# Silicon Catalyst

> Silicon Catalyst is a Santa Clara semiconductor startup accelerator. Its customized 24-month program combines industry mentorship, in-kind design and prototyping resources, strategic partnerships, and investor access. The organization reports more than 150 companies admitted and operates through an international network of regional programs.

- **Founded:** 2015
- **Headquarters:** Santa Clara, United States
- **Founders:** Rick Lazansky (Co-founder and chairman), Dan Armbrust (Co-founder, initial CEO, and director), Mike Noonen (Co-founder)
- **Products:** Global semiconductor accelerator, Silicon Catalyst Angels, University Program, ChipStart UK, Silicon Catalyst Ventures
- **Notable:** Reports more than 150 portfolio companies admitted worldwide., Reports more than $150 million of in-kind goods and services delivered to portfolio companies., Built regional operations and partnerships across the UK, EU, Israel, Japan, Australia, and Malaysia.

## Products & services

- **Global semiconductor accelerator** — Customized 24-month support with a dedicated partner, semiconductor curriculum, advisors, access to in-kind resources, and investor introductions.
- **Silicon Catalyst Angels** — Separate angel investment organization established in July 2019 to support seed-stage and Series A semiconductor companies.
- **University Program** — Academic partnerships offering speakers, mentoring, pitch judging, and links to internships and startup incubation.
- **ChipStart UK** — Government-backed semiconductor startup support launched in October 2023 with a £1.3 million pilot budget.
- **Silicon Catalyst Ventures** — Affiliated early-stage investment organization; publicly announced June 24, 2024 after beginning operations earlier that year.
- **ChipStart EU** — EU and Malta Enterprise funded early-stage program that advertises no participation cost or equity requirement.

## Achievements

- Reports more than 150 portfolio companies admitted worldwide.
- Reports more than $150 million of in-kind goods and services delivered to portfolio companies.
- Built regional operations and partnerships across the UK, EU, Israel, Japan, Australia, and Malaysia.
- Signed a global strategic partnership MOU with SEMI in September 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — SEMI and Silicon Catalyst signed a global strategic partnership MOU at SEMICON Taiwan on September 2.
- **2026-08** — Announced US leadership changes including Marcie Weinstein joining as managing partner and Jessica Binzoni becoming partner.
- **2026-05** — Announced the first five companies for the Queensland-backed ChipStart AU 2026 cohort.
- **2026-04** — Silicon Catalyst Japan selected Sony spin-off SCALE photonics as its first incubation and investment project.

## Links

- Website: https://siliconcatalyst.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/silicon-catalyst/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/SiliconCatalyst
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiliconCatalyst/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/silicon-catalyst
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-27