Brijesh Tripathi

I have finally delved into this year's "100 Silicon Startups Worth Watching in 2024," recently published by EE Times | Electronic Engineering Times. One insight from Peter Clarke in his preface is the interesting shift in the geographical distribution of these top 100 companies. While there's a slight decline in California and North American representation (is it real?), the most striking changes are the sharp decrease in Chinese companies and the meaningful rise in European entries. Peter attributes the Chinese decline to trade tensions: "#China continues to have high levels of startup activity, but its reduced presence on the Silicon 100 reflects the trade tensions between the U.S. and China. That friction has intensified in recent years and has hit a number of Chinese startups that may have had international aspirations but have been denied access to leading-edge silicon out of foundry TSMC." #Europe, on the other hand, has seen an increase from 23 to 29 startups, with the U.K. leading the charge: "The U.K. has 12 startups on the current list, up from nine startups in version 23. The U.K., with longstanding entrepreneurial bases in Cambridge, Oxford, Bristol, and Edinburgh, has enjoyed strong representation for many years." In my view, this growth is a testament to #Europe's robust academic system, coupled with government support, investments, and incubators like Silicon Catalyst.UK. Israel continues to excel: "Israel has always punched way above its weight by population and continues to do so," with its representation growing slightly from 7 to 8 this year, including NeuReality*, POLYN Technology, NeoLogic*, Speedata.io, Pliops, Chain Reaction Ltd.*, Hailo, .Quantum Machines . (*=new additions to the 2024 list). This list provides a good overview of this dynamic and evolving industry, blending both emerging and more established technologies. It's a must-read for anyone interested in the future of #semiconductor #innovation. For the full list: https://lnkd.in/dgfrNUWX

50

6 Comments

Abhinav K.! Yeah, India's semiconductor industry is experiencing an unprecedented boom, driving billions in investments and fueling numerous startups. Semiconductors are the backbone of countless disciplines, underpinning our technological advancements. Concurrently, research and development in quantum technologies and space technologies are also accelerating. However, true technological progress demands interdisciplinary collaboration. By breaking down silos and fostering cross-departmental synergy, we can achieve even greater innovations. Let's work together to harness the full potential of these cutting-edge fields. https://lnkd.in/g4ng3Jpb India Semiconductor Mission QET Council of India (Quantum Ecosystems and Technology Council of India) India Electronics and Semiconductor Association India Semiconductor Mission Semiconductor Nation - Campus Connect #Semiconductors #QuantumTech #SpaceTech #IndiaTech #Innovation

22

1 Comment

yieldHUB has semiconductor customers from 13 countries. Customers have, on average, been with us for 5 years. 33% have been with us for at least 5 years and 20% have been with us for more than 10 years. With few exceptions, customers are well funded private companies or well known and publicly quoted companies. Some dropped off over the years, but we grow net customers every year, this year being the second fastest of net customer growth after 2021 (move to cloud tech for big data accelerated during and just after Covid). 50% of payments by all customers are either on time or ahead of time. The payment average is 4 days over payment terms this year so far, 3 days over being the median. But every one of them has paid what they are supposed to, and that's going back 19 years. Semiconductors is a very honourable industry and it's great to be part of it. #customersuccess #payments #customerretention #semiconductors

35

Look forward to this podcast and sharing my views. Thanks to Sandeep Alur from Microsoft for offering to share his perspectives and Sujit John from The Times Of India for moderating the discussions with the d-Matrix team. Please join us. Pradip Thaker Shilpa Phadnis #AI #GenAI #Inference #Hardware #Software #Firmware #RTLDesign #DesignVerification #DFT #Compiler #Kernel #SQA #DataCenter #ESDM The Times Of India The Economic Times India Semiconductor Mission

86

1 Comment

In my two decades of recruiting, I've rarely seen the investment in hardware startups like that surrounding AI. Its rapid rise has brought many newcomers vying to make compute more efficient. But, this makes it tough for customers to separate the "signal from the noise". The harsh reality is that some offer little more than concepts—essentially, vaporware. This undermines years of work by patent-holding researchers but it’s the operating reality for startups like Ayar Labs, whose collective time invested in R&D can be measured in centuries rather than decades. What started in 2015 as the brainchild of Professor Milos Popovic, Alex Wright-Gladstein, and five eminent researchers soon evolved into a company that showed immense promise for integrating photonics and processors to accelerate computing. They took a deliberate path, ignoring hungry VCs and choosing strategic investors like GlobalFoundries, Intel, and Applied Materials, allowing them to focus on advancing their technology and mission. Under their first commercial CEO Charlie Wuischpard, he led them to a key design win in 2022 that fueled investor confidence and resulted in an additional $130M in funding. But if you ask any photonics engineer or architect, they’ll tell you using this technology to accelerate computing is BRUTAL. Combining photons and electrons requires a Herculean level of precision and deep insight into physics and engineering. Recognizing this, Ayar’s Board looked within and tapped co-founder and Chief Scientist Mark Wade to be their new CEO in 2023. This was a stroke of brilliance. Not only has Mark helped shepherd the company through their most painstaking technical developments, but he’s also been an evangelist for optical interconnectivity, attending what seems like every top conference to share its potential. Under Mark, Ayar has progressed to have not one, but two revenue-generating products and they’re shipping tens of thousands. BUT (and excuse me for framing it that way) in our industry, you’ve got to be in the “hundred million club” to make it; frankly, the clock is ticking and competitors are circling. Ayar turns ten next year and the game has changed. That AI gold rush I mentioned has made it harder to get in front of customers with a salient value proposition, and the same goes for attracting talented engineers and leaders. Those we recruit are leery of startups making big claims. My advice to Mark and the rest of the team is to go BIG or go HOME. Secure the next round of funding and expand the team swiftly and holistically. Do an entire team lift-out! You’ll save time and accelerate faster through a group with proven synergy rather than hiring piecemeal. I’ve said it before: 2025 is primed to be the year photonics revolutionizes the data center so make your moves now because you don’t want to be left on the sidelines when all the key players have already been picked. #semiconductorindustry #photonics #artificialintelligence

71

3 Comments

We’re one day into DAC, and there have already been announcements that will shape the future of semiconductor design. One startup that I've followed closely for two years shared groundbreaking news that promises to revolutionize chip development and democratize accessibility to chiplets. Baya Systems emerged from stealth mode last week, and CEO and co-founder Sailesh Kumar has done a remarkable job of staying under the radar since founding the company, choosing the perfect moment to unveil updates. Baya revealed not only WHAT they’re working on but also HOW they plan to tackle some of the most pressing challenges faced by SoC architects and designers, and it’s inspiring. The complexity of system design, high costs, and long time-to-market for advanced SoCs often means that a chip can be nearly obsolete by the time it reaches customers. The rapid pace of innovation, especially in AI chips, creates an unforgiving environment where promising startups might only have one shot at success. Baya’s solutions, WeaverPro and WeaveIP, aim to accelerate the design and performance of complex single-die and multi-die SoCs and chiplets. By leveraging a software-centric architecture, Baya simplifies development and accelerates data movement between chiplets and dies. This approach reduces the overall costs associated with advanced AI and CPU acceleration and speeds up time-to-market. WeaverPro and WeaveIP have already received the best kind of acclaim, customer adoption, and Baya announced this week that chiplet technology advocate Tenstorrent will license their WeaveIP fabric to scale their AI and RISC-V chiplet solutions. Chip design icon Jim Keller, who sits on Baya’s Advisory Board, praised the company, saying: “Baya makes great, comprehensive fabric tools that start with top-level architecture and allow us to plan at a detailed level… this, coupled with their visualization tools, enables designers to build next-generation chips, chiplets, and IP.” Adding to their momentum, Baya announced a partnership with Blue Cheetah Analog Design, Inc. yesterday at DAC and introduced a combined chiplet-optimized Network on Chip and PHY interconnect IP solution that simplifies the design and architecture of chiplet-based systems. Sailesh said, “In partnership, we provide system architects with a state-of-the-art platform and powerful tools to create the most innovative and cost-effective chiplet-based products.”   I've mentioned before that enabling development is key to unlocking the door to innovation. For founders without deep pockets or connections to investors, gaining access to better tools and proven intellectual property allows them to move faster and at a lower cost, ultimately helping to bring new designs to life. I’m impressed that Baya, a small yet mighty startup, has created this accessibility and fostered partnerships to help proliferate it. My encouragement to the community - watch them closely. #semiconductorindustry #ai #chiplets

59

Building a semiconductor startup is extremely difficult and most technical founders are incredible engineers, but horrible at running businesses. This is why, according to Srini Ananth, Managing Director at Intel Capital, one of the key predictors of success for a semiconductor startup is who its founders choose to surround themselves with. Srini has evaluated hundreds if not thousands of potential investment opportunities. This has given him a bird’s-eye view of our ecosystem and enabled him to spot and invest in amazing semiconductor startups like Ayar Labs, Eliyan Corporation, and Astera Labs. In a recent conversation with Srini, we discussed how he evaluates founders for their potential to succeed. It’s his belief (and I agree) that in addition to being experienced and having a firm grip on the reality of the difficulties, founders should also be open to bringing on others—even if that means stepping back as the founding CEO and letting someone else take the reins. It comes down to having the right composition of team and talent to break through barriers, find commercial success, and generate that all-important momentum that ultimately transitions the company from raising funds to generating revenue and profitability. I’m grateful Srini shared this insight with me and would love to hear YOUR thoughts. Do you think there’s a different key predictor of success for startup founders? Share your perspective below and bonus points for contrarian views that cause us to reexamine “standard thinking”. #semiconductorindustry #startups #investing

39

3 Comments

Interesting EE Times | Electronic Engineering Times article and interviews by Nitin Dahad on the chip opportunity in India. Dr. Satya Gupta gives a nice overview on the overall opportunity and the efforts in workforce development #semiconductors #ASIC

25

1 Comment

Pat Gelsinger Resigns.. In what feels like ongoing #Intel drama, reports suggest Intel’s board gave Pat Gelsinger a choice: retire gracefully or face the boot. He opted for the former. Not entirely shocking—Intel’s stock has plummeted 60% under his leadership. When Gelsinger returned to Intel, he was hailed as the savior, wielding autonomy and ambition in equal measure. With the semiconductor industry booming, he had the perfect opportunity to rebuild Intel’s culture and refocus on key growth areas like data centers, AI, and its core business. His bold turnaround strategy—spending tens of billions on new factories and banking on government subsidies—didn’t pan out. Instead, it led to layoffs and cost-cutting measures, leaving employees to bear the brunt of the fallout. My request to Intel: A back-to-basics approach of customer obsession, cutting-edge products and laser-focused execution. Intel’s legacy in shaping Silicon Valley is undeniable, and this leadership change could be the start of something transformative. So here’s a hypothetical question (assuming it’s possible): Who’s the best candidate to steer the Intel ship back to glory ? Hock Tan, Jensen Huang, Lip-Bu Tan, Lisa Su, or is there another wildcard out there? Share your thoughts! https://lnkd.in/gHxxw-bn

29

4 Comments

https://lnkd.in/dpXAHnej Intel has built an amazing business and ecosystem with its x86 design and fabrication. It is seems that the same moat which defended its core has prevented it from going outside with new things as seen with :mobile, graphic, software , AI (as recently posted it passed being OpenAI chips supplier) and foundery. Drastic move is needed and coming and it will pop existential question: does intel keep its design or foundery, seems that one of them must go in order to prevent the sink of both, I am not sure which since both are facing hard challenges at the same time.

7

1 Comment

I think that there is one stark similarity between Nvidia and Sun Microsystems - that dotcoms had a pipeline from VC funding to them buying SPARC servers, and the collapse of that market, plus the rise of Linux created a storm that took down the company almost immediately. Nvidia has increased their sale price and profits, but they are capped by TSMC manufacturing output so they are not selling more. Right now their customers are building capacity hoping to generate revenues on AI later, and in the meantime they burn VC funding - but what if the market collapses? Still, there is no Linux - yet - but I think Jensen is smart enough that when it will arrive he will co-opt it and not make the mistake of the Unix vendors who fought against each other on a sinking ship until the end. Also there are markets that are big for others where Nvidia barely scratched the surface. Not naming names, but if you only serve telco/automotive etc simply you can't outspend and outspeed Nvidia in R&D because the hardware refresh cycle of your customers is too slow. Lots of room for growth for Nvidia. And not even touched the "AI Factories" they are building with Foxconn. I feel pity for those that think they can go against Nvidia and survive to tell the tale 😅 - and it's not even because they are big. When Jensen was young and Nvidia minuscule, he took over and destroyed SGI which were multiple times their size.

15

2 Comments

In the fiercely competitive semiconductor industry, companies are in a constant battle to retain top talent because in the heart of every good engineer is a passionate problem solver, looking for their next challenge. For them, innovation is the currency of success. Yet companies like Qualcomm, Intel, and Broadcom attract tens of thousands every year by dangling lucrative compensation packages to lure them from competitors. Startup leaders don’t have those resources, so they have to work harder to attract the best talent and then fight like hell to retain them. But some of the most successful startup leaders I know take a different approach. Rather than viewing attraction and retention as a fight, they leverage the inherent qualities of their companies as their advantage. They use their nimbleness, bias toward innovation, and their collaborative cultures like superpowers to attract the right people and those usually end up being the reasons why people stay. Take Richard Fung, CEO of The Six Semiconductor, for example. I had a conversation with Richard and asked him to share his approach to motivating his team. His response was like a mini-masterclass on the topic of talent attraction and retention. Richard emphasized that a culture that encourages engineers to dive deep into the intricacies of their craft, understand the systems they’re building, and connect with the end customer is a successful culture. Richard has been using this approach and it's been paying dividends for The Six Semiconductor so in his honor, here are his six key concepts for creating this type of organization: 1. Foster a Learning Culture: Support ongoing learning and skill development beyond employees' core responsibilities. 2. Prioritize Customer Focus: Embed a customer-centric mindset, and encourage employees to enhance user experiences through their work. 3. Champion Problem-Solving: Empower employees to creatively solve challenges with a focus on customer needs. 4. Promote System-Level Understanding: Encourage employees to grasp the bigger picture of the company's offerings and their role within it. 5. Break Down Silos: Promote collaboration to ensure a comprehensive understanding of projects across teams. 6. Offer Meaningful Challenges: Provide intellectually stimulating projects that make a tangible impact on the company's success. What Richard highlighted is that success goes much deeper than getting great people to join. It's about unleashing the full potential of every individual on your team to drive innovation and help shape the company, and ensuring your team heads in the right direction together. I’m thrilled I got to learn Richard’s perspective and believe other leaders can benefit from hearing it, so I shared the video below. My "challenge question" to other startup leaders is this: what are you doing to foster this type of culture in your organization? Either share below or, feel free to DM me. #semiconductorindustry #startup #leadership

67

2 Comments

Really interesting to see this: how Europe is moving up. It is interest to contrast this qualitative survey with the #siliconcatalyst analysys that UK is sixth in Europe in funding value fir silicon investment. And I will put in a plug for our #UKTIN Forward Capabilities paper on recommendations for UK Semiconductor sector: https://lnkd.in/eNNAsCAz

8

Intel is a 56-year old company, that has been on a two-decade decline. It's unfortunate that they've lost Pat Gelsinger, who was only part way through his turnaround plan. Years ago, Intel went through an existential crisis in the PC processor market and very frankly faced the reality that they were turning the battleship and won. This battle is much, much tougher. The company has missed multiple market opportunities: mobile processors, graphics processors and subsequently AI processing, as well as falling behind in foundry technology. Incumbent disadvantages are real. In Intel's case, it's often been summarized in their approach to innovation: > The market’s not big enough to move the needle > It couldn’t ever be as profitable as our main business > Our competencies are too important to give away, or… > We don’t have the right competencies to do it (stick to our knitting was a common phrase) It's hard for any one person or team to erase decades of poor decisions and missed markets. Interestingly, the US government has made a big, nearly $8B bet on Intel. Let's hope it pays off. #intel #semiconductors #chips #AI #mobile #processors #strategy #turnaround #williamkilmer https://lnkd.in/e6Yih6ty

18

1 Comment

The Information broke exclusive news about Apple partnering with Broadcom for their forthcoming #server #AI chips which will be manufactured by TSMC. In so doing Broadcom is providing access to their critical #Networking technology to power Apple's #Baltra chip. Apple is following other major cloud providers in designing their own chips to diversify away from NVIDIA but others like Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google are only deploying their #AI chips internally Apple has clear plans to commercialize their offerings via their #AppleIntelligence. Apple's approach will require their expertise in #chipdesigning #chipmanufacturing with design being completed within a year and production starting over the next year. What do you think? #management #chipdesign #AI #venturecaptial #privateequity #capitalmarkets https://lnkd.in/gwZ9gSkm

5

How will AI impact and enable the semiconductor industry and what jobs exist in semiconductor industry ? Listen to this brief chat with Data &AI expert Lekhana Reddy on salaries and more.. Where do you see AI impacting the semiconductor industry...would love to hear your thoughts below 👇🏾 https://lnkd.in/gb7rhvFH #semiconductorindustry #semiconductorsalaries #data hashtag #ai hashtag #genai

6

Micron’s team delivered a record revenue quarter for our fiscal Q1, which represented an 84% increase from our year-ago revenue results. Our data center revenue reached a record high, making up more than half of our revenue for the first time, with revenue growing 400% year-over-year. Our shipments of HBM — a critical product for #AI data center servers — were ahead of plan and we doubled HBM revenue from the previous quarter. Customer inventory reductions in consumer-oriented segments and seasonality are slowing near-term bit shipment estimates. That said, we expect this adjustment period to be relatively brief and anticipate customer inventories reaching healthier levels by spring, enabling stronger bit shipments in the second half of fiscal and calendar 2025. Longer term, we see particularly robust growth ahead for HBM, with the total addressable market growing from $16 billion in 2024 to greater than $100 billion in 2030 (bigger than the entire combined DRAM/HBM market today). We continue to apply our technology leadership to create leading-edge products — from high-capacity server modules to SSDs, low-power DRAM and mobile memory — that address the high-growth segments of multiple markets, putting Micron in the strongest competitive position in our 46-year history.

2,012

66 Comments

Why is Intel letting go of 15% of their workforce? There are three main reasons I see: 1. Strategy Missteps: Lost the lead in the mobile chip era to Qualcomm and now with the AI era Nvidia is winning. 2. Bloated Costs: The ZIRP era saw Intel's share price go up 4x and with it came operational inefficiencies. “Our costs are too high, our margins are too low." 3. AI Agents: I strongly believe many companies have started the restructuring of their biggest cost which is payroll and replacing them with AI Agents. 💡 My thesis is: → Large companies will reduce FTE consistently → Contract/Offshore talent demand will increase → Number of AI Agents will increase exponentially 💰 Opportunities available: → Creating AI Agents is a massive opportunity → Sourcing, training and up-skilling offshore talent → Remote work infrastructure & collaboration tools What opportunities do you see developing?

29

8 Comments

“Since abandoning its Qualcomm offer, Broadcom shares are up more than 760%, trouncing Qualcomm's 165% gain over that stretch. The S&P 500 is up 119%.” Another trillion dollar US tech company. 📈 https://lnkd.in/eR2M6eAH

65

5 Comments