Dr. Naveed Sherwani is a distinguished figure in the semiconductor industry, known for his innovation and leadership in the design automation of ASICs and microprocessors. His contributions to the field have been invaluable. He has founded or co-founded 17 semiconductor companies and raised over $1 billion in funding from leading venture capital firms, creating over $5 billion in value.
Sherwani earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the NED University of Engineering and Technology in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1983. He then moved to the United States and earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in computer engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He also served as a teaching assistant.
After graduation, Sherwani served as a professor at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo from 1988 to 1994. His area of focus included ASICs, CAD algorithms, VLSI, EDA, combinatorics, graph theory, and parallel computing. Many of his students have become famous on their own accord by founding many companies and serving in major international companies.
Sherwani has authored over 100 publications and books, including the textbook on chip design, Algorithms for VLSI Physical Design Automation, a standard textbook in graduate classes in most leading universities worldwide.
From 1993 to 2003, Sherwani served in various capacities at Intel, starting with design technology and culminating with the general manager role. A highlight of his tenure at Intel was the design and deployment of Athena. This complete chip development platform significantly improved the automation of various microprocessor projects across the corporation. Athena was subsequently used to design state-of-the-art microprocessors for over a decade. Sherwani was awarded the prestigious Intel Achievement Award in 1997 for his contribution to Athena.
In 2003, Sherwani co-founded and served as the president and CEO of Open-Silicon. This pioneering company reduced the cost of ownership of ASICs and greatly simplified the development process. Open-Silicon was funded by venture capitalists, including Sequoia Capital, Norwest, and Interwest. Under Sherwani’s leadership, Open-Silicon expanded globally, opening new facilities in Research Triangle Park in North Carolina and Pune, India, in 2010 and acquiring and growing design operations in Pakistan and Taiwan in 2012. Based on a $45 million investment in 2003, Open-Silicon exited at $252 million in a sale to a private equity group in 2007.
As president and CEO of SiFive from 2017 to 2020 and a member of the board of directors from 2017 to 2021, Sherwani was instrumental in the growth of SiFive from a 20-person company worth approximately $20 million to a 500+ person global company worth $2 billion. Sherwani also co-founded a Federation comprised of four other silicon companies, including StarFive, SemiFive, LeapFive, and ChinaFive). Each Federation company has a distinct strategic…
Sherwani has also been one of the main drivers in worldwide adopting the RISC-V open instruction set architecture (ISA) based on reduced instruction set computer (RISC) principles. His contributions to the industry have not gone unnoticed. He has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades, including the prestigious IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Technical Achievement Award and the International Engineering Consortium’s DesignVision Award.
Sherwani’s impact on design automation has been immense, and his work has paved the way for developing innovative and efficient chip design technologies. His contributions to the semiconductor industry have been recognized through numerous awards and honors, including the prestigious Intel Achievement Award, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Industrial Pioneer Award.
Dr. Sherwani’s dedication to advancing the field of design automation and his entrepreneurial spirit has inspired countless individuals in the industry. It will continue to influence the future of chip design.
In a world that often values individual achievement over collaboration, Dr. Sherwani’s approach is a refreshing reminder that success can be achieved through teamwork and a shared vision. His legacy in the semiconductor industry will continue to inspire future generations of innovators to push the boundaries of what is possible.
As we look to the future of technology and the semiconductor industry, there is no doubt that Dr. Naveed Sherwani will continue to be a key figure, driving progress and innovation forward. His name will forever be associated with hard work, dedication, and commitment to improving the world.
