Silicon Catalyst Announces Winners of the 2024 Arm Startups...

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The Silicon Catalyst-Arm start-up contest winners were announced this week. This was the first contest of its kind so there was quite a bit of excitement. SemiWiki has worked closely with Silicon Catalyst for the past four years which has been quite the journey. Out of the one hundred plus companies SemiWiki has worked with over that last 13 years, Silicon Catalyst is the most successful of its kind, absolutely.

The two winners were selected from a large number of applicants. First place and winner of $250,000 of Arm technology credit is Agate Sensors from Finland. Agate Sensors is developing hyper-spectral sensors for the Wearables and Mobile Devices markets. Here is the pitch deck they submitted:

The runner-up company is Smartkosh Technologies from India winning $150,000 of Arm technology credit . Smartkosh is developing Battery Management Solutions. Here is the Smartkosh pitch-deck:

The contest awards include commercial, technical and marketing support from Arm and Silicon Catalyst. The winners will receive Arm technology credit that can be applied to commercial tape out licensing fees.

Both companies will also receive: Cost-free Arm Design Review with Arm’s experienced support team, Investor pitch review and preparation support by Silicon Catalyst, and an opportunity to present to the Silicon Catalyst Angels group and their investment syndication network.

The contest was open to eligible early-stage startups that are part of, or considering to be part of, Arm Flexible Access for Startups, which provides no-cost easy access to an extensive design portfolio, free tools, training and support, and a $0 license fee to produce prototypes.

The CEO of Silicon Catalyst is a friend, former coworker, and experienced semiconductor entrepreneur:

Pete Rodriguez, CEO of Silicon Catalyst, stated, “Leveraging our strong collaboration with Arm as both a Silicon Catalyst Strategic Partner and an In-Kind Partner, we launched a global contest last year for early-stage entrepreneurial teams. The aim was to offer valuable commercial and technical support from Arm. Continuing now in our joint contest’s second year, the applicant companies showcased a remarkable variety of technologies and application targets, along with geographic diversity. The enthusiastic response to this contest highlighted the extensive range of products within Arm’s portfolio, underscoring the significant value of the Arm Flexible Access for Startups program. The applicants presented some of the most exciting emerging applications utilizing Arm® technologies, including quantum computing, consumer products, massively parallel AI, cryptography, and wireless communications. I congratulate the teams at Agate Sensors and Smartkosh Technologies.”

Here is the Silicon Catalyst press release:
Silicon Catalyst Announces Winners of the 2024 Semiconductor Startups Contest in Partnership with Arm

Silicon Catalyst’s mission is to help semiconductor startups succeed in all aspects of business. Early-stage companies may be eligible to receive initial seed funding from Silicon Catalyst Angels and other partners. Companies that are accepted to participate in Luminate and Silicon Catalyst accelerator programs concurrently will receive $100,000 in funding at the start of programming and a chance to compete for up to $2M.

Incubated companies will be eligible to apply to Silicon Catalyst Angels for access to additional funding. Apply now!

And the Arm press release:
Full-spectrum Image Technology Provider Triumphs at Arm Flexible Access for Startups Contest 2024

Bottom line: Having done start-ups for most of my 40 year semiconductor career I can tell you first hand how challenging AND rewarding it is. If you’re a semiconductor startup in its early stages, seriously consider how Silicon Catalyst and the Arm Flexible Access for Startups can ensure your success.