In this webinar, Google Cloud and NetApp explore how semiconductor companies can address the growing infrastructure demands of modern Electronic Design Automation (EDA) workflows. As process technologies continue to advance and chip designs become increasingly complex, engineering teams require scalable, high-performance… Read More
How Samtec Blazes a Trail to 224/448 Gbps at DesignCon 26
I recently covered what Samtec was doing at DesignCon 26. Samtec has a tendency to dominate any show it attends in multiple dimensions. The prior post focused on the company’s contributions to the technical agenda and the high-profile experts in attendance. While all that is interesting and valuable, attending a large show like… Read More
AION Silicon: Architecting Smarter SoCs with RISC-V: Balancing Performance, Flexibility, and Risk
As semiconductor complexity accelerates across AI, automotive, and edge computing markets, SoC architecture has become a critical determinant of commercial success. Modern silicon programs must simultaneously achieve aggressive performance-per-watt targets, support evolving workloads, and maintain manageable development… Read More
Agentic AI and the Future of Chip Design: From Productivity Tool to Engineering Partner
Highlights from a recent panel session moderated by Ed Sperling (Semiconductor Engineering) featuring Walden Rhines (Silvaco), Vincent Wong (Verific), Dave Kelf (Breker Verification Systems), Shelly Henry (MooresLab AI), Ann Wu (Silimate), and Cindy Cui (ChipAgents). The panel session was hosted by Electronic System … Read More
CEO Interview with Chuck Gershman of Owl Autonomous Imaging
Chuck Gershman is the CEO and co-founder of Owl Autonomous Imaging. He has spent more than 30 years in semiconductors, AI imaging, computer vision, and autonomous sensing technologies across executive management, engineering, marketing, business development, and operations.
Chuck is a Drexel University College of Engineering… Read More
Alchip Accelerates on AI ASIC Demand
Alchip Technologies reported improved financial results for the first quarter, reflecting continued momentum in advanced artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), and custom ASIC demand. The company cited stronger customer engagement in leading-edge semiconductor designs and accelerating tape-out… Read More
John Barr: The EDA Veteran and Award-Winning Needham Funds Portfolio Manager
John Barr, Portfolio Manager of the top-ranked Needham Aggressive Growth Fund, has built a career with skills honed not just on Wall Street, but in the trenches of the early EDA industry.
Before becoming a respected sell-side analyst and later a buy-side portfolio manager, Barr spent 15 years in the EDA industry, working through… Read More
What Winemakers and Chip Designers Have in Common
Consider this a standout presentation at the Silicon Catalyst Spring Portfolio Update Meeting held yesterday at the Computer History Museum. Mahesh Tirupattur, CEO of Analog Bits, is a modern-day, multidimensional semiconductor hero and one of my trusted few. Analog Bits is a premier member of the semiconductor ecosystem,… Read More
Semiconductors Historic Start to 2026
The global semiconductor market grew 25% in the 1st quarter of 2026 from the 4th quarter of 2025 to reach $299 billion, according to WSTS. The 1st quarter of 2026 was up 79% from a year earlier. The 25% quarter-to-quarter growth was the highest in the over 40-year history of WSTS data, surpassing the 20% growth in the 2nd quarter of 2009.… Read More
AI Chip Design Moves Beyond Monolithic Silicon with Alchip 3DIC
Artificial intelligence processors are entering a new era. For more than two decades, semiconductor innovation was driven primarily by transistor scaling and process node shrinks. Today, however, AI infrastructure demands are growing faster than traditional Moore’s Law improvements can sustain. The industry is now shifting… Read More


Available Is Not In Control: Balancing Output, Quality, and Risk in High-Volume Fabs