eSilicon
| Private | |
| Industry | Semiconductors, Electronics |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Headquarters | San Jose, California, USA |
Key people | Jack Harding, Founder and CEO; Warren Ligan, CFO; Robert Cadman, VP Global Sales; Ajay Lalwani, VP ASIC Product Line; Patrick Soheili, VP and GM IP Solutions; Linda Rogers, VP Human Resources |
| Products | ASICs |
Number of employees | 450 (2012) |
| Website | www.esilicon.com |
eSilicon is a fabless semiconductor company founded in 2000 in San Jose, California. eSilicon designs and manufactures digital CMOS ASICs. In addition, eSilicon designs customizable memory IP and provides multi-project wafer services. eSilicon is considered a pioneer of the fabless ASIC model and is the world's largest independent semiconductor design and manufacturing services provider. Their strength is in developing and delivering complex chips with an average of about 20 chips per year. The company has more than 275 completed designs. [1]
Locations
eSilicon's headquarters is in San Jose, California. eSilicon has offices in Allentown, PA; New Providence, NJ; Shanghai, China; Seoul, Korea; Bucharest, Romania; Singapore; and Vietnam (one design center in Ho Chi Minh City and another in Da Nang).
History
Since its founding in 2000 eSilicon has received a total of $86M in venture capital.[2] In 2002 eSilicon became widely known as the supplier of a key Apple Inc. iPod ASIC through PortalPlayer.[3] 2004 revenues reached $91M largely driven by ASICs for the iPod. In 2006 Apple announced that they were changing their iPod ASIC strategy and eSilicon no longer supplies ASICs for the iPod.[4] Following the loss of the iPod business eSilicon diversified its customer base and announced in May 2008 that they were profitable and shipping ASICs to over 50 customers.[5] In January 2008 eSilicon acquired the assets of Swedish-based ethernet networking switch supplier SwitchCore AB and announced that they would seek further acquisitions.[6] Rumors of eSilicon preparing to file for an IPO have circulated on and off since 2003.[7][8][9]
Products
eSilicon provides physical design, design for test insertion, package design, product qualification, IP licensing, and manufacturing services for digital CMOS ASICs. eSilicon has announced products in .25 um, .18 um, .13 um, 90 nm, 65 nm, and 40 nm process technologies. Customer ASICs have been announced in a wide range of applications including digital cameras, portable multimedia players, inkjet printers, networking, and high performance computing. In February 2008 it was announced that eSilicon had licensed Avago Technologies high performance 90 nm and 65 nm SerDes technology for use in eSilicon's customer's designs.[10]
Manufacturing
As a fabless company eSilicon outsources all semiconductor manufacturing to merchant foundries. Since eSilicon's founding it has had a relationship with TSMC as its primary foundry partner.[11] eSilicon also outsources all package assembly and test.
Milestones
2000-2003
•Pioneers the value chain producer (VCP) model, based on industry megatrends •Adds design teams coming primarily from Bell Labs (Murray Hill, New Jersey and Allentown, Pennsylvania) •Adds Netlist engagement model, focuses on North American customers •Builds infrastructure to run and manage business •Patents eSilicon Access® 24x7 production management tool •Creates GlobalDesign™ private cloud-based hosted design environment
2004-2007
•To-date record revenue driven primarily by inclusion of customer's chip in Apple iPod •Diversifies to reduce concentration in consumer segment •Adds GDSII engagement model to expand SAM (served available market) ◦Establishes engineering center in Romania through acquisition of Sycon Design ◦Begins engagement with EMEA customers
2008-Current
•Establishes manufacturing operations center in Shanghai, China •GSA (Global Semiconductor Alliance) announces VCP as an official market segment, creates a board seat •Acquires Silicon Design Solutions (SDS) with two engineering centers in Vietnam (170 full-time employees) for its custom IP business •Adds Semiconductor Manufacturing Services (SMS) engagement model •Organizes into three business units: ASIC, IP and SMS for business focus and growth
References
- ↑ "ASIC specialist eSilicon expands strategy, seeks acquisitions". 2008-05-06.
- ↑ "eSilicon Corporation Secures $15 Million In Funding". Business Wire. 2005-02-14.
- ↑ Morrison, Gale (2002-01-21). "eSilicon: Outsource and thrive - Design Strategies". Electronic News.
- ↑ "PortalPlayer dealt setback at Apple". 2006-04-19.
- ↑ "eSilicon Achieves Significant Milestone by Booking Production Orders from More Than Fifty Customers". 2008-05-22.
- ↑ "eSilicon: eSilicon Acquires SwitchCore's Product Lines". Reuters. 2008-01-14.
- ↑ Mullins, Robert (2003-09-12). "Latest VC funding has eSilicon thinking IPO".
- ↑ "IPO on the cards for eSilicon next year". 2006-10-24.
- ↑ "eSilicon unveils "HardCore" macrocell program". 2007-06-18.
- ↑ "eSilicon Licenses Avago Technologies' High Performance Embedded SerDes Cores". Reuters. 2008-02-27.
- ↑ "eSilicon Joins TSMC Design Center Alliance; Custom Chip Provider Further Streamlines Silicon Delivery Process". Business Wire. 2004-03-08.