BritChips podcast: From PowerPoint to Prototype

“What we tell our startups is they need to start fast and stay fast – time is not their friend.”

This is the sage advice that Sean Redmond gives to founders and entrepreneurs that have been selected to participate in the Silicon Catalyst.UK accelerator and the ChipStartUK incubator.

Redmond is managing partner at Silicon Catalyst.UK, the UK arm of the eponymous US-based semiconductor incubator and accelerator, whose mission statement, ‘We accelerate semiconductor startups from PowerPoint to Prototype’ does precisely what it says on the tin.

Redmond has a rich history in the semiconductor industry. He’s undertaken executive roles in several semiconductor hardware and software companies as well as founding and leading his own test automation tool startup.

Redmond was approached by the Silicon Catalyst US team in 2021 to launch the incubator in the UK. In that role he was instrumental in advising the UK government on its flagship semiconductor strategy, launched in 2023, for which the first initiative was to launch an early-stage UK semiconductor incubator, called ChipStartUK, which Silicon Catakyst.UK manages.

ChipStartUK has been an astounding success. The twenty or so UK semiconductor startups that have graduated from the first two cohorts have already raised over $30m in venture capital and angel funding as a result of the initiative.

Redmond recently kicked off the third ChipStartUK cohort in what is now a 12-month programme. and the UK government has given approval – and funding – for at least a further three cohorts.

Today Redmond is one of the most influential people in the UK semiconductor startup scene with his boundless support of founders and entrepreneurs looking for a chance to launch their technology onto the world stage.

So if you are involved in a UK semiconductor-related startup – or aspire to become involved – whether as entrepreneur, investor, or partner, or if you simply care about the future of the UK semiconductor industry, then you must listen to this extended edition of the BritChips podcast with Sean Redmond as my guest.

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