Every year, the IEEE ISSCC (International Solid State Circuits Conference) presents the cutting edge of IC design. It covers all the relevant application areas. As expected, AI is driving not just the processor market itself but also the corresponding data center technologies. It is here where the growth of the models is now putting stress on the data communication: >30% of the time is spend on moving data instead of computation. This bottleneck is becoming more severe. This is the reason to aggressively drive the application of optical communication to replace the copper wiring. Not only for communicating to rack but also from board to board. The latest developments now also focus on on-board large radix optical switches. With this increased focus on photonics-based solutions, related fields such as EDA also need to make further steps, specifically in the co-simulation of electrical and photonic sub-systems.
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Many founders who receive a Non-Binding Offer consider it a big achievement. Especially after months or years of development, a potential acquirer looks like a sign that hard work is bearing fruit. But being excited sometimes may lead founders to make mistakes.
A successful deep-tech M&A transaction requires more than just buying and selling — it requires unique insights that no ‘typical’ advisor should have access to. The success of such a complex deal hinges on knowing how new technologies relate to other technologies, IP, and current & future market trends.
Many founders underestimate how different deep tech fundraising really is. Deep tech funding rounds don’t follow the same rules as software funding rounds. These rounds take more time, they are larger, and are validation-driven due to long-lasting R&D cycles and capital intensity. Imagine that each round answers the question, then what question would it be?