Semiconductor & EDA

Semiconductors, and the electronic design automation (EDA) tools used to create them, have always been the key enablers of the computer, communications, and consumer electronics industries. However, the desire for “faster and cheaper,” as expressed by Moore’s Law, is no longer the only driving force behind the industry. Now energy concerns are pushing semiconductor designers to emphasize lower energy consumption over speed, and semiconductor technologies are critical to the new industries of solar photovoltaics and LED lighting. Mobility, and our desire to stay constantly connected, are also driving the industry to higher levels of integration and faster communications, especially wireless.

At Foundation Capital, we have always seen the semiconductor industry as one that is ripe for truly innovative thinking and inspired vision. It takes a special understanding of the technologies, markets, and the supply chain—how the semiconductor technology benefit is ultimately delivered to the end consumer—to identify and support the entrepreneurs who embody those elements and who can bring those visions to reality.

Current Investments

	ACCO Semiconductor ACCO is a fabless semiconductor developer of innovative CMOS RF solutions for the wireless industry. Based in both France and California, the company has a long history in delivering advanced …	READ MORE
	Jasper Design Automation Jasper Design Automation is the market leader in formal functional property verification.…	READ MORE
	Quartics Quartics is the premier provider of video processing solutions to enable streaming media over wireless and wired networks. The company’s media processing solutions are designed to flawlessly transmit video and audio…	READ MORE
	XMOS XMOS provides a new type of programmable component, Software Defined Silicon (SDS), based on an array of high-performance, event-driven processors. Designs are created in high-level languages, delivering…	READ MORE

Prior Investments by members of the FC Team

Atheros Communications Acquired by Qualcomm	Extreme DA Acquired by Synopsys	Mobius Acquired by Integrated Device Technology
SiBEAM Acquired by Silicon Image, Inc.	Tensilica Acquired by Cadence Design Systems