DreamBig, a fabless semiconductor company founded by NED University alumnus Sohail Syed, has been acquired by Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) for $265 million. The Silicon Valley-based startup is developing networking chips for data centers, with hardware specifically designed to run AI applications. The startup  does not manufacture its own chips but instead licenses its designs to other semiconductor companies. It has had a partnership with Samsung’s foundry division to bring its hardware to market. 

Sohail Syed, Founder and CEO of DreamBig Semiconductors

Here's how DreamBig Semiconductor describes itself on its website:

"DreamBig Semiconductor is a chiplet-based networking company dedicated to providing comprehensive, high throughput solutions for the AI, Datacenter, edge compute and Automotive markets. Headquartered in San Jose, CA, USA, we have over 200 employees globally and partnerships with the largest semiconductor companies in the world.  Founded by RDMA experts and chiplet innovators, DreamBig removes the bottlenecks to on- and off-chip networking, transforming the most important applications on the planet". 

Nvidia and several other AI chip companies have licensed ARM's processor core technology for use it in products. Major tech companies including Amazon, Apple, Google, Qualcomm and Samsung are among the ARM licensees.  ARM's processor cores are known for their energy efficiency and are widely used in mobile devices, but are increasingly found in servers, desktops, and other applications that require good performance-per-watt. Examples include the Apple M-series processors, which are custom ARM-based CPUs for Macs. Most of the advanced semiconductor chips are manufactured by TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp) in its fabs located in Taiwan. 

DreamBig Semiconductor has established a design center in Pakistan in collaboration with the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), which includes a chip design and training center and a chip testing lab. It is a part of Pakistan's broader effort to develop its semiconductor industry, and DreamBig has also sponsored training workshops at universities like the NED University in Karachi and the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore. 

Pakistan has recently launched The INSPIRE Pakistan initiative to train a new generation of semiconductor professionals and enter the global chip design and research market. The initiative, formally named Initiative to Nurture Semiconductor Professionals for Industry, Research & Education, is a five-year plan designed to train over 7,200 professionals and establish Integrated Circuit (IC) labs in universities across the country. It aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry, develop local tech capacity, and position Pakistan as a player in the global semiconductor ecosystem. 

Dr. Naveed Sherwani, an NED University alumnus and a serial Silicon Valley entrepreneur, has been instrumental in launching INSPIRE Pakistan initiative. He headed the task force that recommended the initiative to the Pakistani government. Dr. Sherwani is currently the head of the National Semiconductor Hub in Saudi Arabia which aims to attract and develop semiconductor design industry in the Kingdom. 

Semiconductors power modern life, forming the core of everything from computers and networking to smartphones and military weapons. Countries such as Pakistan need the knowledge and the human capital trained in semiconductor technology for their long-term economic prosperity and national security. The global semiconductor market size is currently about $600 billion and it is growing rapidly.