Qualcomm selects four semiconductor start-ups for mentorship program

Qualcomm India has selected the first batch of its  Semiconductor Mentorship Program (Qualcomm SMP) participants for 2022. Announced in April this year, under this program in collaboration with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), start-ups will receive mentorship, technical training, and industry outreach support from Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

The four shortlisted start-ups include FermionIC Design Pvt Ltd, Powency Circuit Private Limited, Pantherun Technologies Pvt Ltd and Simyog Technology Private Limited.

FermionIC Design Pvt Ltd is a fabless semiconductor company specialising in SERDES IP, PLL and Analog IP Design. Powency Circuit Private Limited is focused on semiconductor products for the small-scale power related application with better efficiency. Pantherun Technologies Pvt Ltd is a cybersecurity innovator with a patent pending data protection approach, that encrypts in real-time, making breaches 10X harder. And Simyog Technology Private Limited- is focused on providing EMI/EMC simulation software for front-loading at the early design stage. Its flagship product ‘Compliance-scope’ (CompScope) is a “Virtual EMI/EMC laboratory” for predicting Radiated Emissions (RE), Conducted Emissions (CE), Radiated Susceptibility (RS), and Conducted Susceptibility (CS) compliance tests.

The start-ups will be mentored by Qualcomm Technologies leaders on product planning and development. The Qualcomm SMP will also facilitate masterclass workshops on technical aspects such as semiconductor design, testing, verification, and packaging, as well as non-technical aspects such as pitches, intellectual property rights, marketing, government incentives, opportunities, and scaling up teams. C-DAC and the Qualcomm SMP will also help these start-ups gain exposure to government stakeholders through meetings, webinars, seminars, and trade shows.

Rajen Vagadia, Vice President, Qualcomm India Private Limited and President, Qualcomm India, said, “As the 5G ecosystem and use-cases for consumers and industries evolve, semiconductors remain crucial for ensuring sustained growth and innovation in the technology sector. There is immense opportunity within India’s vibrant startup ecosystem, backed by recent government policies and programs. The Qualcomm Semiconductor Mentorship Program is yet another step supporting India’s progression as a strong design start-ups hub. Each start-up selected for this program has the potential to bring about a large-scale positive change in semiconductor technology, and we are proud to help them along in their journey.”

E. Magesh, Director General of C-DAC, said, “Start-ups have helped in putting India at the very forefront of technology innovation for the world. The government, cognizant of their potential, is supporting their growth with well-directed policies and strategies and newfound focus on the semiconductor space. We look forward to working with Qualcomm to give semiconductor start-ups the kind of technical support, mentoring, and industry exposure they need.”

Even though the program will kickstart with the four start-ups, Qualcomm says registrations for the program will remain open, and new applicants will be evaluated periodically for inclusion in the mentorship program.
 

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