Interview with Vinod Dham, father of the Pentium, on a life in technology and venture investing
Vinod Dham has lived the quintessential Silicon Valley rags to riches immigrant story. Born in Pune, India, he came to the U.S. in 1975 as an engineering student with just $8 in his pocket. He became a chip engineer and helped invent Intel’s first flash memory chip. He went on to manage Intel’s microprocessor projects, including the breakaway Pentium chip that debuted in 1993 and cemented the company’s position as the world’s biggest chip maker…. Continue Reading
Post mortem: The inside story behind the collapse of chip startup Montalvo Systems
Montalvo Systems was one of the most ambitious chip startups in recent history and one of a few that dared to take on Intel in the low-power mobile processor market. Instead, it shut down in April, unable to raise a new round of financing.
The company had raised more than $84 million and hired an outstanding team of engineers in the hopes of grabbing a small piece of the $30 billion x86 (Intel-compatible) microprocessor industry. But… Continue Reading
Friday roundup: pirates beware, Wii gamers despair
Avast ye pirates! The Bush Administration is accusing China, Russia and seven other countries of failing to protect American producers of movies and other entertainment from piracy. The question comes to mind: why did it take so long for the U.S. to figure this out? Also included on the list are Argentina, Chile, India, Israel, Pakistan, Thailand and Venezuela. Somehow it seems like this conversation should have taken place, oh, maybe 10 years ago?
Don’t expect… Continue Reading
Sun Microsystems could use Montalvo as a strategic lever against Intel
Setting up a possible brawl with Intel, Sun Microsystems is rumored to be acquiring the assets of stealth microprocessor design company Montalvo Systems, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Sun, based in Menlo Park, Calif., will acquire Montalvo’s patents, intellectual property and hire the remaining employees. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based start-up had raised $73 million in venture capital but failed to raise more money as its plans for an Intel-compatible microprocessor fell behind schedule…. Continue Reading
Montalvo seeking a hoard of cash to avoid shutdown
Montalvo Systems has been seeking a hoard of cash in its latest fundraising round, but the chip startup is dangerously close to running out of money, VentureBeat has learned.
Although it raised $73 million, the company has run into problems finishing a chip that will compete with Intel in the low-power portable devices market, a market where chip giant Intel has become increasingly competitive. The company grew to nearly 300 employees in Santa Clara and India,… Continue Reading
Roundup: Amazon S3, VentureBeat go down, Montalvo’s mobile chip and more
1. Amazon S3, VentureBeat go down
2. Montalvo Systems vs. Intel, with chip for handheld devices
3. Fox Interactive to introduce “music Hulu for MySpace”
4. Yahoo’s board moving against Yang
5. Google searchers are wealthier, buy more online
6. Xobni hires Jeff Bonforte away from Yahoo, to be its new CEO
7. Stormfisher raises $350 million for biofuel project
8. Cable veteran Philip Balboni moving to online news site
9. Nielsen buys Audience Analytics
10. Air commuter conference coming up this spring
11. Report:… Continue Reading