GSA recognizes semiconductor companies that have demonstrated excellence through their success, vision, strategy and future opportunities in the industry at its Awards Dinner Celebration. It is an honor to be selected as a nominee and an even more distinguished achievement to win a GSA Award!

Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award

The Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award recognizes individuals, such as its namesake, Dr. Morris Chang, for their exceptional contributions to drive the development, innovation, growth and long-term opportunities for the semiconductor industry. Dr. Eli Harari will receive the 2008 Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award presented at the GSA Awards Dinner Celebration.

Dr. Harari has been chief executive officer of SanDisk since 1988 when he founded the Sunnyvale-based company with his colleagues, Sanjay Mehrotra and Jack Yuan. In 1994, SanDisk invented and produced the first flash memory card to be marketed, the CompactFlash®.

Dr. Harari, a pioneer on non-volatile memory technology, has been a driving force in the electronics industry for over 30 years and holds more than 100 US and foreign patents. Before founding SanDisk, he co-founded Waferscale Integration, oversaw the development and transfer into production of Intel's first-generation stepper and dry etch technology, and held technical management positions at Hughes Aircraft and Honeywell.

Most Respected Public Semiconductor Company Award

The industry's Most Respected Public Semiconductor Company ($500 million to $10 billion+ in annual sales) award is designed to identify the public company garnering the most respect of the industry in terms of its products, vision and future opportunities. The criteria for this award include achieving annual sales above $500 million. In addition, profitability and market capitalization, among other financial and product successes, are considered to be listed on the ballot. GSA's Awards Committee reviews the companies meeting the criteria, and select the final list of companies based on the Committee's analysis of each company's performance and likelihood of success in the industry. On-line voting takes place to allow members of the semiconductor industry, including semiconductor companies and partners, to cast a ballot for the public semiconductor company they most respect.

Nominees for Achieving $10 Billion or Greater in Annual Sales

• Intel Corporation - Winner*
• Texas Instruments

Nominees for $500 Million to $10 Billion in Annual Sales

• Broadcom Corporation
• QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies
• Xilinx, Inc. - Winner*

Most Respected Emerging Public semiconductor Company Award

The industry's Most Respected Emerging Public Semiconductor Company award is designed to identify the company garnering the most respect of the industry in terms of its products, vision and future opportunities. The criteria for this award include (but is not limited to) achieving up to $499 million in annual sales. In addition, profitability and market capitalization, among other financial and product successes, are considered to be listed on the ballot. GSA's Awards Committee reviews the companies meeting the criteria, and the selected companies are based on the Committee's analysis of each company's performance and likelihood of success. On-line voting takes place to allow members of the semiconductor industry, including semiconductor companies and partners, to cast a ballot for the emerging public semiconductor company they most respect.

Nominees

• Actel Corporation
• Atheros Communications, Inc.
• Cavium Networks - Winner*

Most Respected Private semiconductor Company Award

The industry's Most Respected Private Semiconductor Company award is designed to identify the private company garnering the most respect of the industry in terms of its products, vision and future opportunity. GSA's Awards Committee reviews all private semiconductor companies, and the selected companies are based on the committee's analysis of each company's performance and likelihood of long-term success. On-line voting takes place to allow members of the semiconductor industry, including chip companies and partners, to cast a ballot for the private semiconductor company they most respect.

Nominees

• eASIC Corporation
• Freescale Semiconductor
• Open-Silicon, Inc. - Winner*

Best Financially Managed semiconductor Company Award

The Best Financially Managed Semiconductor Company Award is designed to evaluate the financial health of public semiconductor companies based on a number of financial metrics, such as return on investment, return on equity, inventory turns, revenue, net income, days sales outstanding, cash per share, cash burn, gross profit margin, operating margin and current ratio. GSA and financial analysts evaluate each company against their peers, and the one with the best overall performance is determined the winner.

Nominees

• Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI)
• Linear Technology Corporation
• MediaTek, Inc. - Winner*

Outstanding Financial Performance by Private semiconductor Companies

The top five private semiconductor companies (in terms of growth percentage) that doubled revenue over eight consecutive quarters, are eligible to receive an award for their outstanding financial performance. Private semiconductor companies submitted their confidential ballots directly to a designated consulting firm to determine which companies doubled revenue. GSA does not have access to financial data within submissions. Up to five companies are eligible to receive this award. Nominations are now closed.

Winners

• Ambarella*
• DisplayLink Corporation *

Start-Up to Watch Award

The GSA Start-Up to Watch Awards Committee, which is comprised of members of the VC Advisory Council and select serial entrepreneurs in the industry selects the winner of the Start-Up To Watch award by identifying the semiconductor company that demonstrates the potential to positively change its market or the semiconductor industry in general through the innovative use of semiconductor technology or a new application for semiconductor technology. Companies must be fabless or an integrated device manufacturer (IDM) generating $1M-$5M in revenue, or be 3-5 years old. Nominations are now closed.

Nominees

• Amalfi Semiconductor
• Amimon, Ltd.
• Audience, Inc.
• Stream Processors, Inc.
• Tilera Corporation - Winner*