{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/62dfcddf4f4d8b00124d226a/6a4f7eff81fe1f646021f70d?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Pragmatic Semiconductor's Vision in Britain's Tech Future ","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/62dfcddf4f4d8b00124d226a/1783969734891-18ef1faa-436d-4ec8-b350-460a9f482ee2.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>Cambridge Tech Podcast hits a significant milestone this week with its 200th episode, and they marked the occasion by revisiting Pragmatic Semiconductor, the company that featured in their very first show. This time, co-founder and CTO Richard Price joined hosts Faye Holland and James Parton to discuss how the company has evolved from a scrappy six-person startup in a Cambridge shoebox office to a 300-strong powerhouse reshaping the semiconductor industry.</p><p><br></p><p>Richard Price's journey is a masterclass in deep tech entrepreneurship. Starting with a chemistry kit that \"ruined a number of carpets\" as a child, he progressed through organic light-emitting diode research before co-founding Pragmatic in 2011 with Scott White and four other talented founders.</p><p><br></p><p>Richard shared with us details of some of their key innovations:</p><ul><li>Thin-film semiconductor layers on flexible substrates (not silicon-based)</li><li>Manufacturing cycle times measured in days, not months</li><li>Lower temperatures, less water, fewer chemicals = genuine sustainability benefits</li><li>Current applications in RFID smart labels for anti-counterfeiting and EU digital product passport compliance</li></ul><p><br></p><p>The roadmap is ambitious. Generation 3 chips launch this year, followed by a CMOS platform at the end of next year, the first complementary metal oxide semiconductor offering from the company. Beyond that lies the \"fab as a service\" model, potentially deploying manufacturing facilities globally to compress supply chains and boost resilience.</p><p><br></p><p>For founders and VCs, Pragmatic's story offers valuable lessons: the importance of finding the right co-founder (Richard and Scott have been together 15 years), the critical role of ecosystem and location, and the patience required to build deep tech companies.</p><p><br></p><p>Headline sponsor Holden Polestar </p><p>Produced by Cambridge TV</p><p> #CamTechPod</p>","author_name":"James Parton & Faye Holland"}