The Siliconimist

The business of semiconductor design is pure intellectual property: the worlds most creative minds, building ideas that generate trillions of dollars of value. Without the minds and the ideas, the entire industry is worth almost nothing. If this business can’t own their IP there is no business. So why would anyone build a business that gave it all away? aesc’s Business Model I sat down with Daniel...

I gave this talk to a group at the American Corner in Almaty in April, 2026, in Almaty Kazakhstan . I was invited to come talk about America, it’s the 250th birthday of America. I’m an American living in Almaty Kazakhstan. We are rare. So I took the opportunity to talk about two of my favorit things: America, and semiconductors. It’s an interesting subject, and semiconductor history ties into Amer...

Matt is a force of nature in open silicon, and this interview is the second in our series on open silicon ( see wafer.space first !). First, Matt is the creator of the Zero to ASIC Course , which has taken thousands of engineers, students, and makers from complete beginners to people who have actually taped out their own chips. Second, Matt is the founder of Tiny Tapeout , a platform that has put...

In this episode, Tim ‘mithro’ Ansell shares his journey from software engineering to leading innovations in hardware, including open source silicon and most recently, founding wafer.space . Tim shares with us how open source principles are transforming the semiconductor industry, lowering barriers to entry, and enabling a new wave of innovation and entrepreneurship. “Open source is fundamentally t...

I live in Almaty Kazakhstan. It’s not known as a hotbed of semiconductors (yet). When I first met Nursultan Kabylkas , and learned his background, I had to hear his story. This is the story of how one professor led a team of students to design the first chip in Kazakhstan's history, and in doing so, may have birthed a whole new national industry. TL:DR: * The Win: Kazakhstan’s first student-design...

Most companies overlook the true cost and complexity of deploying hardware in the physical world - flyingWire’s innovative approach could slash that expense to zero. Imagine instrumenting infrastructure, airplanes, or even your office with a roll of tape that senses, computes, and updates in real time. Co-founder Mike Chieco reveals how a simple idea, inspired by a three-year-old with tape, is rev...

In the latest episode of the Siliconist podcast, host John Cole engages in a fascinating discussion with Mitchell Singh, co-founder and CEO of Inch Fab. More Siliconimist InchFab on the Web : Buy your microfab now! Your backyard adventures in silicon awaits! InchFab on LinkedIn Mitchell Hsing: John Cole They explore the innovative world of microfabrication and how Inch Fab is transforming the land...

Doug Sparks, CEO of M2N Technologies , joins The Siliconimist on this episode, and shares his first-hand experience of over 14 years working inside China’s semiconductor industry. We talk about the complexities, strategic ambitions, and behind-the-scenes stories of China’s push for semiconductor self-sufficiency, the impact of US export controls, and the future of global tech competition. In this...

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Two AI hosts talk about the economics behind silicon carbide. Get full access to The Siliconimist at www.siliconimist.com/subscribe