Here are my Red flags with respect to that post.
Headline: Semiconductor startup founder? Like seriously, such a generic title for such a vast industry. What are you? You are definitely not trying to build a fab because that would require billions. You are definitely not trying to build a ATP or OSAT plant either because again that would require billions. Are you a fabless semiconductor startup? Highly likely that is what you are. Based on that alone there are way too many things in the post that doesn't add up. Let me go one by one.
"After decades of experience designing some of the most complex chips, I left Intel, and started a semiconductor company in 2018. We are profitable. We design chips for clients in US and EU. One of our client is known as "The father of AI" That's as deeptech as you can get!"
This chap has made big claims just in his introduction. If you worked at Intel and designed their high end chips, then you sure know you require lot of money to start even a fabless chip company. The software licenses alone would eat up a lot of money. So I am guessing without VC funding you wouldn't have left Intel to start your own company. That being said designing chips for clients in US and EU is a big stretch. The companies which want to source semiconductor chips always do so from established companies in the space. It is highly unlikely they go with startups unless you are offering something completely new or novel which again is doubtful. What is the chip you are building that other established companies are not? Established companies would have economies of scale, talented engineers already on their payroll, which makes their chips less expensive. Whereas a startup which needs to build everything from scratch including talented Engineers would have their chips priced higher to recover costs. Unless you are heavily funded you can't take a hit on price as you need lot of money to run a chip startup.
Another red flag being his one of his clients is called "father of AI". John McCarthy is called the father of AI since he coined the term "Artificial Intelligence". But guess what fellows? John McCarthy died in 2011.
Discover the fascinating story of John McCarthy, the father of...
www.teneo.ai
So who the fuck he is talking about?
Let's assume someone at the top of their field. Still what exactly you are building that other company stalwarts like Nvidia, AMD are not building?
Now let's come to his points:
1) What kind of product that he wants to build which is not available in the market? If the solution is already available in the market why should GoI buy anything from him? If your chip is made in a fab within the country then it makes sense for GoI to buy your chips. Otherwise, what are you offering that others are not?
2) A big fucking rant with no details what so ever. He is genius others are dumb. He has solved a pain point which would be of great help to the country. What is the pain point he has solved? No where he goes into specifics. He writes everything vaguely without going into detail.
3)
- I cannot answer this question. It is difficult to verify as he is the only one who has the evidence to prove how GoI has treated him unfairly or harshly.
- Here is my smoking gun, since when did it became difficult to buy software licenses in this country? Buying EDA license is just like any other software license like Windows or MS office. There are big MNC chip companies who are using EDA as well. So what particular problem he faced? Remember again, this is a fabless chip company but in this point he is also talking about equipment and raw material. WTF? What equipment and raw material he does not go into detail.
- $10 Wireless device requires INR 10K to be paid to WPC? Can he please enlighten what is that $10 Wireless device? There are lot of $10 Wireless devices which can be purchased off the shelf in India. But he is talking about one particular device. Which device that requires extra 10K to be paid to WPC he does not mention.
- Yes, GoI comes up with new compliances every year that effects all companies. But being a chip company, are you not well funded to handle this? Because without sufficient funding I doubt your company can exist at all. You are claiming you are designing chips for your clients in US and EU and even "father of AI". Not to mention you also claim you are profitable at the beginning of your post. And you cannot have a CA on your payroll to look into this jargon of compliances?
- Rant without proof. What portals made him lose money? No specifics again.
