Silicon Catalyst is an incubator for startup companies that are developing solutions where innovation in semiconductor design and IP is required.  Silicon Catalyst provides funding and in-kind services to address the current bottlenecks facing entrepreneurs, namely accessing and affording leadership design tools, fabrication and testing of semiconductor chips.

Silicon Catalyst

Foxconn Technology Group, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., is a Taiwanese multinational electronics contract manufacturing company headquartered in Tucheng, New Taipei, Taiwan. It is the world's largest electronics contract manufacturer, and the fourth-largest information technology company by revenue. The company manufactures connectors for use in PCs in Taiwan and also manufactures connectors and cable assemblies worldwide. The company also manufactures enclosures, primarily for desktop PCs and PC servers. Foxconn is the registered trade name for the Company. Connectors & Cable Assemblies Connectors have applications in various industries - computers, automobiles, communications, consumer products, medical, and defense. Foxconn focuses on offering a range of connectors and cable assemblies for desktop and notebook PCs and PC peripherals. Approximately 500 types of connectors are produced and sold under the Company's own Foxconn brand name. Foxconn has branched into manufacturing connectors for communications and consumer products. PC Enclosures Foxconn manufactures PC enclosures for desktop computers. Depending on its client's specifications, the casings can be sold together with floppy disk drives, switching power supplies, connectors, cable assemblies, and riser cards. Foxconn provides integrated mechanical solutions for clients to deal with thermal, acoustic, environmental, mechanical, functional, and design problems. The Company primarily serves in Taiwan. In addition, it has distribution centers in various key cities in Asia, Europe, and America. Foxconn's principal manufacturing operations are based in Taiwan and mainland China. It has also set up production facilities in Europe and the United States. Foxconn is in the process of setting up new production facilities in Ireland and is also considering Central America as a production center. Significant Events Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. has established a unit to enter the business of assembling liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions. The company and Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp. have formed a joint venture, Ampower Holding Ltd, that makes inverters meant for television sets fitted with TFT-LCD screens. The company has formed a strategic partnership with United Keys, Inc. As part of this partnership, Foxconn would build display-key input devices using United Keys technology. Display keys are regular key switches with small OLED displays embedded in their tops. This allows interactive and image-based communication between software and users. On September 5, 2009, Sony Corporation announced that it had agreed to form a partnership with Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. for the production of LCD TVs for the Americas region.

Foxconn Technology Group

Corning is a manufacturer of building materials including glass, ceramic, related materials and technologies, and more. It does have capabilities such as synergistic and versatile which allows the company to evolve to meet changing market needs and also helping their customers capture new opportunities in dynamic industries. The company manufactures and develops Gorilla Glass, which is used by many smartphone makers. Corning creates and makes keystone components that enable high-technology systems for consumer electronics, mobile emissions control, telecommunications, and life sciences. it also provides industry products including precision glass for advanced displays, connectivity solutions for state-of-the-art communications networks, clean-air technologies for cars and trucks, damage-resistant cover glass for mobile devices, and trusted products to accelerate drug discovery and delivery. Corning was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Corning, New York, United States.

Corning

E Ink Holdings Inc. started in 1992 and manufactures Electronic Paper (ePaper based on Electrophoretic technology) and TFT LCD (Thin Film Transistor based Liquid Crystal Display). E Ink is the world’s leader in the global ePaper industry and one of the High-Tech Subsidiaries of YFY Group.  YFY Group includes the largest professional paper manufacturing company in Taiwan, and was the first in the Greater China region to establish an R&D center for paper manufacturing.  In 1992 E Ink Holdings Inc. (formerly Prime View International) was established as the first TFT LCD company in Taiwan, focusing on high quality small-to-medium-sized TFT LCDs. In 2002 E Ink Holdings established Transcend Optronics in YangZhou, China in order to match the increasing demand in the TFT LCD industry.  E Ink Holdings’corporate philosophy aims to deliver revolutionary products, excellent user experiences, and environmental benefits through advanced technology development.  E Ink aims to deliver revolutionary products, user experiences, and environmental benefits through advanced technology development.

E Ink Holdings

At MRI they build the best performing digital displays for the outdoor, direct-sunlight environment that not only look fantastic on day-1, but continue to meet performance expectations for 10 years. BoldVu® enterprise displays offer the longest technology life, deliver the lowest total cost of ownership and ultimately, the greatest return on investment. BoldVu® displays perform the best where it counts the most.

Manufacturing Resources International

The electronics industry is being driven by four mega trends that are helping shape our society: Energy Efficiency, Connected Devices, Security and Health. Connecting to these trends and enabling Secure Connections for a Smarter World, NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) creates solutions that enable Secure Connections for a Smarter World. Building on its expertise in High Performance Mixed Signal electronics, NXP is driving innovation in the application areas Connected Car, Security, Portable & Wearable and Internet of Things. NXP has operations in more than 25 countries, and posted revenue of $5.65 billion in 2014. Find out more at nxp.com. Additional information can be found by visiting www.nxp.com.

NXP Semiconductors

SigmaSense

SigmaSense is providing the first digital and fully scalable sensing technology to solve the noise immunity and tuning challenges of traditional touch sensors. Their SigmaTouch Controller utilizes a breakthrough in Capacitive Imaging to concurrently transmit and receive for self-capacitance, mutual capacitance, and pen from a single pin. The unique approach to Capacitive Imaging has the potential to affect positive disruption across many industries where intuitive machine interfaces will decide the winners. SigmaSense technology enables access to game-changing information about interactions with mobile devices, large format interactive displays, and limitless custom sensing applications. Join us in pioneering the next evolutionary progression of perceptive machines.

SigmaSense is a global leader in touch sensing and software-defined sensing technology. The company has developed a breakthrough digital approach to sensing that delivers significantly improved performance compared to traditional analog sensing solutions. SigmaSense's core technology, SigmaDrive, utilizes current-mode analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and ultra-low voltages to simultaneously drive, sense, and image entire screen surfaces. This results in 100 to 1000 times better signal-to-noise ratio compared to conventional voltage-mode touch sensing when normalized for time.

Tessolve partners with SigmaSense to develop DSP

Heraeus, SigmaSense®, & Xymox Showcase PEDOT, Flexible Touch Sensor

SigmaSense selects Dawar Technologies as a partner to provide interactive touch solutions to targeted markets

SigmaSense LLC – Breakthrough in touch-screen technology

SigmaSense Appoints Semiconductor Industry Veteran David French as CEO

SigmaSense Announces Advanced Impedance Sensing Technology for Real-Time Battery Monitoring

SigmaSense Announces Technology Licensing and Co-development with NXP Semiconductors to Meet the Heightened Demands of Future Sensing Systems

SigmaSense and NXP hook up on multi-dimensional sensing

Tessolve, SigmaSense to develop sensing ASIC, Telecom News, ET Telecom

NXP backs SigmaSense with $35m licensing deal

A new generation of building blocks for emerging tech

Next-gen Semiconductors

SigmaSense AI Touch Powers Zebra’s Next Generation Windows Rugged Tablets

SigmaSense is a global leader in touch sensing and software-defined sensing technology. The company has developed a breakthrough digital approach to sensing that delivers significantly improved performance compared to traditional analog sensing solutions. SigmaSense's core technology, SigmaDrive, utilizes current-mode analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and ultra-low voltages to simultaneously drive, sense, and image entire screen surfaces. This results in 100 to 1000 times better signal-to-noise ratio compared to conventional voltage-mode touch sensing when normalized for time.
The company's technology enables touch sensing through thick glass, bulky gloves, and liquids, making it suitable for a wide range of applications including automotive, mobile phones, laptops, digital signage, and kiosks. SigmaSense's solutions can detect hand presence up to 18 inches away and differentiate between driver and passenger touches in vehicles. In September 2023, SigmaSense announced a new semiconductor and analytics solution for real-time battery monitoring using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), expanding its reach into the battery technology sector.
SigmaSense's innovations allow for the extraction of more data from the physical world, enabling previously impossible designs across various surfaces, shapes, and materials. The company's technology moves analog challenges to the digital domain, providing greater design flexibility and significant performance improvements. In May 2023, SigmaSense entered into a licensing and co-development agreement with NXP Semiconductors, which included a USD 35 million investment from NXP.

SiFive is a fabless semiconductor company founded in 2015 that specializes in designing processor cores and chips based on the open-source RISC-V instruction set architecture. The company provides commercial RISC-V-based platforms and custom silicon solutions, offering a range of processor core IP, development boards, and SoCs. SiFive's technology enables system designers to quickly and easily build custom chips for various applications including data centers, networking, storage, and edge computing. The company's cores offer 30-40% better power efficiency and a smaller size compared to alternatives, allowing for more cores on a chip. SiFive's online platform simplifies the process of designing and testing chips and core IP, even for those new to silicon development. In September 2020, SiFive appointed Patrick Little as President and CEO to accelerate adoption of its technology for next-generation computing solutions. As of March 2022, SiFive had a post-money valuation between USD 1-10 billion.
Key customers and partnerships
SiFive has collaborated with several high-profile organizations. In 2022, NASA announced that SiFive's RISC-V-compatible CPU cores would power its new High-Performance Spaceflight Computer, expected to deliver a 100-fold improvement in performance over its predecessor. SiFive has also worked with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center to create an open-source API for popular compilers, enabling applications to use the RISC-V Vector Extension for high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and computer vision. The company has partnerships with major technology firms, as evidenced by its involvement in initiatives supporting RISC-V International.

SiFive

Alif Semiconductor is a supplier of 32-bit AI/ML-enabled microcontrollers (MCUs) and fusion processors. Founded in 2019, the company's flagship product line is the Ensemble family, which ranges from single-core microcontrollers to multi-core fusion processors. The Ensemble devices combine Arm Cortex-M55 MCU cores, Cortex-A32 microprocessor cores, and Ethos-U55 microNPUs for AI/ML acceleration. Alif's processors are designed to be energy efficient, utilizing the company's Autonomous Intelligent Power Management (aiPM) technology that powers on only what's needed, when needed. This allows for extended battery life in applications like wearables, security cameras, and IoT devices.
The Ensemble family includes the E1, E3, and E7 series, with the E1C serving as an entry-level option. These processors offer high AI performance combined with ultra-low power consumption. For instance, the Balletto family, announced in April 2024, is claimed to be the world's first Bluetooth Low Energy wireless microcontroller featuring hardware optimization for AI/ML workloads. It can perform up to 46 GOPS (Giga Operations Per Second) and is designed for applications such as true wireless stereo earbuds and lifestyle wristbands.
Alif's processors incorporate advanced security features, including a Secure Enclave with its own resources and a configurable secure firewall structure. The company's security architecture aims to counter and resist malicious attacks in deployed edge products. Alif Semiconductor's products are designed to enable seamless integration of technology for everyday life by focusing on low-power techniques, functional integration, accelerated AI and ML edge processing, high security, wireless connectivity, and operating system diversity.
Key customers and partnerships
Alif Semiconductor has collaborated with several companies in the semiconductor and technology sectors. In November 2022, Alif partnered with onsemi to create a camera reference design for low-power applications using machine vision. This collaboration aimed to address challenges in implementing imaging products with long battery life and localized AI/ML capabilities.
In January 2024, Alif Semiconductor and Telit Cinterion unveiled the Vision AppKit, described as the world's smartest and most efficient connected camera reference design. This kit combines Telit Cinterion's wireless technology with Alif's Ensemble E3 series MCU for on-device AI use cases like face and object detection and image classification.
Alif has also worked with Plumerai, a creator of edge AI solutions, to deploy what they claim is the world's most precise person detection on the Ensemble platform. This collaboration demonstrated the potential for accurate computer vision AI in a small form factor that can run on battery power for extended periods.

Alif Semiconductor

Atmosic Technologies is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in ultra-low-power wireless platforms for the internet of Things (IoT). The company's core focus is on developing energy-efficient solutions that reduce or eliminate battery dependency in connected devices. Atmosic's product portfolio includes system-on-chips (SoCs) based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, enhanced with proprietary features for improved power efficiency and energy harvesting capabilities.
Atmosic's flagship products include the ATM3 and ATM33 series of Bluetooth 5.3 SoCs, which incorporate the company's Lowest Power Radio and On-demand Wake-Up technologies. These innovations enable Atmosic's chips to achieve significantly lower power consumption compared to standard Bluetooth solutions. The company's latest offering, the ATM34/e series announced in January 2024, expands its capabilities to support Matter-over-Thread protocol, providing additional flexibility for smart home applications.
The company's technology has found applications in various IoT devices, including asset trackers, beacons, remote controls, keyboards, mice, and wearables. One notable implementation is in Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag2, which utilizes Atmosic's ATM3325 SoC to achieve a 43% reduction in power consumption compared to its predecessor.
Atmosic's business model revolves around selling its SoCs to device manufacturers and providing development platforms to support integration into various IoT products. The company aims to address the growing demand for sustainable and low-maintenance IoT solutions across multiple sectors, including consumer, enterprise, healthcare, and industrial applications.
Key customers and partnerships
Atmosic has established partnerships with several companies in the IoT ecosystem. Samsung Electronics incorporated Atmosic's ATM3325 SoC into its Galaxy SmartTag2, showcasing the technology's ability to extend battery life in consumer products. In March 2023, Atmosic collaborated with Dracula Technologies to create a battery-free remote control reference design, combining Atmosic's ATM33 SoC with Dracula's organic photovoltaic technology.
The company has also partnered with Exeger, a Swedish manufacturer of solar cell technology, to develop energy harvesting solutions for IoT devices. In July 2024, Atmosic announced a partnership with blukii, a brand of hard&softWERK, to power a new Bluetooth beacon with extended battery life.
Atmosic's customer base has expanded significantly, with the company reporting a 500% increase in its customer base and a tenfold increase in shipments in January 2022. The company has also formed a partnership with Universal Electronics Inc., a global leader in universal control solutions for home entertainment and smart home devices.
In the distribution space, Atmosic partnered with Mouser Electronics in December 2023 to make its products more accessible to IoT developers worldwide. This partnership aims to accelerate the growth of sustainable IoT devices by providing immediate access to Atmosic's low-power wireless portfolio.

Atmosic

TenaFe, Inc. is a solid-state drive (SSD) controller startup that develops innovative storage technologies for data centers, edge computing, and client OEM applications. The company specializes in creating PCIe NVMe SSD controllers with advanced features. TenaFe's product lineup includes PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD controllers designed with DRAMless architecture, such as the TC2200, which achieves transfer rates of 4.8GB/s, and the TC2201, which can reach speeds up to 7.4GB/s. For data center applications, TenaFe offers the TC2310, a PCIe Gen 5 NVMe controller that prioritizes performance, power efficiency, and low latency, with a maximum active power average of less than 20W. This controller is compatible with various form factors including E1.S, E1.L, U.2, and E3.S. TenaFe also produces the TB2200, a PCIe Gen 4 NVMe BGA SSD designed for emerging applications such as autonomous vehicles, AR/VR products, and gaming phones. This small form factor SSD is soldered down to provide vibration resistance and shock-proof capabilities. In addition to hardware, TenaFe has developed TenaFe Insight, an SSD development platform that streamlines the process from architecture design to mass production, allowing for on-site or cloud-based development and collaboration with partners. The company's technology incorporates a patented LDPC engine to improve Quality of Service, leading-edge compression algorithms to enhance endurance and capacity, and designs optimized for minimal power consumption.

TenaFe

Menlo Micro is a company that specializes in developing and manufacturing innovative microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches, known as the Ideal Switch technology. The company's core product offering is a range of high-performance MEMS switches that combine the benefits of mechanical relays and solid-state switches. Menlo Micro's Ideal Switch technology enables switches that are significantly smaller, faster, and more reliable than traditional electromechanical relays while providing lower power consumption and better efficiency than solid-state alternatives.
The company's product portfolio includes various switch configurations such as single-pole/single-throw (SPST), single-pole/four-throw (SP4T), and double-pole/double-throw (DPDT) switches. These switches are designed for applications across multiple industries, including industrial automation, smart building controls, energy management systems, telecommunications, aerospace and defense, medical devices, and consumer electronics.
One of Menlo Micro's flagship products is the MM9200, introduced in December 2022. This device is capable of handling 10A of current in a miniature 5mm x 5mm surface-mount package, with an ultra-low contact resistance of 0.010 ohms. The MM9200 offers fast switching speeds of 10 microseconds, a voltage standoff of ±300V, and a mechanical endurance of over 1 billion switching cycles. In March 2023, the company released the MM1200, a six-channel SPST switch designed for power and signal switching applications in both DC and AC circuits.
To support its Ideal Switch products, Menlo Micro also develops complementary technologies such as the MM101, an 8-channel low-voltage to high-voltage driver with an integrated charge pump, released in January 2023. This driver solution aims to simplify the integration of Menlo Micro's switches into various applications.
In July 2023, Menlo Micro announced plans to establish its first domestic production facility, called the Ideal Fab, in Tompkins County, New York. The company committed to investing USD 50 million in this facility over three years, with the potential for additional investments up to USD 150 million as part of a multi-year growth strategy.

Menlo Micro

Companies that develop low-power, high-performance semiconductors for sensors, wearables, and other connected devices.

Companies that develop semiconductors that can support high-bandwidth and low-latency requirements of 5G networks and other wireless communication technologies.

Companies that develop semiconductors that focus on automotive applications such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving as well as in-car entertainment and communication systems.

Companies that develop semiconductors to improve the performance of data center infrastructure.

Companies developing semiconductors for other emerging tech applications, including quantum and edge computing.

Companies in the IoT applications segment develop semiconductors for sensors, wearables, and other connected devices

Develop semiconductor materials and technologies to advance technologies such as IoT, 5G, and AutoTech

RF applications segment companies develop semiconductors for 5G networks and other wireless communication technologies

SigmaSense

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