ENGtechnica

Tag: TechLeadership

  • Nanopower Names Svein-Egil Nielsen as Chair of Board

    Nanopower Names Svein-Egil Nielsen as Chair of Board

    KRISTIANSAND, NORWAY, Feb 7, 2025 – Nanopower Semiconductor AS has appointed ex-Nordic Semiconductor chief technology officer (CTO) Svein-Egil Nielsen as the chair of its board of directors. Nanopower is a Norwegian fabless semiconductor manufacturer of the nPZero power-saving IC that reduces the power consumption of battery-powered applications by up to 90%.

    Svein-Egil Nielsen

    Nanopower CEO Tore Irgens Kuhnle said: ‘We are thrilled to welcome Nielsen as the new Chair of our Board of Directors. His extensive track record and deep expertise in the semiconductor industry make him an invaluable addition. With his leadership, we are poised to accelerate both our commercial success and product innovation.’

    Svein-Egil Nielsen spent almost 20 years at Nordic Semiconductor, including 11 years as CTO after having also been the Sales & Marketing Director. Nielsen played a key role in Nordic’s development into a top global company, generating over $500 million in annual sales, offering a wide range of products.

    Nielsen said: “I am really excited to join Nanopower because I can see the combination of a unique product and a talented team all pulling in the same direction.”

    The appointment signifies Nanopower’s ambition to expand globally as it commences production of its nPZero power-saving integrated circuit. Nanopower is set to start supplying samples of nPZero to customers this quarter and is accepting orders for its nPZero evaluation board.

    Founder and departing chairman, Odd Harald Hauge, is satisfied with being succeeded by Nielsen: “Svein-Egil Nielsen brings exactly the right competence and a clear sense of mission about the difference that Nanopower can make to the world.” Odd Harald Hauge will continue on the board of Nanopower.

    Svein-Egil Nielsen’s appointment as non-executive chair of the board is effective immediately.

    About Nanopower

    Nanopower Semiconductor AS, founded in 2017, is a fabless semiconductor company headquartered in Kristiansand, Norway, with additional operations in Porto, Portugal. The company specializes in ultra-low-power integrated circuits (ICs) designed to significantly reduce energy consumption in battery-powered devices. Their proprietary nPZero technology enables devices to operate in the nanoampere range during periods without wireless communication, thereby extending battery life. Nanopower serves industries such as the Internet of Things (IoT), industrial automation, and sensor networks, focusing on sustainable and scalable electronic solutions. Nanopower secured a grant of approximately $2.68 million in June 2023 to further its development efforts.

    Source: Nanopower

  • Dolphin Semiconductor Adds New Board Members

    Dolphin Semiconductor Adds New Board Members

    MEYLAN, France and MONTREAL, Canada, Feb 4, 2025 – Dolphin Semiconductor is announcing today the appointment of Robert LeFort as chairman of the board and Shelly Van Dyke as an independent board member. These appointments aim to strengthen the company’s governance and drive its growth strategy.

    Image: Business Wire

    The addition of Robert LeFort and Shelly Van Dyke to its Board of Directors highlights the commitment to advancing its global growth strategy, fostering innovation, and strengthening its leadership in the semiconductor industry.

    Robert LeFort, former president of Infineon Technologies North America, assumes the role of chairman of the board. Dolphin Semiconductor strategy development and governance will benefit from his profound understanding of the semiconductor industry and its key actors, as well as his Board experience. Robert said, “I look forward to be a part of the transformation of Dolphin Semiconductor, strengthening its position as a world class provider of semiconductor IP partnering with the most influential technology leaders in the world.”

    Shelly Van Dyke, vice president of strategy, analog & automotive embedded systems at NXP Semiconductors, joins the board as an independent member. With her broad experience in strategic planning and M&A within the semiconductor sector, she brings a wealth of knowledge that will support Dolphin Semiconductor’s ambition to scale up. “I am excited to work with the Dolphin Semiconductor team in their next chapter of growth, building on their impressive track record of energy efficient and innovative IP designs,” says Shelly.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Robert LeFort and Shelly Van Dyke to our board of directors,” said Laurent Monge, CEO of Dolphin Semiconductor. “Their extensive experience and proven expertise will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Dolphin Semiconductor. Their contributions will help us achieve our ambitious goals and continue to innovate in the semiconductor industry.”

    These appointments underscore Dolphin Semiconductor’s dedication to accelerating its journey in delivering cutting-edge, energy-efficient semiconductor IP solutions in all regions.

    Following these appointments, the Dolphin Semiconductor Board of Directors is composed of:

    • Robert LeFort, chairman of the board
    • Pierre Garnier, managing partner, Jolt Capital
    • Maxime Mallet, general partner, Jolt Capital
    • Clement Bourgogne, investment director, Canada, Jolt Capital
    • Claude Jean, independent board member
    • Shelly Van Dyke, independent board member

    About Robert LeFort

    Robert (Bob) LeFort retired from Infineon Technologies in July 2023, where he was president of Infineon Technologies Americas Corp. Bob led Infineon Americas starting in January 2015 after the acquisition of International Rectifier. Bob also led the integration of Cypress Semiconductor closed in April 2020. Bob was previously the corporate vice president of strategy and M&A based in Munich after rejoining the company in 2013. Before his return to Infineon, Bob was the CEO of Ember Corp., which Silicon Labs acquired in 2012. Bob has served on nonprofit boards and advisory committees. He is also currently on the Board of Directors for Boreas Technologies. Robert LeFort holds an MBA with High Honors from Boston University and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Summa Cum Laude from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

    About Shelly Van Dyke

    Shelly Van Dyke is vice president of strategy, analog & automotive embedded systems at NXP Semiconductors. She has over 38 years of experience in engineering, strategy and strategic finance for the semiconductor industry and the technology supply chain. Career highlights include the start-up of the NXP Oak Hill fab, Freescale’s initial public offerings, serving on the Board of the world semiconductor trade statistics industry association, the NXP-Freescale merger integration, and NXP’s pending acquisition of TTTech Auto. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, and a Master’s in Business Administration from Regis University.

    About Dolphin Semiconductor

    Dolphin Semiconductor, established in 1985 and headquartered in Meylan, France, specializes in designing and developing analog and mixed-signal semiconductor IP solutions. The company offers a range of products, including power management IP, audio IP, and power metering IP, designed for applications in mobile devices, consumer electronics, automotive systems, and the Internet of Things (IoT). With a focus on energy efficiency, Dolphin Semiconductor enables longer battery life and reduced power consumption in electronic devices. As of 2023, the company employs approximately 125 professionals.

  • KORE Appoints Jared Deith as Chief Revenue Officer

    KORE Appoints Jared Deith as Chief Revenue Officer

    ATLANTA, GA, Feb 4, 2025 – KORE Group Holdings, Inc. has named Jared Deith as executive vice president and chief revenue officer. Deith, , brings a formidable track record of building high-performing teams and driving transformative growth in the IoT market.

    Jared Deith

    “I’m honored and excited to step into the role of CRO and drive KORE to expected new heights of success and growth,” said Deith. “In my recent role leading the Global Connected Health business, I’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of IoT solutions for our customers. Many are fueling their growth through connected devices and require highly available, secure, and scalable solutions—perfectly aligned with KORE’s strengths.” 

    “As a proven leader in the IoT market, Jared brings a growth mindset and an unwavering customer focus, making him the ideal choice,” said Ron Totton, chief executive officer of KORE. “His entrepreneurial spirit and execution-focused approach will help us redefine what’s possible in the IoT space.”

    Tim Donahue, KORE’s chairman of the Board of Directors, added, “Jared has a keen understanding of customer needs and a relentless drive and energy – exactly what’s needed to build on KORE’s strong foundation and take the Company to new heights.”

    In his new role, Deith will oversee global sales, partnerships, marketing and revenue operations, accelerating KORE’s momentum as the go-to provider for IoT solutions. 

    About KORE

    KORE Group Holdings, Inc., founded in 2002 and headquartered in Atlanta, GA, is a provider of Internet of Things (IoT) services and solutions worldwide. The company offers a comprehensive suite of IoT offerings, including connectivity and location-based services, device solutions, and managed and professional services, catering to industries such as healthcare, fleet and vehicle management, asset management, communication services, and industrial manufacturing. As of 2023, KORE employs approximately 600 individuals. In the trailing twelve months ending June 30, 2024, the company reported revenues of approximately $285 million.

    Source: KORE

  • Baya Systems Welcomes Manish Muthal and Siva Yerramilli to Board of Directors

    Baya Systems Welcomes Manish Muthal and Siva Yerramilli to Board of Directors

    SANTA CLARA, CA, Jan 29, 2025 – Baya Systems has announced the additions of Manish Muthal and Siva Yerramilli to its Board of Directors. Both bring extensive experience in semiconductor technology and software and scaling disruptive startups, further strengthening Baya Systems’ leadership team.

    They join chairman Jim Keller, Baya Systems CEO Dr. Sailesh Kumar and Matrix Capital General Partner Stan Reiss on the board.

    Manish Muthal. Image: LinkedIn

    Manish Muthal, senior managing director at Maverick Silicon, is a seasoned semiconductor industry veteran with leadership roles at Intel, LSI, Xilinx and Broadcom, as well as a track record of founding successful venture-backed startups.

    “At Maverick Silicon, we believe Baya Systems’ technology will be the key enabler of next-generation data movement, communication and multi-die systems that will power AI acceleration, scalable infrastructure and mobility,” said Muthal. “I’m excited to join a team of this caliber that is enabling the paradigm shift for explosive growth of intelligent compute systems.”

    Also joining the board is Siva Yerramilli, SVP of the Corporate Incubation Group at Synopsys, Inc., that delivers trusted and comprehensive silicon to systems design solutions, from electronic design automation to silicon IP and system verification and validation. Prior to this, he had a very successful career at Intel, leading technology enablement and product development.

    “Having followed the founding team building NetSpeed Systems and their contribution to the Xeon program during my time at Intel, I see the generational leap they have made with Baya Systems. I look forward to being part of this journey,” said Yerramilli. “Baya’s focus on software-driven architecture analysis and development and their expertise in highly accurate performance modeling are fundamental to the next generation of system design that translates target software workloads rapidly into customized and future-proofed designs.”

    “Manish and Siva bring great experience that complements our team,” said Keller. “We’re thrilled to welcome them to the board. Their guidance and insights will be invaluable to our vision of more capable, intelligent compute.”

    About Baya Systems

    Baya Systems, headquartered in Santa Clara, CA, specializes in high-performance, software-driven system IP solutions. Founded in 2018, the company focuses on enabling the design, optimization, and deployment of complex, intelligent computing systems. Its flagship products include WeaverPro software and WeaveIP, that provide customizable and scalable transport fabrics for multi-chiplet and system-on-chip (SoC) designs. The solutions cater to industries such as AI acceleration, automotive, IoT, and data centers, delivering high throughput, low latency, and chiplet-readiness. Baya Systems is a key player in optimizing data movement and supporting advanced, data-intensive applications, including autonomous systems, AI processing, and large-scale infrastructure. Baya Systems is gaining recognition for its innovative solutions that reduce the risks and complexities of building next-generation high-performance systems.

    Source: Baya Systems

  • David Hughes Joins Stelia as VP Engineering to Drive AI Innovation

    David Hughes Joins Stelia as VP Engineering to Drive AI Innovation

    LONDON, UK, Jan 24, 2025 – Stelia has announced the appointment of David Hughes as VP of engineering. David brings experience in developing and scaling high-traffic, low-latency and big-data platforms and software engineering with a focus on network and storage appliances.

    David will lead Stelia’s platform strategy, guide the creation of AI-driven networking technologies, and scale the engineering team up to meet the company’s goals. His experience includes building large-scale networks, reliable platforms, and robust infrastructure. He will help Stelia improve data movement, connect diverse AI resources, and simplify distributed AI operations.

    This leadership appointment comes at a crucial time, as AI infrastructure faces significant challenges. With NVIDIA’s flagship H100 chip priced at $25,000 each and 8 chips per server chassis, efficient utilization is critical.

    AI systems rely on large amounts of data, with global data center storage expected to increase from 10.1 zettabytes in 2023 to 21 zettabytes by 2027. Experts estimate that by 2025, AI will account for most network application traffic, with about 75% of all network traffic involving AI by 2030. Managing these changes requires engineering leaders who understand the growing demands of AI technology.

    “We are thrilled to welcome David to the team,” said Tobias Hooton, CEO, Stelia. “His expertise as a technologist spanning multiple domains, coupled with a deep involvement and commitment to open source technology and communities, will be invaluable as we continue to push the boundaries of AI innovation and empower enterprises to drive transformative change.”

    Prior to joining Stelia, David served as CTO at Genesis Cloud, where he led engineering and technology, product development and infrastructure operations. More importantly, David managed the transition from being a consumer/enthusiast-centric GPU cloud service provider to an accelerated compute platform for enterprise. He also brings experience in cloud computing, big data, HPC, web hosting and lots more across a range of markets. Recently, David was part of the unicorn startup Adjust GmbH.

    “I’m excited to join Stelia at such a pivotal time,” said Hughes. “The opportunity to expand and lead a world-class engineering team and drive AI acceleration aligns perfectly with my passion for being at the coalface of the industry and solving problems that unlock massive opportunity for the wider industry. More importantly the opportunity to leave a lasting mark on computing, similar to Scott McNealy’s “change computing forever” mentality. I look forward to working with the talented team at Stelia to build and scale AI solutions that make a lasting impact.”

    About Stelia

    Stelia.io, founded in 2021 and headquartered in London, UK, is a global connectivity company that supports emerging technology businesses and enables innovation. The company specializes in developing ultra-fast, flexible, and scalable data mobility platforms tailored for AI applications. Stelia’s mission is to empower AI builders with the infrastructure and connections essential for widespread AI adoption. Their platform offers ultra-low latency of less than 1 millisecond and terabit-scale bandwidth, ensuring seamless access to cutting-edge AI and machine learning resources, including AI storage platforms, GPU clouds, and public clouds. This enables businesses to accelerate AI innovation, enhance infrastructure, and connect distributed systems across various industries. The company is funded by venture capital, securing seed funding in 2024.

  • Tech Startup Veteran Carl Lucas Joins Woolpert as Chief Information Officer

    Tech Startup Veteran Carl Lucas Joins Woolpert as Chief Information Officer

    DAYTON, OH, Jan 17, 2025 – Woolpert has hired chief information officer Carl Lucas to oversee IT development, integration, and security for the firm’s expanding global architecture, engineering, and geospatial (AEG) operations and artificial intelligence technologies. Working with Woolpert’s leadership team, Lucas will help bolster the firm’s cybersecurity and IT bench strength, improve the IT integration processes for acquired firms, and drive a holistic AI program to support its corporate services, internal IT, generative AI, and operational needs.

    Carl Lucas

    Lucas has provided IT strategy and leadership for a variety of tech startups, Fortune 500 companies, and private equity-backed firms. He comes to Woolpert with over 30 years of global IT experience, including 10 years within the geospatial industry.

    “I’m honored to join Woolpert at this incredibly exciting time in the company’s history,” Lucas said. “I’m looking forward to leading transformative global IT initiatives and AI innovations that will support Woolpert’s strategic vision and add value for customers and employees.”

    Before joining Woolpert, Lucas served as vice president of information technology at NV5. He focused on technology advancement and scalability for the firm’s geospatial solutions unit, overseeing its global technology systems, operations, cloud services, and IT security.

    “Carl’s experience leading technology organizations for innovative, rapidly growing organizations is an ideal match for Woolpert’s growing global business,” Woolpert president Neil Churman said. “Carl has the industry insight, business acumen, and innovative mindset to help us connect, protect, and scale our expanding operations. We are very pleased and fortunate to welcome him to our team.”

    Lucas earned his bachelor’s degree in astrophysics from the University of Rochester. He holds a professional certificate in Management and Leadership from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a professional certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Stanford University. He will be based out of Woolpert’s office in the St. Pete Innovation District in St. Petersburg, FL.

    Source: Woolpert