor NEEDS TO FOCUS ON IN THE SEED future, unlikely hero, and most of all, network has value on so many levels. STAGE? perseverance in spite of everything. Most but not all Silicon Catalyst Don’t save anything for the swim back! companies are cash strapped when A. If you don’t understand the reference, they apply, so mostly the compensation n Time to revenue - you need a plan for watch the movie. is in the form of equity. It has the added this even at the seed stage. n The team - make sure they have a benefit of aligning goals since the Q. WHERE’S THE BEST VACATION shared vision; great people without a payout comes when the company is SPOT IN THE WORLD FROM YOUR shared vision won’t perform at optimal successful. PERSPECTIVE? efficiency and rarely work out. Q. AS YOU KNOW, SINCE ITS n Demonstrating the core value of the A. Any place with culture, history, and INCEPTION IN 2015, SILICON business idea. photography opportunities galore. CATALYST HAS SCREENED NEARLY n Adding advisors, partners, or board Japan and Portugal are two great 300 STARTUP COMPANIES. THIS IS members who can augment your team examples.
SILICON CATALYST ADVISOR MEETING
VOLUME 9 16 OCTOBER 2019 SILICON CATALYST ANGELS LAUNCH EVENT
SEMICONDUCTOR FORUM SPRING 2019
SPRING 2019 PORTFOLIO UPDATE
VENTURE UNIVERSITY FRONTIERTECH INVESTING SPRING 2019
VC PC PITCH
VOLUME 9 17 OCTOBER 2019 EVENTS
OCT. 22 - 24, 2019 DEC. 11 - 13, 2019 MEMS & SENSORS SEMICON JAPAN 2019 EXECUTIVE CONGRESS - Tokyo, Japan MSEC 2019 San Diego, California, United States
OCT. 22 - 24, 2019 JAN. 7 - 10, 2020 MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS CES LAS VEGAS Los Angeles, California, United States 20 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
OCT. 28, 2019 SILICON CATALYST ANGELS FEB. 5 - 7, 2020 MEMBER MEETING 19 SEMICON KOREA 2020 COEX, Seoul, South Korea
NOV. 12 - 15, 2019 FEB. 16 - 20 2020 SEMICON EUROPA 2019 INTERNATIONAL Munich, Germany SOLID-STATE CIRCUITS CONFERENCE 2020 20 San Francisco, California, United States DEC. 7 - 11, 2019 IEEE INTERNATIONAL FEB. 24 - 27 2020 ELECTRON DEVICES MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS MEETING 20 BARCELONA 2020 San Francisco, California, United States Barcelona, Spain
VOLUME 9 18 OCTOBER 2019 Silicon Valley Bank and Silicon Catalyst Establish Strategic Collaboration Relationship will enable business growth for startups and early-stage semiconductor companies
Santa Clara, CA., May 30, 2019 - Silicon Catalyst, the world’s only incubator focused exclusively on accelerating solutions in silicon, and Silicon Valley Bank (NASDAQ: SIVB), the bank of the world’s most innovative companies and their investors, announced the establishment of a strategic collaboration for startups and emerging companies in the semiconductor industry.
The collaboration spans multiple levels of involvement between the two companies, as SVB has become the preferred banking partner offered to Silicon Catalyst’s Portfolio companies. The relationship includes the introduction of startup companies in the Incubator to SVB, working with their innovation centers around the world. Incubating companies will also have access to the “Startup Bundle” of services from SVB. Additionally, SVB will be hosting events at their offices in Silicon Valley and their other facilities in high-tech regions of the semiconductor industry to provide the semiconductor ecosystem with valuable insights, observations and solutions from thought leaders in the industry.
“SVB has helped countless semiconductor startups grow over the past three decades, and our collaboration with Silicon Catalyst will help us continue to do so. Silicon Catalyst and SVB are aligned in our vision to support businesses that invent the future,” said Joseph Restagno, Managing Director, Silicon Valley Bank.
“We welcome Silicon Valley Bank as our preferred banking partner for the companies in our Incubator,” stated Pete Rodriguez, CEO of Silicon Catalyst. “Our Incubating companies have access to world-class advisors, design tools, semiconductor manufacturers, funding sources and marketing acumen needed to successfully launch and grow their businesses. Now, with the addition of SVB, these companies can leverage our relationship with a global banking powerhouse whose rich tradition of enabling innovative companies is without parallel.”
About Silicon Valley Bank
For more than 35 years, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has helped innovative companies and their investors move bold ideas forward, fast. SVB provides targeted financial services and expertise through its offices in innovation centers around the world. With commercial, international and private banking services, SVB helps address the unique needs of innovators. Learn more at svb.com.
SVB Financial Group is the holding company for all business units and groups©2019 SVB Financial Group. All rights reserved. SVB, SVB FINANCIAL GROUP, SILICON VALLEY BANK, SVB LEERINK, MAKE NEXT HAPPEN NOW and the chevron device are trademarks of SVB Financial Group, used under license. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of the FDIC and the Federal Reserve System. Silicon Valley Bank is the California bank subsidiary of SVB Financial Group.
VOLUME 9 19 OCTOBER 2019 Silicon Catalyst Announces Three Newly Admitted Startups to Semiconductor Incubator: EcoCircuits, Mentium and Quadric
Silicon Valley, CA - July 31, 2019 - Silicon Catalyst. “In addition to the fact that we’ve these issues and the ACM solution Catalyst, the world’s only incubator now crossed the 20 company threshold has demonstrated superb resilience focused exclusively on solutions in silicon, of incubating companies, we’ve now to temperature and device variations, announces the admission of three early- also achieved two significant company delivering extremely fast and efficient stage companies into the semiconductor milestones; our first European-based AI computation. Further company industry’s highly acclaimed incubation company, EcoCircuits,and although information can be found at program. The three companies include Silicon Catalyst has had several portfolio www.mentium.tech two at seed-stage and Silicon Catalyst’s companies enter our incubator as seed- first post-Series A company: stage startups and exit our program with significant Series A funding, Quadric is the • EcoCircuits BV (seed stage) based first post Series A company admitted to in Nijmegen, Netherlands Smart and our incubator.” efficient power management solutions New Portfolio Companies in the Incubator: • Mentium Technologies (seed stage) based in Santa Barbara, California Analog Quadric - Burlingame, California: in-memory computation for AI Veerbhan Kheterpal, CEO and co-founder
• Quadric (post Series A) based in Quadric is building the industry’s only Burlingame, California Edge processors for EcoCircuits BV - Nijmegen, Netherlands: end-to-end architecture optimized real-time AI Bert de Koning, CEO and co-founder for real-time edge computing. The company’s product family can be Silicon Catalyst uniquely provides EcoCircuits has developed patented incorporated into a wide range of startups with goods and services from Power Management chip technology products that require instantaneous a comprehensive network of In-Kind that enables a significant increase of processing of real-world data streams Partners (IKPs) to dramatically reduce battery lifetime for wireless IoT devices. with maximum speed with minimal the cost of chip development. Now in The EcoCircuits Battery Booster chip power requirements. The company its fifth year of operation, Silicon Catalyst offers an innovative solution to improve sells single-board supercomputers that has reviewed close to 300 early-stage the tradeoff between operating lifetime are plug-and-play compatible with a companies and has admitted a total and power burst requirements for broad range of after-market sensors. of 21 startups into the incubator. These wireless transmission applications, Quadric has a raised $15M to date. Their Portfolio Companies can utilize tools and resulting in higher reliability, longer Series A was led by Denso, the tier 1 services from a variety of Silicon Catalyst’s lifetime and smaller battery size. The automotive company, who will also be In-Kind Partners (IKP) design and test Battery Booster solution enables lower one of Quadric’s customers for all levels of vendors, as well as access to shuttle / overall cost and delivers a breakthrough autonomous driving solutions. Other key MPW runs with TSMC foundry services. in miniaturization. Further company investors include Leawood VC, Pear VC, Companies accepted into the incubator information can be found at www. Uncork Capital, SV Angel, Cota Capital, have 24 months of free or significantly ecocircuits.com and Trucks Venture Capital. discounted access to these IKP’s tools and services during the incubation period. “As the earliest investor in Quadric, we The startups can tap into the rapidly invested in the company because of expanding Silicon Catalyst network of the massive market opportunity for Advisors and investors. Additionally, edge computing and the technical incubating companies can work with the Mentium Technologies - Santa Barbara, talent of the co-founders,” said Mar newly established Silicon Catalyst Angels California: Mirko Prezioso, CEO and co- Hershenson, Managing Partner at Pear group to assist in funding their business founder VC. “The team is experienced with growth. developing and shipping sophisticated The company’s Analog Computing processing technology with limited “It’s with great pleasure that we welcome Memory (ACM) is based on Non- start-up resources. In just two years they these three, exciting early-stage Volatile Memory devices used to carry have gone from zero to early system companies into our incubator, as they out analog in-memory computation prototypes. Joining with Silicon Catalyst are developing leading edge solutions for AI / neural networks, eliminating and their extensive network of ecosystem spanning the edge computing, artificial the memory transfer bottleneck and partners will further enhance Quadric’s intelligence and power management exploiting the inherent efficiency of business growth opportunities.” segments. Their innovative products are analog computation. Analog computing poised to significantly improve overall has previously suffered from technical More information can be found at performance and cost-effectiveness limitation of dealing with variations www.quadric.io across many industries and applications,” and noise, leading to low precision stated Pete Rodriguez, CEO of Silicon computation. Mentium has solved
VOLUME 9 20 OCTOBER 2019 Silicon Catalyst Expands Activities to Israel Incubator for Semiconductor startups expands to key region for innovation
Santa Clara, California and Tel Aviv, Danny Biran Rodriguez, CEO of Silicon Catalyst. “We Israel, September 3, 2019 - Silicon believe that the value Silicon Catalyst Catalyst, the world’s only incubator Previously a and its partners offer to startups, along focused exclusively on accelerating Senior Vice with the local support by Danny and solutions in silicon, today announced President of Altera Moshe, will help more entrepreneurs the appointment of Israel-based Corporation until overcome the challenges of getting semiconductor executives Danny its acquisition early funding for semiconductor Biran and Moshe Zalcberg to its by Intel in 2016 and before that companies.” advisory team to support semiconductor held senior leadership positions at startups in the country. Silverback Systems, LSI Logic and Dov Moran, the Managing Partner National Semiconductor. In addition, of Grove Ventures and one of Israel’s Silicon Catalyst uniquely provides he served as VP, International Division most prominent hi-tech leaders, startups with goods and services of the Israel Innovation Authority and entrepreneurs and investors, add: “as from a comprehensive network as a member of the board of directors Israel excels in semiconductors, I am of In-Kind Partners (IKPs) to of the Global Semiconductor Alliance happy to see Silicon Catalyst’s activities dramatically reduce the cost of (GSA). expanding to Israel, helping startups chip development. Now in its fifth reach the prototype stage earlier. year of operation, Silicon Catalyst Moshe Zalcberg Partnerships with foundries and has reviewed close to 300 early- design tool vendors are crucial to such stage companies and has now With more startups, and any activity that enables admitted a total of 21 startups than 20 years of better access to these elements is into the incubator. These Portfolio experience in the blessed. I hope Silicon Catalyst will Companies utilize In-Kind Partner semiconductor help us see, in the coming years, more (IKP) goods and services including and design and more start-ups in this area, striving design tools, simulation software, automation industries, Moshe is to create additional success stories like design services, foundry PDK access currently CEO of Veriest Solutions, a Mobileye, Mellanox and M-Systems.” and TSMC CyberShuttle® runs, test leading design engineering services program development and tester company. He has previously served Meet-and-Greet at the SiFive Seminar access. Companies accepted into the as General Manager Israel and world- incubator have 2 years of no-cost or wide VP of Business Development Silicon Catalyst will be participating significantly discounted access to with Presto Engineering. Moshe also at the upcoming SiFive Tech these IKP goods and services during spent over 12 years at Cadence Design Symposium on Thursday September the incubation period. Additionally, Systems, in roles that included General 5th at the Daniel Hotel Herzliya, with the startups can tap into the world- Manager, Israel and Head of European a presentation by Danny Biran during class Silicon Catalyst network of Professional Services. the morning session. Both Danny Advisors and investors. and Moshe will be available to meet “Israel is a hotbed of innovation and with attendees to provide information The new Israel-based advisors bring has an impressive track record of about the newly launched operations extensive semiconductor industry creating successful semiconductor in Israel. More details about the event experience and business success to start-ups. It is only natural that as can be found at: local entrepreneurs and early stage Silicon Catalyst expands internationally https://sifivetechsymposium.com/ companies. we want to focus on Israel,” stated Pete agenda-israel/
VOLUME 9 21 OCTOBER 2019 VOLUME 9 22 OCTOBER 2019 VOLUME 9 23 OCTOBER 2019 About Us
Silicon Catalyst is the world’s only incubator focused exclusively on accelerating solutions in silicon. We address the challenges faced by these startups while guiding them from idea to prototype, and then to product. Close to 300 startup companies have engaged with Silicon Catalyst since April 2015, and we have admitted 21 exciting companies.
Silicon Catalyst exists to help semiconductor startups succeed. We have created a growing ecosystem of In-Kind partners, industry-leading companies, expert advisors, investors, leading universities and industry organizations such as the Global Semiconductor Alliance and SEMI, which enables our startups to form deep relationships with people that provide value to their long-term success.
We provide the startups we incubate with several millions of dollars worth of goods and services from our network of industry-leading In-Kind partners to dramatically reduce the cost of development. These goods and services include EDA tools, PDK access, foundry wafers, test equipment, design services, and other valuable technical and business capabilities which include, but are not limited to, software development, patent filing, and financial management.
Silicon Catalyst startups interact with a valuable network of expert advisors. In addition, our strategic partners share their experience and actively look for opportunities to work together with our startups.
Our two-year incubation program also provides a path to funding through our connections with venture capitalists, strategic investors, individual angel investors, angel investment groups, and government agencies that provide grants.
In our first year we were awarded the prestigious UBM Canon Startup Company of the Year, in anticipation of our impact on the semiconductor industry. We are proud to have created a broad ecosystem which provides our startups with the greatest opportunity for a successful exit.
Silicon Catalyst Angels was formed to foster the startup companies admitted into the Silicon Catalyst incubator. Comprised of seasoned semiconductor veterans who bring with them a wealth of knowledge along with their ability to invest they are driven by passion and a desire to ‘give back’. Our members understand the hardware space thanks to a lifetime of engagement in the industry. When you couple our members enthusiasm, knowledge, and broad network of connections with companies that have been vetted and admitted to Silicon Catalyst, you have a formula that is to date, non existent within the investment community.
A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR THE SEMICONDUCTOR STARTUP COMMUNITY
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VOLUME 9 OCTOBER 2019