Silicon 100: Startups Worth Watching in 2023

EE Times Current · 1 Aug 2023 · 15m

What this episode covers

Peter Clark, curator of EE Times' Silicon 100, analyzes the 2023 list with Embedded.com editor Nitin Dahad, highlighting a surge in AI startups, significant Chinese activity, and a shift toward full-stack offerings. They discuss the transition from data center AI to edge applications, the persistent semiconductor talent shortage, and the geopolitical challenges facing Chinese chipmakers like Byton Technology who are denied access to leading-edge foundries like TSMC. The conversation also covers the rise of custom silicon, the maturity of quantum computing, and the broadening wavefront of startup activity across power semiconductors and displays.

Mentioned

Companies
EE Times, Embedded.com, Cerebrus, G42, Coop Studios, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Byton Technology, TSMC, Global Foundries, Samsung, Smick, Wolfspeed, Infinian, Apple, Nvidia, Google, Netflix, Meta
Products
Condor Galaxy One
Also
Andrew Feldman, Anton Shilov, Peter Clark, Nitin Dahad, Eric Singer, Taylor Marvin, Alex Holly, Stephanie Munoz

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Circuit · 52m

    EP 161: TSMC Earnings, Cerebras S1, Custom Semi Rumors, Apple CEO Change

    Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg analyze TSMC's strong earnings and strategic ramp-up of N3 production to meet AI demand, while discussing the compute deficit impacting firms like Anthropic and Cerebras' S1 chip. They explore the fragmenting market for custom ASICs as Google considers design partners like Marvell and MediaTek, and weigh in on Tim Cook's departure from Apple, arguing his legacy was preserving the company's culture for John Ternus.

  • The Circuit · 40m

    Episode 28: A Whole Lot of Custom Going On

    Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg discuss the hidden growth of custom silicon, highlighting Amazon's aggressive push with Graviton, Inferentia, and Trainium chips to achieve performance parity and energy efficiency. They explore how hyperscalers like Google, Microsoft, and AWS are developing semi-custom networking chips (e.g., Nitro) to reduce latency for AI workloads, while noting that automotive OEMs in China are increasingly licensing RISC-V IP for critical systems like ADAS and sensor fusion. The hosts analyze why these custom efforts remain under-reported and how consumer electronics marketing strategies may eventually drive automakers to brand their own silicon.

  • The Circuit · 37m

    Episode 119: Computex, Google I/O, Dell Tech World, and more

    Analysts Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg discuss Computex, Google I/O, and Dell Tech World, highlighting NVIDIA's strategic pivot with NVLink Fusion to accommodate custom silicon and its geopolitical challenges in China. They analyze Google's consumer AI advancements, specifically Gemini Live Video, while debating the monetization of generative AI and the shift toward edge computing. The conversation also covers the competitive dynamics in China's software market and the evolving infrastructure needs for on-premise and edge AI factories.

  • The Circuit · 33m

    Episode 2: The Business of Going Vertical

    Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg discuss the strategic drivers behind technology companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon designing their own silicon, arguing that vertical integration is driven by competitive advantage and roadmap control rather than simple cost savings. They highlight how semiconductor giants like Broadcom, AMD, and MediaTek are responding by offering semi-custom services to retain these high-value customers, while noting that Chinese automotive companies are aggressively pursuing in-house chip design for autonomy due to US sanctions. The conversation explores the shift from commodity merchant silicon to specialized, high-ASP custom chips, emphasizing the role of software-defined hardware and the democratization of chip design tools.

  • The Circuit · 43m

    Episode 25: Challenges for the Semiconductor Industry to Grow to $1 Trillion

    Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg discuss the challenges facing the semiconductor industry's growth to a $1 trillion valuation by 2030, focusing on foundry competition, packaging, and resource constraints. They analyze the competitive dynamics between TSMC, Intel, and Samsung, noting Intel's progress with 18A and Samsung's 3nm yields, while highlighting the strategic shift toward chiplets and advanced packaging. The hosts also address critical constraints including power availability, material scarcity like gallium and germanium, and the need for new engineering talent to sustain industry growth.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by EE Times Current. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.