Ralf J. Muenster

Last week’s DAC showcased exciting announcements from startups that are revolutionizing semiconductor design however these rising stars overshadowed a major update from an industry stalwart - Alphawave Semi - whose news is poised to accelerate the proliferation of chiplets and give rise to a “chiplet marketplace”. Alphawave Semi announced a breakthrough with the tapeout of the industry's first off-the-shelf, multi-protocol I/O connectivity chiplet. This technology can seamlessly integrate into larger SoCs or multi-chip modules, giving designers increased flexibility and more connectivity options for different applications. Reflecting on the Chiplet Summit this past spring, I remember listening to Tony Chan Carusone, Alphawave’s CTO, as he passionately described the significance of chiplets and how Alphawave will foster a more open and democratic design ecosystem. Now, just one quarter later, his team has launched a technology that brings this vision much closer to becoming a reality. Adding to their momentum, Alphawave also announced an expanded partnership with Samsung Foundry to advance the industry's progression toward cutting-edge semiconductor nodes, crucial for the evolution of advanced compute. Samsung’s roadmap in sub-4nm technologies includes FinFET and Gate-All-Around, which are designed to maximize performance in the post-Moore era. Initially targeted for data centers and HPC, these innovations may trickle down to low-cost, AI-enabled edge devices, putting the transformative power of AI into the hands of billions of people worldwide. This news follows Alphawave’s early June announcement of their new partnership with Arm, aimed at unlocking the potential of processors. Alphawave will give Arm access to their robust portfolio of connectivity solutions and silicon IP, which Arm will integrate into their proven portfolio of compute cores. At a time when AI technology is accelerating at breakneck speed, many companies are searching for ways to boost compute performance and address the challenge of moving data between compute and memory more efficiently. While multiple startups offer unique solutions, many customers want battle-tested technology to avoid the risk of investing in solutions that may become obsolete by the time they reach tapeout. Alphawave has developed vital solutions and in doing so, has increased design flexibility, built bridges to new process technologies, and shortened the path to market. “Connectors” are often the catalysts of innovation and Alphwave’s is a testament to that word. I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen from Alphawave and strongly believe they stand at the forefront of an emerging chiplet marketplace. More broadly, I believe their technology serves to democratize design technology and will give emerging companies more options to bring their brilliant ideas to life. #semiconductorindustry #ai #chiplets

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Jim Keller, former Intel, AMD, and Tesla engineer, aims to challenge Nvidia's dominance in AI with Tenstorrent's energy-efficient chip design. Tenstorrent's upcoming second-generation AI chip promises superior energy and cost efficiency, presenting a viable alternative to Nvidia's offerings. The innovative design of Tenstorrent's chip features independent decision-making cores, potentially reshaping AI chip technology across diverse applications. #AI #Nvidia #semiconductor #semiconductors #chip #technology #innovation #research #computing Tenstorrent NVIDIA https://lnkd.in/g6a3vAu4

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A very interesting blog by Giuseppe Piccolboni of Weebit Nano Ltd about the use of our #ReRAM for #neuromorphic applications

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POLYN’s analog chips are thinking outside the box—literally. With 100X less power and 1000X lower data latency, they’re making us question who’s really in charge here. Invest now. https://lnkd.in/dyvbMAK3

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Qualcomm has approached Intel Corporation for a potential acquisition, which could lead to one of the largest M&A deals in history, though it is still uncertain if an agreement will be reached due to possible antitrust scrutiny. Intel's shares rose following the report of Qualcomm's interest, despite the company facing significant challenges, including a 37% decline in stock value over the past year and ongoing restructuring efforts led by CEO Pat Gelsinger. Qualcomm is engaging with U.S. regulators in hopes that an all-American merger could alleviate regulatory concerns, while Intel is also exploring various options and has received a boost from recent announcements, including a deal with Amazon Web Services (AWS). #semiconductor #technology #Intel #Qualcomm #Amazon #chipmaker

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The autonomous vehicle revolution is here, with the world anticipating Elon Musk's October 10th Tesla robo-taxi announcement and Waymo's recent milestone of 100,000 weekly rides. Lumotive's Liquid Crystal Metasurface (LCM) technology is ready to lead the way—delivering scalable 3D sensing solutions to transform mobility from thousands to millions of autonomous vehicles. How LCM Transforms Autonomous Driving: Superior Reliability: Our solid-state design eliminates mechanical components, increasing reliability and system longevity—essential for autonomous vehicles. Adaptive Flexibility: Software-defined beam steering adjusts scanning patterns and resolution on the fly, optimizing performance for diverse conditions. Scalable for Adoption: Built with semiconductor manufacturing, our LCM technology is scalable and cost-effective, meeting the industry's needs for large-scale deployment. As the demand for advanced 3D sensing grows, Lumotive is ready to shape the future of mobility. Join us as we drive forward into this exciting era. #AutonomousDriving #Lumotive #robotaxi

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Encompassing PHY, photonics and firmware, VIAVI's integrated testing approach is more critical than ever as we build on 800G and expand to 1.6Tb ecosystems. Learn more about our four-pronged approach for FECi module development, debugging and validation: https://ow.ly/FCks50TcrE5

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With 2 days to go to the largest gathering of investors, innovators, and entrepreneurs in Southern California, excitement is brewing for Sameer Wasson's keynote session, "IP as the Catalyst for Future Semiconductor Growth," at TechCon SoCal. As the CEO of MIPS, Wasson is poised to deliver valuable insights into the role of intellectual property (IP) in driving innovation and growth within the semiconductor industry. Attendees can anticipate an engaging exploration of how IP strategies are shaping the future landscape of semiconductor technologies. In the current landscape of semiconductor development, Wasson will shed light on the pivotal role that intellectual property plays as a catalyst for innovation and growth. With the semiconductor industry experiencing rapid evolution and increasing competition, effective IP strategies are essential for companies to differentiate themselves and stay ahead of the curve. Wasson's session promises to provide valuable perspectives on how leveraging IP assets can fuel advancements in semiconductor technologies and propel industry growth in the years to come. Reflecting on the past, Wasson will trace the historical significance of intellectual property in shaping the trajectory of the semiconductor industry. From the early days of semiconductor innovation to the present era of complex microprocessor designs and advanced semiconductor architectures, IP has been a driving force behind technological progress. Wasson's retrospective analysis will offer insights into key milestones and challenges in the intersection of IP and semiconductor development, providing attendees with a deeper understanding of the industry's evolution. Get ready to uncover the power of IP in semiconductor growth – don't miss Wasson's keynote at TechCon SoCal! OPEN Silicon Valley TIE San Diego Interlock Capital Orange County OC Startup Council The Brink SBDC EvoNexus UC San Diego SDSU College of Sciences Pismo Ventures Cross Ocean Ventures Startup Steroid - Deal Flow | SPVs | Demo Day Platform Alliance for Southern California Innovation Spark Growth Ventures SoCal Startup Day Reflect Ventures Wharton Alumni Angels NuFund Venture Group Flok Labx Ventures Mercury Pankaj Kedia Serhat Pala Neal Bloom David Saxton Cheryl K Goodman Ellen M. Chang Niraj Desai Akash Pai Sufyan Subzwari Jonah Peake 🐺 Ella Napata Stephen Silver Fred Grier Scott Fox 🦊 Atlás Blake Eric Eide #TechconSoCal2024 #IndustryExperts #TechConference #InnovationSummit #TechTalks #startupsteroid #innovations #technologynews #networking #artificialintelligence #digitalhealth #robotics #startups #AngelInvestors #vc #SandDiegoStartup #founders #consumertech

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🌟 Positive Progress for TSMC's Arizona Fab! 🌟 Exciting news from Bloomberg: TSMC’s first U.S. fab in Arizona is showing promising results! Production yields from their 4nm process are reportedly on par with those from their Taiwan facility. 🔹 Key Updates: 🌍 TSMC’s Arizona fab began producing engineering wafers in April. 🏭 The first fab aims for mass production in early 2025. 🔬 Future fabs will use cutting-edge 2nm technology to meet rising AI demand. With a $6.6 billion subsidy from the U.S. government and a total investment of $65 billion, TSMC is set to bring world-class manufacturing quality to Arizona. 🔗👀 Read more from TrendForce Corporation: https://lnkd.in/gT78JBQs 🔗👀 Read more from Bloomberg (paywall): https://lnkd.in/g85_MiUD #TSMC #Semiconductors #ArizonaFab #TechNews #Innovation #AMD

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The global investor community has been captivated by the rise of AI, leading to a proliferation of AI startups in recent years. As of our latest count, there are around 200-210 hardware companies focused on AI applications worldwide. However, the challenge remains in distinguishing which of these companies will successfully commercialize their technology and which will remain "great ideas that never came to fruition." In my view, the key element determining success or failure is talent. Developing silicon is tough, and creating chips for AI-centric workloads is even tougher. AI hardware demands deep knowledge in mathematics, computer science, and electrical engineering. Companies often struggle to build teams with the right mix of hardware, software, algorithm, sales, and marketing skills to not only bring their products to life but also sell them to customers who may still be skeptical about AI transformation. This is why I’ve been impressed by the success of Canadian AI hardware startups like Tenstorrent and Untether AI. These companies have assembled world-class teams, developed industry-leading solutions, and successfully brought their chips to market. For years, I’ve believed that Canada is a "sleeping giant" in terms of having world-class talent that many in the global community underestimate. Tenstorrent and Untether AI are winning because they’ve harnessed the human capital available in cities like Toronto. This reminds me of a conversation I had with Hugh Chow, CEO of Canada’s premier startup accelerator ventureLAB when Hugh highlighted that Canada has long been a key player in AI development. Canadian Machine Learning expert Geoffrey Hinton’s seminal research laid much of the groundwork for the innovations we see today. Cities like Toronto have a unique mix of hardware and software talent and offer various career opportunities at startups and established companies, creating a virtuous cycle that attracts even more talent. Hugh and his team at ventureLAB are passionate about the potential of AI to transform sectors like medical tech, drones, education, and elder care which is why they work closely with startup founders such as Niraj Mathur, COO of Blumind, to help them secure the funding and talent needed to strengthen their companies. I encourage you to listen to Hugh’s perspective about why Canada is a formidable region for AI startups. Consider it an “appetizer” because tomorrow I’ll be broadcasting LIVE from ventureLAB’s headquarters in Toronto where you can hear the rest of Hugh’s insights as the “main course”. Check the event link in the comments and I hope to see you there! #semiconductorindustry #startups #artificialintelligence

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Great article with insights by Bernard Murphy at SemiWiki.com, "Arteris Frames Network-On-Chip Topologies in the Car." "... while there is plenty of complexity in evolving car architectures and the consequent impact on subsystem chip/chiplet designs, connected on-chip through both coherent and non-coherent networks, the intent behind these systems is quite clear. We just need to start thinking about total car system architecture rather than individual chip functions." #Arteris #NetworkOnChip #Automotive https://bit.ly/3UiKqls

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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

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In #SNUGIsrael's second keynote presentation, Google’s Uri Frank explained why the AI-era silicon challenges are much different than we had in the past. For start, AI models require a x10 speedup in compute power every year, much more than Moore's law.   Therefore, the current design flow that requires an average of 3 years for a new major device won’t cut. By the time these chips are ready, the workloads they were planned for are no longer relevant! Uri said that an #evolution won’t be enough- like the #AI-based small improvements offered by the EDA vendors. We need a #revolution - we must define new ways of designing chips:  “What if designing a custom chip took a few people a few weeks?” he asked. Synopsys Users Group (SNUG)

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When adding stitching vias to a PCB, strategic placement is crucial. It's essential to position them around the edges of critical components, high-speed signal traces, and ground planes. This ensures effective shielding and enhanced signal integrity. The appropriate size and spacing of stitching vias are chosen based on your application's specific requirements and the PCB's material. #PCBdesign

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As I prognosticated earlier, my big bet for 2025 is that photonics will solve the massive power consumption problem with data centers. It’s a “perfect storm” for the right teams working on the right tech at the right time. Here are 9 photonics companies that I believe will have a breakout year in 2025: Ayar Labs - If you follow photonics, AI, or HPC, you’ve seen CEO Mark Wade highlighting their optical interconnects to boost data center efficiency from short-haul to long-haul. With a Series C under their belt, more growth is on the horizon. Watch them closely. Lightmatter - Led by photonics Wunderkind Nicholas Harris, this MIT spinout just raised $400M in a Series D, bringing their total to $850M. They’ve seen 50% YOY growth in headcount, mostly in engineering, signaling a rampup of their products. Neurophos - Co founded by Patrick Bowen and Andrew Traverso, Neurophos emerged from stealth with a $7M seed round. Their proprietary metamaterial-and-SiPho platform promises to shatter all expectations of compute power and efficiency and I have every reason to believe with Patrick at the helm, this company will succeed. Xscape Photonics Inc - Had been on my radar for a couple of years already but CEO Vivek Raghunathan, previously with Broadcom, just led them out of stealth with a $44M Series A. Their work with Columbia researchers is groundbreaking, and attracting such a leader is a huge signal for success. DustPhotonics - Israel produces some of the foremost innovations in photonics and Ronnen, Yoel and Gadi are poised to show the world their PICs can compete with the best in terms of data center efficiency. Their $24M Series B will fuel their progress. OpenLight - This 2022 spinout from Juniper led by Dr. Adam Carter holds the promise of being one of the most important enablers in this ecosystem. If you think designing photonics is difficult, try manufacturing them! Helping partners fab their PICs is where OpenLight shines. Quintessent Inc. - In a space where innovation is key, novelty has to be handled with care. CEO Alan Liu and his team are addressing the light source of the optical laser using Quantum Dots which were substantiated by a 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, so their technology is on firm foundation and their $11M seed round in March is further evidence this tech has legs. HyperLight - This Cambridge, MA startup reflects how deep the region’s talent pool in photonics reaches and they attracted CEO Mian Zhang from exciting postdoctoral work at Harvard to drive their plans forward. They’ve already raised $37M in a Series B to provide thin film lithium niobate (TFLN) PICs. Black Semiconductor - The“dark horse” of the group (pun intended) they emerged from stealth with a huge $274M Series A to pioneer photonics using the metamaterial graphene. If successful, this could usher in a new era for PIC development and CEO Daniel Schall will ensure that happens. #semiconductorindustry #photonics #artificialintelligence

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Interested in learning about our multi-disciplinary approach to solving the most critical power delivery challenges existing today in the HPC and AI spaces? Check out this Semiconductor Engineering article for highlights from a recent panel our CTO and SVP of Engineering, Trey Roessig, joined during DAC: https://bit.ly/3zV3yhA #PowerDelivery #HPC #AI

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In this bonus episode - "Free Gold - Understand the value you represent ... The Power of Impenetrable Confidence" in my Semiconductor Leadership Podcast Series. We are close to 1,500 subscribers in just under 3 months. I think we can do 2,000 by the summer. Please subscribe if it is of value to you: https://lnkd.in/diktXgVg In this exclusive bonus episode of the Semiconductor Leadership Podcast, we delve into the often underestimated power of confidence in the high-stakes world of BUSINESS. Discover how to have that impenetrable confidence to shape perceptions, influence decisions, and drive innovation in this fiercely competitive industry. We’ll explore a real-world scenario whereby someone experiments by handing $2,000 worth of gold for free to the random public and where confidence has been a game-changer where you can discuss strategies to build and project this essential quality, and analyze its impact on perceived value both within a company and in the market at large. Tune in to gain insights that could redefine how you lead and succeed in the semiconductor realm. Robert Quinn Ksenia V. Mia Chen

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