Silicon Catalyst is a California based incubator providing consultation and manufacturing services to silicon semiconductor startups. The company partners with semiconductor companies, experts, investors, and universities to enable startups to realize their potential. As of March 2019, the company has admitted 18 semiconductor startups to build their prototypes and products.
The company has a global outreach program to find early-stage semiconductor startups. Shortlisted candidates are screened then accepted into the incubator program. Startups can also apply for consideration through the company’s website. Once accepted, it provides an ecosystem of tools and resources that would otherwise be hard to acquire for startups. These include EDA (Electronic Design Automation) tools, PDK (Pro Data Key) access, foundry wafers, test equipment, design services, and technical and business capabilities like software development, patent filing, and financial management.
The incubation period lasts for 2 years where a startup gets to work with industry specialists, financial advisors and customers to introduce and test their ideas and products.
Rick Lazansky founded the company in 2014 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. As of March 2019, the company had over 100 Silicon Valley veterans providing guidance and support for startups who are accepted in the incubator. Companies who have completed the incubator include GMK, Cloptech, Ayar Labs, and Aeponyx.
Timeline
Silicon Catalyst, incubator focused on accelerating solutions in silicon announced Soitec, a world leader in designing and manufacturing innovative semiconductor materials, as its first European Strategic Partner.
People
Alain Bismuth
Employee
Daniel Armbrust
Employee
Larry Chao
Advisor
Larry Chao
Employee
Michael Craig Goldman
Employee
Mike Noonen
Founder
Nick Kepler
COO
Pete Rodriguez
CEO
Rich Goldman
Employee
Rick Lazansky
Chairman, Co-Founder
Tarun Verma
Managing Partner
Further reading
Documentaries, videos and podcasts
Take Five with Warren, S.5, Ep.9: Tarun Verma, Silicon Catalyst
Apr 9, 2015