From left to right: TP Hsieh, Senior Director of Technical Support Division; Nico Wang, Vice President; and Hermes Chang, Senior Director of Finance & Accounting Division at iSTART-TEK.
In recent years, the semiconductor industry has gained global attention, driven by international affairs, geopolitics, and economic development. The semiconductor supply chain is working to overcome challenges and explore new business opportunities. EDA, as a crucial tool for chip design, has emerged as a top priority within the semiconductor sector. iSTART-TEK focuses on memory testing and repair technology within the EDA industry. With the growing trends in AI, automotive electronics, IoT, and industrial applications, the complexity of IC design has substantially increased, providing ample opportunities for development in the EDA industry.
“iSTART-TEK specializes in developing advanced automated EDA tools,” said Nico Wang, Vice President of iSTART-TEK. “We are actively integrating cloud services and AI into our EDA tools. This flexible cloud solution is designed to significantly enhance work efficiency and reduce project completion time. The highly automated GUI interface ensures user-friendly operations. Through a commitment to high automation, innovative cloud technology, and real-time services, iSTART-TEK has secured a leading position in the global industry.”
Nico Wang mentioned that iSTART-TEK is strategically expanding its market and adopting a comprehensive approach to enhance their competitiveness. For instance, recognizing the potential of China’s growing semiconductor market, iSTART-TEK established a subsidiary in Shanghai in 2022 to bolster their technical services. This move aims to seize the EDA market in China, establishing a robust and diversified foundation for iSTART-TEK’s development. Moreover, they are strategically broadening their global presence, conveying iSTART-TEK’s expertise and core values worldwide.
Hermes Chang, Senior Director of iSTART-TEK Finance & Accounting Division, shared that iSTART-TEK achieved an outstanding year-over-year growth of 146% in 2022. Despite a global economic downturn in 2023, its revenue from January to October of the same year increased by 76.6% compared to the previous year. This remarkable performance highlights the sustained demand for EDA tools even in challenging market conditions, affirming customer confidence in iSTART-TEK’s offerings. Currently, all members of the iSTART-TEK team are diligently working towards going public. Their goals are not only to attract top talents but also to expand the reach of their EDA tools, diversify our product line, explore new market opportunities, and generate greater profits to reward their shareholders.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, iSTART-TEK faced a downturn in revenue. TP Hsieh, Senior Director of iSTART-TEK Technical Support Division, mentioned that despite stringent isolation policies at the time, the company remained proactive in visiting clients. The reason is automotive electronics and High-Performance Computing (HPC) have significant growth potential in the future. That is why iSTART-TEK is focusing on the development of memory self-test circuits for automotive electronics and HPC. Its well-developed functions including POT (Power_On Test), MSW (Memory Status Watch-Dog), Circuit Self-Verification (CSV), Automatic Repairing Flow (ARF) and Testing Element Configuration (TEC) enable customers to enhance their product competitiveness.
Dedicated to technological advancements and providing attentive technical support, iSTART-TEK has seized opportunities for business growth under the challenges of the industry trend.