Xilinx Establishes US$75m Venture Fund to Drive Innovation and Development in Asia Pacific
Industry's Largest Corporate Venture Capital Fund Focused on Development of Programmable Logic-Based System Level Applications and Expanding Ecosystem
SINGAPORE, Nov. 1 / - At the Global Entrepolis Singapore event today, Xilinx, Inc. (NASDAQ:XLNX) the world's leading supplier of programmable logic solutions, announced its Asia Pacific Technology Fund, a US$75 million corporate venture capital fund focused on accelerating programmable systems innovation and development within the Asia Pacific technology market. It is the company's first regionally-focused funding initiative for the booming Asia Pacific programmable logic device (PLD) market and the largest corporate venture capital fund to be launched by any company at Global Entrepolis Singapore to date. Administered by Xilinx Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, the fund is designed to seek opportunities to invest in companies throughout the region including China, India, Taiwan and Korea.
Xilinx is looking to invest in companies who are creating innovative applications based on programmable logic, targeted at key vertical markets such as wired/wireless communications, consumer, automotive, audio/video/broadcast, industrial/scientific/medical, and storage/servers or technology domains such as high-performance DSP and embedded processing. Xilinx is also interested to invest in companies developing technologies and solutions to increase the adoption of programmable logic throughout the company's continuously expanding ecosystem -- from manufacturing, silicon, software, intellectual property, design services and technical support. Potential investments range from US$500,000 to US$5 million.
"Programmable logic is becoming more mainstream in electronics design as it provides all the key product requirements for success including high- performance features, design flexibility, faster time-to-market, lower development costs, and field upgradeability," said Hans Schwarz, vice president of Business and Strategy Development, Corporate Venture Capital at Xilinx. "The ability to make strategic investments in emerging programmable logic-based designs and technologies creates a winning formula for entrepreneurs, customers and Xilinx through market expansion and innovation leadership in the fast-growing Asia Pacific technology market."
"As more and more electronics design work is done locally in Asia Pacific, this is the right time to look for new investment opportunities to accelerate the adoption of system-level programmable technologies across the region," said Stacy Fender, managing director of Xilinx Asia Pacific. "By increasing our focus and investment in the Asia Pacific market, we are demonstrating our continued commitment to developing the region into a greater source of innovation for the global technology market and a strong driver for our growth on a global basis."
Unlike traditional venture capitalists, Xilinx does not invest solely for financial return, it also needs to establish a strong strategic link to its core business, market and/or technologies. Once a strategic link is established, the company analyzes all of the same attributes that a typical venture capital firm would consider including a sound business plan, solid management team, and a reasonable exit strategy. Xilinx prefers to participate with one or more institutional venture capital firms and/or corporate venture capital funds that can actively guide and manage a local company.
"Xilinx decision to set up their corporate venture fund in Singapore indicates the potential of Singapore as a source of new technologies and innovation. We are delighted that Xilinx is leveraging Singapore's advantages to commercialise technology and develop new growth opportunities," said Chua Taik Him, assistant managing director of the Singapore Economic Development Board.
About the Xilinx Asia Pacific Technology Fund
To learn more about the Xilinx Asia Pacific Technology Fund, visit xilinx.com/company/tilp.htm or contact the Xilinx Asia Pacific Corporate Venture Capital office at reply2ap@xilinx.com.
About Xilinx Asia Pacific Headquarters
Established in Singapore in February 2004, Xilinx Asia Pacific is today a fully functional regional headquarters facility with over 200 employees covering operational hub activities and regional infrastructure support. Xilinx has been testing and shipping programmable devices, including mainstream 130nm and advanced 90nm devices, from its Asia Pacific headquarters to customers across the region since April 2005. In November 2005, Xilinx announced the expansion of its Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore with a US$40 million investment in a new 20,000 sq.m. six-floor building that will be capable of housing up to 500 employees when completed in mid-2007.
About Xilinx
Xilinx, Inc. is the worldwide leader of programmable logic solutions. Additional information about Xilinx is available at www.xilinx.com.
Source: Xilinx, Inc.
CONTACT:
Dickson Seow of Xilinx Asia Pacific,
(65) 6580-4948,
dickson.seow@xilinx.com;
Elizabeth John,
The Hoffman Agency,
(65) 6535-6530,
ejohn@hoffman.com.sg;
Lisa Washington,
Xilinx Headquarters,
+1-408-626-6272,
lisa.washington@xilinx.com
Web site: www.xilinx.com/
