Silicon Catalyst Ventures

Silicon Catalyst Ventures (SCV) is a seed-stage venture fund formed in 2024 as an extension of Silicon Catalyst, the semiconductor-focused incubator and accelerator. SCV deployed $10M–$20M in its first series, investing primarily in early-stage companies developing transformative semiconductor-based innovations across AI, communications, photonics, MEMS, sensors, IP, materials, and life sciences. The fund targets companies primarily in North America, the UK, the EU, and Israel, and invests predominantly in startups admitted to the Silicon Catalyst two-year incubation program. The close relationship with the incubator gives investors access to teams that have been screened by ~100 advisors, strategic partners, and in-kind partners before receiving funding. Startups seeking investment must apply through the Silicon Catalyst Incubator at siliconcatalyst.com. As of mid-2025, SCV has made 26 investments. The fund is led by Founding Managing Director Dr. Shih-Wei Sun (former CEO of UMC), alongside General Partners Laura Swan and Kai Chen, and Managing Directors Pete Rodriguez and Julian Lee.