Irwin Federman

Who is Irwin Federman?

Irwin joined USVP in 1990 as a general partner with significant

investment experience: as CEO of Monolithic Memories, he led his firm's

investments in successful startups such as Cypress Semiconductor,

Xilinx and Altera. During his tenure as CEO from 1978 to 1987, Irwin

spearheaded MMI's turnaround from virtual bankruptcy to a $250 million

revenue organization. When MMI merged with Advanced Micro Devices,

Irwin assumed the post of Vice Chairman of AMD.

As former Chairman of the Semiconductor Industry Association and

board member of the National Venture Capital Association, Irwin draws

on the breadth of his experience to help entrepreneurs consider their

options:Irwin was a founding or lead investor in Blue Martini, CheckPoint

Software Technologies, Centillium Communications, Crescendo

Communications, MMC Networks, NeoMagic, Netro, Nuance Communications,

Quick Logic, SanDisk and TelCom Semiconductor. He has led USVP's

investments in BeVocal, On24 and Mellanox, among many others.Irwin received a B.S. in Economics from Brooklyn College and was

awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering Science from Santa Clara

University. A recipient of the Anti-Defamation League's Torch of

Liberty, Irwin is involved with a number of community organizations in

San Francisco and on the Peninsula. Irwin and his wife enjoy ballet and

opera and support the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Famous Quotes:

• "I derive enormous satisfaction from being associated with determined and capable people. People who have a passion for building a company. Many of today's entrepreneurs persevered throughout the downturn; they refused to be beaten down. That's about more than venture capital—it gives one faith in the human condition."