InveStar Capital

Founded in 1996, InveStar Capital, Inc. is a venture capital firm with offices in the United States and Taiwan. We, at InveStar, focus on semiconductors, communications and networking, and Internet infrastructure companies. Managing several funds with a total size of over US$500 million, we have built a portfolio of more than 100 companies, of which roughly 73% are in the United States and 27% in Taiwan. We are seeking to expand our investment target to include companies in mainland China and other parts in the Pacific Rim. By linking our portfolio companies with our investors and other strategic partners throughout Asia, we are proud to play the role of bridging the technologies between the West and the East. Impeccable integrity, dedication to service, and fairness to all are the core corporate values of InveStar. Our investment philosophy is to identify entrepreneurs with vision, innovative technology, and a strong sense of commitment. In addition to providing companies with venture capital, we also assume an active role in offering strategic advice to, and sharing our management expertise, experiences, and business connections with, our portfolio companies.

Richard Tai

General Partner

32 past transactions

Alchip

Venture Round in 2010
Alchip Technologies, Inc. offers silicone design and manufacturing services for complex and high-volume system-on-chip (SoC) designs. With the increase of the complexity of IC design technology and the demand of pushing products into the market, Alchip is dedicated to provide resolution schemes with the highest cost-benefit ratio for clients, making sure that clients can tape out successfully once and push their products into the market quickly, and it is committed to transcending clients' expectation of product quality, reliable service, and timely production in large numbers, becoming the best silicon design service partner of clients.

MEMSIC

Series D in 2007
MEMSIC Semiconductor Co., Ltd. is a Chinese enterprise that is engaged in the manufacture, research and development, and sale of microelectronic mechanical integration technology chips. MEMSIC is the first inertial sensor company in the world to integrate amicro mechanical system and mixed signal processing circuit into one single chip. MEMSIC utilizes standard CMOS craft and technology to embed additional functionality and create new products. It also enables the products to extend to more MEMS application fields in addition to acceleration sensors. With the combination of standard CMOS processes, MEMSIC has successfully produced over 20 types of level acceleration sensors with lower costs and higher performance.

Kilopass

Series B in 2005
Kilopass Technology Inc develops and markets advanced embedded non-volatile memory (NVM) technology, manufactured in standard logic CMOS processes. Kilopass leads the industry in high density Logic NVM technology on advanced CMOS process technologies delivering highly reliable, secure, and cost-effective logic NVM solutions for SOC applications. Kilopass' embedded NVM technology, XPM or Extra Permanent Memory, provides an excellent solution for electrically field-programmable firmware storage, security IDs and/or keys, analog circuit calibration, yield enhancement, self-repair, and IC configuration information for the flexible implementation of customer specific product features in a single chip solution. Kilopass Technology's XPM products integrate seamlessly with advanced Customer Owned Tooling (COT) and Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) markets and are available today for industry leading foundries and process geometries.

Alchip

Series C in 2004
Alchip Technologies, Inc. offers silicone design and manufacturing services for complex and high-volume system-on-chip (SoC) designs. With the increase of the complexity of IC design technology and the demand of pushing products into the market, Alchip is dedicated to provide resolution schemes with the highest cost-benefit ratio for clients, making sure that clients can tape out successfully once and push their products into the market quickly, and it is committed to transcending clients' expectation of product quality, reliable service, and timely production in large numbers, becoming the best silicon design service partner of clients.

Fangtek

Series B in 2004
Fangtek Electronics is an integrated circuit design company specialized in the design, development, and marketing of analog and mixed signals. The company’s products are mainly used in the field of communications, computers, and consumer electronics. As a high value-added integrated circuit supplier, Fangtek Electronics has been devoted to developing innovative solutions for power management. Through the accumulation of power device techniques and professional technologies of mixed signal design, Fangtek Electronics provides high-performance and low-cost audio power amplifiers, LED drivers, power management devices, and other products, which are widely used in the fields of voice, light, and electricity.

Advanced Analogic Technologies

Venture Round in 2004
Advanced Analogic Technologies Incorporated (AATI), or AnalogicTech, develops advanced semiconductor system solutions that play a key role in the continuing evolution of feature-rich, energy efficient electronic devices. The company focuses on addressing the application-specific power management needs of consumer devices such as mobile handsets, digital cameras, tablets, notebooks, TV and LCD displays, as well as devices in a broad range of industrial, medical and telecom applications. AATI also licenses device, process, package, and application-related technologies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, AATI has design centers in Santa Clara and Shanghai, and Asia-based operations and logistics.

Kilopass

Series A in 2004
Kilopass Technology Inc develops and markets advanced embedded non-volatile memory (NVM) technology, manufactured in standard logic CMOS processes. Kilopass leads the industry in high density Logic NVM technology on advanced CMOS process technologies delivering highly reliable, secure, and cost-effective logic NVM solutions for SOC applications. Kilopass' embedded NVM technology, XPM or Extra Permanent Memory, provides an excellent solution for electrically field-programmable firmware storage, security IDs and/or keys, analog circuit calibration, yield enhancement, self-repair, and IC configuration information for the flexible implementation of customer specific product features in a single chip solution. Kilopass Technology's XPM products integrate seamlessly with advanced Customer Owned Tooling (COT) and Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) markets and are available today for industry leading foundries and process geometries.

Fangtek

Series A in 2003
Fangtek Electronics is an integrated circuit design company specialized in the design, development, and marketing of analog and mixed signals. The company’s products are mainly used in the field of communications, computers, and consumer electronics. As a high value-added integrated circuit supplier, Fangtek Electronics has been devoted to developing innovative solutions for power management. Through the accumulation of power device techniques and professional technologies of mixed signal design, Fangtek Electronics provides high-performance and low-cost audio power amplifiers, LED drivers, power management devices, and other products, which are widely used in the fields of voice, light, and electricity.

IP Unity

Series D in 2002
IP Unity delivers a carrier grade services platform for enhanced voice and telephony applications over ATM, TDM and VoIP Networks. The company's media servers, applications servers, enhanced service applications, and application partners allow customers to quickly and cost effectively offer new services associated with next generation networks while protecting their investment in legacy systems.

Sonics

Series C in 2002
Sonics is a pioneer of network-on-chip (NoC) technology and today offers SoC designers the largest portfolio of intelligent, on-chip communications solutions for home entertainment, wireless, networking and mobile devices. With a broad array of silicon-proven IP, Sonics helps designers eliminate memory bottlenecks associated with complex, high-speed SoC design, streamline and unify data flows and solve persistent network challenges in embedded systems with multiple cores. As the leading supplier of on-chip communications networks for the embedded market, Sonics has enabled its customers to ship more than 750 million units worldwide. Founded in 1996, Sonics is headquartered in Milpitas, Calif. with offices worldwide.

Zona, Inc.

Venture Round in 2001
Zona, Inc., delivers a complete network solution to support Massive Multi-Player Online Games (MMOG) throughout the entire product development cycle of a game -- from conception, all the way through the full life of a game. Founded in August 2000, the company is applying their unique solution called Terazona(R) to support tens of thousands of simultaneous MMOG players in a seamless, fault-tolerant universe of gameplay. Unlike many legacy systems of today, Terazona(R) will allow developers to focus more resources on game design to enhance player experience, spend less time and money on server and infrastructure issues, and significantly shorten a game's time to market. Zona, Inc., is a privately held company based in Redwood City. In addition to the U.S., the company is actively introducing their complete solution for MMOG to Taiwan, China, Korea and Japan through Zona's foreign offices. Zona, Inc., also has secured Tools & Middleware licenses from Microsoft's Xbox and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.'s PlayStation(R) 2.

MEMSIC

Series B in 2001
MEMSIC Semiconductor Co., Ltd. is a Chinese enterprise that is engaged in the manufacture, research and development, and sale of microelectronic mechanical integration technology chips. MEMSIC is the first inertial sensor company in the world to integrate amicro mechanical system and mixed signal processing circuit into one single chip. MEMSIC utilizes standard CMOS craft and technology to embed additional functionality and create new products. It also enables the products to extend to more MEMS application fields in addition to acceleration sensors. With the combination of standard CMOS processes, MEMSIC has successfully produced over 20 types of level acceleration sensors with lower costs and higher performance.

Y Media

Series B in 2001
Y Media Corporation uses semiconductor-imaging expertise to enable the impact of pictures to be embedded into any application. Y Media's multi-media device portfolio includes high-density image sensors ideal for high-resolution digital still cameras and video applications like HDTV, as well as a line of highly integrated image sensors specifically designed to make possible image communications in mobile consumer electronics. Delivering portable vision that flow easily from one medium to another, Y Media gives OEMs the opportunity to lower system-level costs, expand market share, and add key product differentiators.

RapidStream

Series C in 2001
RapidStream uses patent-pending RapidCore technology to deliver integrated virtual private network (VPN) and firewall solutions to service providers, data centers and enterprises that require a high degree of interoperability, scalability and security.

Lara Networks

Series B in 2000
Lara Technology is a fabless semiconductor manufacturer that designs, develops and markets memory-intensive ASICs for the networking and communications industries.

MEMSIC

Series A in 2000
MEMSIC Semiconductor Co., Ltd. is a Chinese enterprise that is engaged in the manufacture, research and development, and sale of microelectronic mechanical integration technology chips. MEMSIC is the first inertial sensor company in the world to integrate amicro mechanical system and mixed signal processing circuit into one single chip. MEMSIC utilizes standard CMOS craft and technology to embed additional functionality and create new products. It also enables the products to extend to more MEMS application fields in addition to acceleration sensors. With the combination of standard CMOS processes, MEMSIC has successfully produced over 20 types of level acceleration sensors with lower costs and higher performance.

Portal Wave

Series B in 2000
Portal Wave was founded in 1999 to create a technology platform that could expand and assimilate the successive waves of change the Internet has brought to business. The founders realized that companies needed a flexible, scalable and extensible platform from which to incorporate all these changes and at the same time tie them together. This was their vision for the enterprise portal for e-business.

Lightspeed

Private Equity Round in 2000
Lightspeed Trading offers clients access to our proprietary order execution system, Lightspeed Trader, real time risk and margin management tools, equity and option market data scanners, and a high frequency equity DMA infrastructure. Lightspeed Trading delivers cost effective equity and option order execution combined with fast and reliable market quotes through its robust quote infrastructure and proprietary order management system. In addition to Lightspeed’s proprietary products, access to ten certified third party trading platforms presents clients with the ability to build a flexible combination of trading products tailored to fit their needs. Lightspeed Institutional supports professional traders, funds, institutions, and separately managed accounts by providing a complete suite of technology, Regulation T and portfolio margin leverage, access to our agency-only trade desk, as well as execution and clearing services. Offices are located in both New York and Chicago, and remote access to all products is available. Clients have long recognized the value of Lightspeed Trading's customized approach. The client experience perfectly balances robust and flexible technology solutions with focused, experienced, and high touch service.

Lightspeed Semiconductor

Venture Round in 2000
LightSpeed Semiconductor provides time-to-market, yield, manufacturability, and development expense advantages over cell implementation.

Empowered Networks

Series C in 2000
Empowered Networks is a provider of information technology consulting and network monitoring solutions tailored for large enterprises. The company specializes in optimizing network management, security, and compliance, enabling organizations to enhance the agility, visibility, and reliability of their applications and services. Additionally, Empowered Networks is recognized for its innovative Voice-over-IP (VoIP) switching systems, which are designed for carriers and communication service providers. Its flagship product, the USX1000, seamlessly integrates with existing Intelligent Network services, facilitating the migration of voice traffic to IP infrastructure. By leveraging advanced technologies, Empowered Networks aims to drive positive business outcomes that significantly impact the bottom line for its clients.

Kinzan.com

Venture Round in 1999
Kinzan.com is a leading e-business platform provider for extending brand, content, commerce and relationship networks on the Internet. Kinzan.com is the first outsourced, turnkey platform enabling organizations to quickly and cost effectively deploy large networks of e-commerce enabled Web sites with a consistent, but localized, look and feel. Franchises, associations, portals, corporations, and other organizations can build and manage online relationship networks of independent Web sites created by their members, affiliates and customers. Kinzan.com's platform includes the Siteman™ Web development applications and services, Web site infrastructure and hosting, customization services and support.

Lara Networks

Series B in 1999
Lara Technology is a fabless semiconductor manufacturer that designs, develops and markets memory-intensive ASICs for the networking and communications industries.

Empowered Networks

Series B in 1999
Empowered Networks is a provider of information technology consulting and network monitoring solutions tailored for large enterprises. The company specializes in optimizing network management, security, and compliance, enabling organizations to enhance the agility, visibility, and reliability of their applications and services. Additionally, Empowered Networks is recognized for its innovative Voice-over-IP (VoIP) switching systems, which are designed for carriers and communication service providers. Its flagship product, the USX1000, seamlessly integrates with existing Intelligent Network services, facilitating the migration of voice traffic to IP infrastructure. By leveraging advanced technologies, Empowered Networks aims to drive positive business outcomes that significantly impact the bottom line for its clients.

Ubicom

Series B in 1999
Ubicom develops communications and media processor (CMP) and software platforms that address the unique demands of real-time interactive applications and multimedia content delivery in the digital home. The company provides optimized system-level solutions to OEMs for a wide range of products including wireless routers, access points, VoIP gateways, streaming media devices, print servers and other network devices. Ubicom's unique multithreaded processor design, real-time operating system, and application-level solutions combine to ensure a high-quality user experience with unprecedented ease of use. Ubicom is a venture-backed, privately held company with corporate headquarters in Sunnyvale, California.

Lara Networks

Series A in 1999
Lara Technology is a fabless semiconductor manufacturer that designs, develops and markets memory-intensive ASICs for the networking and communications industries.

Empowered Networks

Series A in 1999
Empowered Networks is a provider of information technology consulting and network monitoring solutions tailored for large enterprises. The company specializes in optimizing network management, security, and compliance, enabling organizations to enhance the agility, visibility, and reliability of their applications and services. Additionally, Empowered Networks is recognized for its innovative Voice-over-IP (VoIP) switching systems, which are designed for carriers and communication service providers. Its flagship product, the USX1000, seamlessly integrates with existing Intelligent Network services, facilitating the migration of voice traffic to IP infrastructure. By leveraging advanced technologies, Empowered Networks aims to drive positive business outcomes that significantly impact the bottom line for its clients.

RapidStream

Series B in 1999
RapidStream uses patent-pending RapidCore technology to deliver integrated virtual private network (VPN) and firewall solutions to service providers, data centers and enterprises that require a high degree of interoperability, scalability and security.

SiRF Technology

Venture Round in 1998
SiRF Technology develops semiconductor and software products that enable location-awareness.

Tropian

Series A in 1998
Tropian, Inc. develops and provides multimode radio frequency integrated circuits and solutions for wireless devices. The company offers Timestar radio frequency integrated circuit solutions for quad-band cellular handsets; Codestar radio transceivers; and Multistar transceivers. It serves wireless device manufacturers. Tropian, Inc. was formerly known as Premier R.F., Inc.

Coppercom

Series A in 1998
CopperCom is creating the next generation end office solution, leading the way to the creation of a single network that supports voice and data services. The CopperCom call control server for circuit switched and packet/cell-based networks decouples call processing from switching to allow features to be developed and delivered over any network transport protocol.

SiRF Technology

Venture Round in 1997
SiRF Technology develops semiconductor and software products that enable location-awareness.
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