Is the European model of venture capital for chip start-ups broken?
The National Microelectronics Institute (NMI) is asking that question in the first of a series of panel debate topics to take place at Future World Symposium in London in September.
The session on 'financing the next wave of semiconductor innovation' is chaired by Malcolm Penn of chip researchers Future Horizons and will look at the declining availability of VC funding and determine potential alternative funding strategies for start-up companies.
The National Microelectronics Institute (NMI) is asking that question in the first of a series of panel debate topics to take place at Future World Symposium in London in September.
The session on 'financing the next wave of semiconductor innovation' is chaired by Malcolm Penn of chip researchers Future Horizons and will look at the declining availability of VC funding and determine potential alternative funding strategies for start-up companies.
"The costs associated with starting an IC company are increasing, and so too is the length of time it takes to see a return on that investment," said John Moor, VP of design innovation at thenmI.
"This has meant many VCs are moving to later stage investments or vacated the semiconductor sector altogether. Start ups are vital to innovation in a great many sectors and the financing of this community is crucial. Are we about to see a new model for start ups that does not rely so heavily on VC backing or do we need to see some high profile successes to revitalise the interest of the VC's?"
For more information, see http://www.nmi.org.uk/events/nmi-international-conference-2010
Nick Flaherty has been covering technology and startups since 1990 and is based in Bristol, where he co-founded the SiliconSouthWest network. During that time he has worked for most of the electronics magazines and newspapers in the UK and several in Europe and the US, covering all areas of the industry. He blogs at The Embedded blog www.embeddedblog.blogspot.com and Portable Multimedia www.portablemultimedia.blogspot.com and at www.flaherty.co.uk.
"This has meant many VCs are moving to later stage investments or vacated the semiconductor sector altogether. Start ups are vital to innovation in a great many sectors and the financing of this community is crucial. Are we about to see a new model for start ups that does not rely so heavily on VC backing or do we need to see some high profile successes to revitalise the interest of the VC's?"
For more information, see http://www.nmi.org.uk/events/nmi-international-conference-2010
Nick Flaherty has been covering technology and startups since 1990 and is based in Bristol, where he co-founded the SiliconSouthWest network. During that time he has worked for most of the electronics magazines and newspapers in the UK and several in Europe and the US, covering all areas of the industry. He blogs at The Embedded blog www.embeddedblog.blogspot.com and Portable Multimedia www.portablemultimedia.blogspot.com and at www.flaherty.co.uk.
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