Silicon Catalyst Ventures (SCV) has incorporated a new Delaware Series LLC and plans to invest between $10 million and $20 million in its first series this year.

The venture aims to help early-stage entrepreneurial teams develop transformational semiconductor-based innovations. SCV seeks to invest in the majority of early-stage firms admitted to the Silicon Catalyst incubator, with a focus on North America, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Israel.

The SCV investing team has broad industry knowledge, including investments, technology, and several business segments in the semiconductor industry. “Semiconductors are vital to all aspects of our lives and businesses,” the company said.

SCV seeks to identify and invest the most promising semiconductor startups in disciplines such as artificial intelligence, communications, photonics, MEMS, sensors, intellectual property, materials, and life sciences.

Dr. Shih-Wei Sun, the Founding Managing Director and former CEO of United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), leads the investment team. Sun, a Silicon Catalyst advisor and investor, as well as a member of the Silicon Catalyst Angels Investment group, stressed the intimate relationship between SCV and the Silicon Catalyst incubator.

“This association affords investors unique access to startup teams whose technology and businesses are de-risked through a rigorous screening process and two-year incubation,” he said. “With our top-ranked semiconductor LPs, we bring additional ecosystems and supply-chain values to our startups,” Sun added.

Navin Chaddha, Managing Partner at Mayfield, is excited about the Silicon Catalyst incubator program’s extended reach. “We partnered with Silicon Catalyst in 2022 and have been excited to watch them nurture entrepreneurs and bring silicon back to Silicon Valley,” according to Chaddha.

“The venture fund announced today expands their ability to partner with global transformative semiconductor-based teams,” Chaddha added.

Pete Rodriguez, Managing Director of SCV and CEO of Silicon Catalyst, emphasized the ecosystem that has grown over the last nine years. “Silicon Catalyst has built an investor ecosystem of over 300 VCs, Angels, Angel groups, CVCs, and Family Offices to fund our startups’ journeys,” Rodriguez told Reuters. “Silicon Catalyst Ventures is the next step ahead, building on five years of Silicon Catalyst Angels and a 32% IRR. “SCV has already invested a few million dollars in eight Silicon Catalyst Portfolio companies.”

SCV’s initial investments include Applied Brain Research, EXOKĒRYX, Owl Autonomous Imaging, Q-Pixel, RAAAM, Salience Labs, and Zepsor Technologies.