From Lab to Startup : Navigating Journey from Academia to Entrepreneurship

Abstract: Transitioning from academia to entrepreneurship presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities. This presentation chronicles my journey from earning a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology to co-founding Falcomm, Inc., a venture-backed fabless semiconductor startup specializing in ultra-efficient power amplifiers for 5G and beyond. Drawing on experiences from academic research in zero-power RF/mm-wave signal processing and novel power amplifier designs, I discuss how the foundational skills and insights gained in academia shaped my approach to solving real-world problems.

The presentation highlights the pivotal moments in this transition, including identifying a market need, securing venture capital funding, navigating team dynamics, and establishing partnerships with industry leaders like GlobalFoundries. I also share lessons learned about bridging the gap between theoretical innovation and practical implementation, as well as the mindset shifts required to thrive as both a researcher and a CEO.

This talk aims to inspire academics and aspiring entrepreneurs to recognize the transferable skills inherent in their work, embrace calculated risks, and leverage their expertise to make a meaningful impact in industry. It also emphasizes the importance of persistence, adaptability, and collaboration in the pursuit of building a startup from the ground up.

Speaker's Bio

Edgar Felipe Garay (Member, IEEE) received the B.S. degree in physics in 2009 and the B.S. degree in electrical engineering in 2010 from Florida International University, Miami, FL, the M.S. degree in electrical engineering from University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, in 2013, and the Ph.D. degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA, in 2023. He joined the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech in 2015 where his research focused on zero-power RF/mm-wave signal processing, multi-functional digital transmitter systems for next-generation radar and 5G wireless communication, and power generation for THz IoT devices. He received the Georgia Tech Presidential Fellowship in 2015 as the highest honor for new graduate students accepted to the Ph.D. programs at Georgia Tech. In 2016, he also received a scholarship from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's Minority Ph.D. program and became a Sloan Fellow. In 2017, he was chosen for the National GEM Consortium Fellowship. This fellowship is sponsored by Intel Corporation, thus making him both a GEM fellow and an Intel scholar. Prior to Georgia Tech, he worked at Army Research Lab, Adelphi, MD, USA, where he developed wireless power systems for military applications.

While at Georgia Tech, he developed a new class of ultra-efficient solid-state power amplifiers (PAs), called the dual-drive PA. In 2021, he co-founded Falcomm, Inc., Atlanta, a venture backed fabless semiconductor startup that specializes in ultra-efficient power amplifiers and front-end modules for the wireless communication market. Falcomm has raised over $5 million in venture funding and is actively developing power amplifiers and front-end modules using GlobalFoundries' processes.

Host or Publisher IEEE Santa Clara - San Francisco Microwave Theory and Techniques Chapter