The Siliconimist

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 American culture. I like history, I’m an engineer, and I like stories . . . it’s rare I get to tie those three things together.An American in AlmatyBeing an American here feels like being a celebrity. The people, who are by far the kindest and most polite people (rivaling Omani’s who are also incredibly generous and polite), they’re genuinely curious about you and what you think of Kazakhstan. It’s not hard to find nice things to say about the place.The lingua-franca of this region is Russian (Kazakhstan was colonized by Russia, once by the Tsars and once by the Soviets), and living here requires you to know just a bit of it. When I stepped off the plane two years ago, I did not understand a word of Russian or Kazakh, and even worse, I couldn’t read the alphabet (street signs and names can still be challenging). Kazakhs always forgive you if you don’t speak Kazakh or Russian; if they speak English, even a few phrases, they’re game to try and talk to you.One of the most endearing things here is when you meet someone realizes you’re an American, they don’t speak English, and they grab their eldest child, and proudly tell them to speak English to you. Brave little kids come up to me all the time, at the airport, on the street, at a restaurant . . . they come right up and speak English to you. I meet so many Kazakhs that have lived and worked in the US, they always have kind things to say about my people.So this recording was my talk, at the American Spaces, about the history of semiconductors and why they were invented in America.Semiconductors in AmericaSemiconductors go all the way back to Edison; he discovered the photoelectric effect (“Edison effect” . . . a foundational idea behind solid state physics) but didn’t explore it further than naming it because he was a man in a hurry, eager to make some money.He did this at his Menlo park labs, the first commercial lab made to make inventions, which was a model for Bell Labs.Bell Labs, an invention factory and Nobel Prize factory, was where Shockley thought of the semiconductor, and invented it. Later leaving in a hurry, eager to make his own fortune. He was a terrible manager, managed to attract and then repel the most brilliant minds of his day, who quit and formed their own company. Not because he was an anti-democratic racist eugenicist, but because they couldn’t get anything done with him in charge. Then those brilliant minds quit their company and formed their own companies, repeating the process, dividing like cells to eventually grow into the organism known today as Silicon Valley. It’s a story of immigrants, invention, idealism, anti-trust law, and practicality that is very American, and was fun to share.I tried to be controversial with the title “This could only have happened in America”. I did this to be provocative and try to get some reaction or pushback, but Kazakhs are too polite to push back. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized the title was pretty accurate.Core American values like free speech, irreverence to title and position, meritocratic operations, our openness to outsiders and outside ideas . . . these were necessary, and almost sufficient, ideas that had to be a part of the culture that created the world’s greatest engineering achievement.This talk is my attempt to try to tie American values, the American 250th anniversary, and semiconductors together.Happy Birthday America! Get full access to The Siliconimist at www.siliconimist.com/subscribe

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 nearly 3,000 chip designs into real silicon, and in the process built what might be the most accessible on-ramp to custom chip design that’s ever existed.Together, those two things form a kind of end-to-end pipeline: learn to design, then actually build a real chip that no one else has really pulled off before.Along the way, Matt has built a sprawling empire of STEM education focused on semiconductors, with content spanning technology, education, and the semiconductor industry. From Zero To ASICCustom chip design has often been viewed as an exclusive realm reserved for seasoned engineers and large corporations. However, as Matt explains, this landscape is changing rapidly; in part because of pioneering work done by Efabless and wafer.space (previous episode here). His services require no expensive tools, no NDAs and no massive non-recurring engineering (NRE) costs. Zero to ASIC started as a course; Matt put a call up online for a course offering to help students walk through making a chip design, using the Google Open Chip Program at Skywater’s foundry. His call to action immediately recruited 300 students to the course, which has grown to use different foundries and technologies. Over the last few years, Matt has built Zero to ASIC into an achievable path to custom chip design, developing the resources and community surrounding this field. Tiny TapeoutTiny Tapeout gets open-source designers a tiny bit of real-estate on a wafer coming out of a real fab. While Matt started sending Zero to ASIC students through the Google project, he quickly switched to Efabless and ultimately wafer.space to run student designs.With the tools they’ve created, the work to design a chip can be done right in the browser, circumventing the need to install tools. Matt’s ultimate vision: chip design becomes as straightforward and widespread as PCB prototyping, fueled by open-source innovation and collaborative effort.chip design becomes as straightforward and widespread as PCB prototyping,Matt emphasizes the crucial role of accessible tools, the community’s contribution to open IP libraries, and the importance of democratizing access to chip fabrication technology. Tiny Tapeout is cheap enough you can just throw it on a credit card.What will the world look like with 10x more chip designers? By lowering the price (and hassle) by 10x, Matt enables a world where every undergrad can tape out their own chip.. Advice to a Young EngineerMatt’s advice to a talented, curious 22-year-old electrical engineering graduate: just do it. Get on the next tapeout!To learn, nothing beats doing. And Tiny Tapeout enables any student to participate in designing chips from end-to-end.Navigating the world of custom chip design may seem daunting, but with the right resources and community support, it can be an accessible and rewarding journey. Students can start with basic projects, utilize the free lessons on Matt’s website, and engage with the community . . . anyone can explore the possibilities of ASIC design.Check out Tiny Tapeout and the Zero to ASICs course to get started.The Siliconimist is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Show NotesWe explore how Tiny Tapeout is revolutionizing chip prototyping by making it more accessible, affordable, and educational. Matt Venn shares insights into the modern landscape of chip design, the role of open source tools, and the future of semiconductor workforce development.Key topics:* The genesis and mission of Tiny Tapeout as a low-cost, multi-project wafer platform* How open source tools and PDKs are making chip design accessible to amateurs and students* The significance of multi-project wafers in reducing NRE costs and enabling first-time chip makers* Strategies for engaging educational institutions through online and in-person workshops* The evolution of the user base from hobbyists to industry professionals* The importance of IP libraries and the community-driven creation of open-source chip design assets* Challenges and opportunities in multi-foundry ecosystems and global supply chains* The declining trajectory of Moore’s Law and the rise of custom, specialized chips* The future vision: a Silicon community akin to PCB aggregation platformsTimestamps:00:00 - Introduction to Matt Venn and Tiny Tapeout’s mission02:00 - The story behind Zero to ASICs course and open source silicon tools04:00 - How Micro-Opportunities and Lottery programs enabled first chips06:00 - The inception of Tiny Tapeout and its multi-project wafer approach07:40 - Cost benefits of multi-project wafers for hobbyists and startups09:00 - Building engagement through online and in-person workshops10:20 - Inside the IP library and sharing designs across community members12:00 - Challenges in community-curated IP and multi-foundry coordination14:00 - The shifting user base from hobbyists to academia to industry15:30 - How open tools reduce barriers for private labs and startups16:50 - Comparing chip design to PCB workflows and simplifying the process18:10 - Verification, costs, and the role of open source tools in ASIC development20:00 - Supply chain resilience through multiple foundries and partnerships22:00 - Global workforce and supply chain trends affecting semiconductor industry24:00 - The impact of geopolitical developments on chip manufacturing26:00 - The true limits of Moore’s Law and the future of specialized chips28:00 - Opportunities in AI, GPUs, and custom chip design for innovation30:00 - The importance of workforce growth and community-driven IP creation34:00 - Expanding access via multiple foundries and reduced costs38:00 - The long-term vision: affordable, community-driven silicon infrastructureResources & Links:* Zero to ASICs Course* Tiny Tapeout* Gauss, Swiss Chips PartnershipConnect with Matt Venn:* LinkedInThanks for reading The Siliconimist! 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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 transforming hardware.”We talk about how lowering costs and increasing accessibility can revolutionize the industry and inspire and empower a new wave of creators.Wafer Spacewafer.space arose from the ashes of open silicon leader Efabless; when the pioneering firm shut down, Tim sprang into action, founding wafer.space to fill the void in the open silicon community.“Cost strategies are key to democratizing hardware.”In this episode we dive deep on the business model for open silicon, and how wafer.space is learning from history, and building back better.Wafer space offers silicon to anyone; the platform effectively removes the "wealth barrier" to custom silicon, making it as easy to order a chip as it is to order a custom PCB.Wafer.space’s second run has just opened up on CrowdSupply, so if you’ve always wanted to create your own semiconductor, now is your chance!Learn More👉 wafer.space👉 wafer.space on Github👉 wafer.space on LinkedIn👉 Tim Ansell on LinkedIn👉 John Cole on LinkedIn Get full access to The Siliconimist at www.siliconimist.com/subscribe

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-designed RISC-V chip.* The Strategy: Skipping the “fab-first” trap by specializing in verification via Texer.AI and Reasonbase.io* The Takeaway: Strategy + intellectual capital > Physical capital. You don’t need a fab to own a piece of the global supply chain.Kazakhstan’s First ChipNursultan’s journey began at AMD in the United States, where he worked on silicon verification. When he returned to Kazakhstan in 2023 to teach engineering, he found a desert; the local semiconductor landscape was limited mostly to FPGA programming and encryption devices. When he shared his dream of bringing "real" silicon design to the country, he was met with skepticism. In his own words, he was laughed at. Most people jumped straight to the "billion-dollar fab" problem, assuming that without a massive manufacturing plant, the industry couldn't exist.Nursultan kept looking for an inspiring project to give his students a hands on project, a project that would move the needle through talent rather than infrastructure. Realizing that the key to developing an ecosystem here needed to start with talent, Nursultan focused in on design and verification. He found his catalyst in the “One Student, one Chip Initiative” from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The program gave him a framework to get started, and after recruiting some enthusiastic students at Nazarbayev University they began designing the first chips.Through a partnership with a Chinese fab, the team got space on Multi-Project Wafer (MPW) and received back their RISC-V general purpose processor. The project went viral, the media caught on, and the project gained national attention.The project completely shifted the conversation, as Nursultan puts it,Before people were laughing . . . but after the chip came back, people started pointing me in different directions and mechanisms . . .The conversation changes from ‘It’s impossible’ to ‘How do we scale it?’From the beginning, Nursultans’ vision has looked beyond the academic track, with a plan to build something even bigger in Kazakhstan.Bootstrapping the EcosystemNursultan didn't just want a trophy for the university trophy case; he wanted a self-sustaining industry. To turn this academic momentum into a commercial reality, he and his team launched Texer.AI, a verification company designed to employ the very students who went through his program. Further along, he also co-founded ReasonBase.io, a similar company bridging the SF Bay Area and Astana, to apply verification logic to other industries.By building a company around the chip’s success, Nursultan has created a “revolving door” between the classroom and the market. Through Texer.AI, specialized publications, and local conferences, he is guiding students directly into high-value engineering roles. This is bootstrapping at its finest: using a single successful project to fund the talent pipeline that will power the next ten projects.The Verification SpecializationThe engine driving this revolving door is a deliberate choice to skip the “fab-first” mentality. The strategy is clever: specialize in Verification. In the semiconductor world, verification is the rigorous process of mathematically proving a design works before a single dollar is spent on manufacturing.Verification offers a low-barrier, high-margin entry point. It requires mastery of complex tools and logic rather than multi-billion dollar cleanrooms. This “capital-efficient” on-ramp allows a startup like Texer.AI to establish global credibility and attract international partnerships without needing a local factory. By focusing on high-skill employment first, Nursultan’s vision for Kazakhstan is seeding a talent pipeline that is far more essential to long-term growth than any piece of hardware.Kickstarting a Global BlueprintThis story carries a resonance far beyond Almaty, especially as more nations chase the dream of “semiconductor sovereignty.” Nursultan’s path provides a blueprint for emerging economies: you don’t need a massive capital investment to join the global supply chain.Innovation can start with niche expertise. By focusing on segments like design, verification, or encryption, a country can build its capabilities incrementally. Shifting the focus away from the “full manufacturing plant” requirement opens doors for any economy with a strong mathematical and engineering foundation to develop a resilient, sovereign industry.Shifting from the assumption that you need a full manufacturing plant to participate in semiconductors opens pathways for emerging economies to develop a sovereign and resilient industry.Nursultan’s vision for Kazakhstan, an approach of cultivating verified processor design and leveraging open-source tools exemplifies how targeted, skill-based initiatives create foundational assets for broader industry development.Kazakhstan’s FutureUltimately, the future of the Kazakh ecosystem relies on expanding these specialized clusters. By starting with a simple RISC-V processor and moving into complex supply chain applications, Nursultan has proven that the “impossible” is actually just a series of small, iterative steps.Creating a core niche and nurturing the startups within it fosters a self-reinforcing cycle of talent and investment. Kazakhstan is no longer “ecosystem absent”—it is on its way to becoming a vibrant, sustainable innovation hub, one verified line of code at a time.Keeping Up With NursultanYou can keep up with Nursultan and his sprawling semiconductor empire:* 👉 ReasonBase on the Web* 👉 Nursultan Kabylkas on LinkedIn* 👉 Nursultan on the Web* 👉 John Cole on LinkedInGet more Siliconimist Get full access to The Siliconimist at www.siliconimist.com/subscribe

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 revolutionizing industries from data centers to aerospace.FlyingWire is built on technology developed by Mike Filler at Georgia Tech, and Mike and I dive into the licensing process, what it was like to license tech from a University, where the value lies, and how we can make that process better.The Siliconimist:  https://www.siliconimist.com/FlyingWire on the Web: (Coming Soon!)FlyingWire on LinkedIn: (Coming Soon!)Mike Chieco: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikechieco/Mike on Substack:   https://dispatchesfromthefrontier.substack.com/p/the-second-frontier-flying-wireMike Filler:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-filler/John Cole:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncoleeng/ Get full access to The Siliconimist at www.siliconimist.com/subscribe

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 SiliconimistInchFab on the Web: Buy your microfab now! Your backyard adventures in silicon awaits!InchFab on LinkedInMitchell Hsing:John ColeThey explore the innovative world of microfabrication and how Inch Fab is transforming the landscape with its unique business model. This conversation sheds light on the challenges and breakthroughs in the field, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in technology and entrepreneurship. Get full access to The Siliconimist at www.siliconimist.com/subscribe

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 episode:* How an American executive ended up managing semiconductor fabs in China* The evolution of China’s semiconductor goals from self-sufficiency to supply chain independence* The influence of Big Fund initiatives on China’s industry growth* The effects of US sanctions on China’s technological development and acquisition strategies* China’s ongoing push for advanced nodes and alternative lithography methods* The potential for a stable US-China semiconductor balance and future innovation pathwaysResources & Links:* A Decade in the Chinese Semiconductor Industry, An American Story (Amazon Affiliate Link)* Connect with Doug LinkedIn Get full access to The Siliconimist at www.siliconimist.com/subscribe

Introducing . . . . The Siliconimist! Get full access to The Siliconimist at www.siliconimist.com/subscribe

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