Founding History and Company Roadmap
Progressive vision, tireless innovation, and positive impact - synchronicity for advancing frontier technologies.
The combination of Dr. Sutardja’s front-end visionary concept of chiplet architecture, Dr. Han’s generational back-end semiconductor advancements, and Weili's prowess in ecosystem ideation give Silicon Box an unparalleled advantage in leading the chiplet revolution. Here's how it all came together for Silicon Box.
Founding History
A company founded on partnership, vision, and a collective passion for innovation.
It started with friendship
Co-founders Dr. BJ Han, Dr. Sehat Sutardja, and Weili Dai have been friends since before their university days. After graduating from their respective institutions, they were already dreaming about revolutionizing the semiconductor industry and improving technology for the benefit of the world.
While pursuing separate professional journeys, the trio continued to share a passion for creating sustainable technologies that enhance and support humanity. BJ focused on research & development followed by business management; Sehat worked on creating better devices and Weili leveraged her prowess in business acumen to build a network of partners seeking the same vision.
This collective passion led to many successes in the semiconductor industry, which in turn led to the creation of a disruptive semiconductor architecture that we now know as chiplets today.
The making of industry titans
Co-founder Dr. BJ Han developed advanced packaging for chips, which is ubiquitous in almost every commercial device today.
In 1996, after R&D stints with IBM and AT&T Bell Laboratories, Dr. Han's passion for improving processes led him to venture further into advanced manufacturing. He joined Amkor Technology (then Anam Semiconductor) as Senior VP and Director of R&D.
In 1999, Dr. Han joined STATS ChipPAC (then STATS) as Chief Technology Officer, became Chief Executive Officer in 2015, and then Executive Chairman in 2017. During his tenure, he grew STATS ChipPAC’s revenue from US$100 million to US$4.3 billion by transforming Singapore-based STATS into a global company. His successes are marked by the ubiquitous commercial adoption of his innovative packaging and back-end inventions such as quad flat no-lead (QFN) packaging, which currently ships over 100 billion units per year.
Co-founders of Silicon Box, Dr. Sehat Sutardja and Weili Dai, first made their mark in the semiconductor industry with Marvell Technology (NASDAQ: MRVL).
The husband-and-wife duo founded Marvell in 1995 with Dr. Sutardja’s brother, Pantas Sutardja. Together, they established Marvell with a simple vision: “to create marvelous devices”. Their relentless pursuit of efficiency led to the development of groundbreaking chips, securing numerous deals with well-known technology companies and experiencing unprecedented growth.
Marvell Technology went public in 2000.
The dawn of chiplets
17 February 2015 | Dr. Sutardja introduces the first commercially available chiplet platform
At the 2015 International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC), Dr. Sutardja introduced MoChi (modular chip), the world's first commercially available platform for highly flexible and interconnected modular chips. As the industry adopted this innovative approach, the term “chiplets” was proposed, referencing academic research on customizable and optimized chip design that integrates diverse functionalities.
An opportunity arises
Groundbreaking chip design and manufacturing advancements have created multi-core processors and intricate chip architectures essential for many modern applications, from data centers to artificial intelligence. However, after three decades of remarkable growth, the enduring principles of Moore's Law and Dennard scaling began to show signs of strain.
By the early 2000s, Moore’s Law was challenged despite the miniaturization of transistors, especially due to the rising cost of ongoing development and diminishing performance gains. The industry grappled with challenges such as overheating, increasing voltage demands for multi-core chips, and current leakage, which hindered progress. While consumers enjoyed access to more powerful computers at lower prices, the costs of manufacturing advanced chips skyrocketed, increasing as much as four times. The pursuit of Moore's Law had become so capital-intensive that reliance on a few companies led to bottlenecks and manufacturing delays.
The first piece at the right time
Amidst these challenges, the co-founders saw an opportunity for change, embodying the spirit of innovation that has always propelled humanity forward. The industry's acknowledgement of a new semiconductor architecture marked a significant shift away from conventional monolithic chip designs, paving the way for a new era of innovation.
Road to chiplets – the start of a new paradigm
After Dr. Sutardja and Weili Dai stepped down as CEO and President of Marvell respectively, the duo went on to pioneer chiplet architecture as the next frontier in semiconductor advancement. While Dr. Sutardja explored design possibilities for chiplets, Weili focused on building a robust ecosystem to support chiplet design and manufacturing.
This ecosystem aimed to enable interoperable chiplet integration, meeting future demands for high-performance technology while ensuring cost-effectiveness and reduced power consumption; promising a broader safety net for chiplet infrastructure, and propelling technological advancements across the semiconductor industry.
Silicon Box Road Map
A transformative period for semiconductor innovation has unfolded through the long-term collaborative efforts of Dr. BJ Han, Dr. Sehat Sutardja, and Ms. Weili Dai.
New Venture Begins: Singapore HQ established
May 19, 2021 | Founding of Silicon Box - a unified integration and packaging platform for the semiconductor value-chain
A few years after Dr. Han concluded his 20-year career with STATS ChipPAC, he joined Dr. Sutardja and Weili to complete their long-time dream of a collaborative platform that would unify chip designers, OSATs, foundries, and various stakeholders to create a "true chiplet ecosystem."
The co-founders established Silicon Box’s backend advanced manufacturing infrastructure as “the glue” supporting the modularity of chiplet architecture. The company’s proprietary methods are rooted in Dr. Han’s cumulative experience in R&D in advanced packaging, which led to groundbreaking achievements in the development of Wafer Scale-level CSP (WLCSP), ultra-thin interconnects that makes 2.5D and 3D interconnects packaging possible, and Fan-out Wafer-Level Packaging (FOWLP) for Embedded Wafer Level Ball Grid Array (eWLB) packages. These advanced packing innovations can be found in almost every advanced application sold today.
Why Singapore
The trio chose Singapore because of Dr. Han’s familiarity with the local ecosystem, as a place he has called home for more 22 years. Singapore is a geopolitically neutral, business friendly location, offering a politically stable environment. The city-state's robust IP protection and labor laws also provided a secure environment for the sensitive semiconductor manufacturing trade.
Bringing the band back together
Pivotal to the start-up phase of Silicon Box was bringing key members of Dr. Han’s award-winning technical team from prior companies together to launch the company. Together, they bring unparalleled experience in managing high-volume packaging output and possess generational expertise in developing thinner, denser, and highly optimized chips.
Singapore Factory Construction Commences
July 22, 2022 | Singapore Factory Breaks Ground
Silicon Box broke ground on its flagship 73,000 square-meter facility, which includes 30,000 square meters of production space. Construction took just over 11 months to complete.
A unified integration and packaging platform for the semiconductor value-chain in the making
June 30, 2023 | Successful Series A funding closes US$156.6m
Investors include co-founders BJ Han, Sehat Sutardja and Weili Dai, as well as strategic investor Tata Electronics, and VC firms – BRV Capital and Ignite Innovation Fund.
July 20, 2023 | Grand Opening of Singapore’s First Advanced Integration and Packaging Facility
Co-founders BJ Han, Sehat Sutardja, and Weili Dai officially unveiled Silicon Box’s state-of-the-art advanced semiconductor integration facility representing a total investment of $2 billion. The grand opening welcomed guests from all over the world with a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony and lion dance to celebrate this new venture. Among the distinguished guests were Mr. Png Cheong Boon, Chairman of the Economic Development Board (EDB), who pledged Singapore’s support for the hiring and reskilling over 1,000 highly technical jobs.
The grand opening garnered extensive media coverage, with local, regional, and international outlets expressing enthusiasm about the facility's potential impact on Singapore's economy and the experienced team behind it. This new facility is designed to address the demands of future computing technologies and artificial intelligence. Its hiring capacity of up to 1,200 skilled jobs, signals a significant boost to Singapore's manufacturing sector.
Record Breaking Growth
January 4, 2024 | Series B funding closed with US$200m – Investors value Silicon Box as a unicorn
An oversubscribed successful $200m closing of our Series B funding round served as a powerful affirmation of our vision. It concreted our plans to expand production capacity to meet demand. The funding elevated Silicon Box's valuation to $1 billion, placing the company as one the 76 startups amongst the blessing of unicorns globally in 2024, amidst an investment winter.
January 8, 2024 | First products shipped
Approximately six months after the grand opening, our Singapore facility shipped the first batch of Silicon Box packaged chips. These chips were produced using our proprietary advanced panel-level packaging technology, breaking the bottleneck in chiplet packaging technology.
March 11, 2024 | Announced $3.6b investment for expansion into Italy
Recognizing the growing need for advanced facilities to support chiplet-based semiconductor designs—particularly in high-power computing and artificial intelligence—SIlicon Box announced a commitment to invest $3.6 billion to establish a cutting-edge chiplet-based integration facility in Italy. This move reinforces the company's mission to create thriving ecosystems across the globe.
Sights on Europe
April 10, 2024 | Silicon Box listed in Singapore Business Review’s 20 Hottest Startups in 2024
Silicon Box was featured amongst a list of sustainability-focused startups as pioneering the future of semiconductor manufacturing with the world’s first standardized large-format production method for advanced packaging.
May 26, 2024 | Achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification
Silicon Box achieved an internationally recognized standard for quality management, underscoring our commitment to world-class manufacturing processes and quality customer satisfaction.
June 28, 2024 | Piedmont region selected to host €3.2B chip foundry for Italian expansion
Co-founders of Silicon Box, together with the Minister Adolfo Urso, President Alberto Cirio of the Piedmont region, and Mayor Alessandro Canelli of the municipality of Novara, signed a letter of intent outlining their commitment for collaboration related to the site and investment.
Gaining Industry Recognition
July 8, 2024 | Silicon Box on EE Times Silicon 100 Startups Worth Watching in 2024
Silicon Box was recognized as a promising chiplet assembly service positioned to support the semiconductor industry’s transition to chiplet architecture.
August 5, 2024 | Silicon Box raises US$99.9 million in additional funding
This funding round included contributions from co-founders BJ Han, Sehat Sutardja and Weili Dai, and US-based VC firm Prysm Capital.
September 25, 2024 | Silicon Box ranks #8 on LinkedIn Top Startups in Singapore
In a data-backed ranking of emerging companies that are rapidly growing and recruiting top talent in Singapore, Silicon Box ranked #8 as one of 10 LinkedIn Top Startups to work for.
Solidifying the European vision
November 29, 2024 | ICCS named Silicon Box “The Best Singaporean Investor to Italy”
Silicon Box was named “The Best Singaporean Investor to Italy” by The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, for its 15th edition of the #ICCS Business Awards.
December 16, 2024 | European Commission approved €1.3 billion Italian state aid to build Silicon Box, Italy
The European Commission approved €1.3 billion in state aid to support the construction of Silicon Box’s second manufacturing facility, in Novara, Piedmont. This new facility aims to create 1,600 high-skilled jobs and establish Europe's most advanced semiconductor packaging facilities. The investment aligns with the EU's strategic goal to produce 20% of the world's semiconductors by 2030. It marks Silicon Box’s first manufacturing expansion beyond Singapore. Featuring Silicon Box’s proprietary large format process lines, the factory can scale up chip packaging six to eight times more than traditional wafer-level methods.
Cementing our commitment to quality and IP protection
March 2025 | Trademark secured for SiPlet®
SiPlet is a system-in-package solution designed for advanced chiplet interconnection and replacement of legacy packaging. It features a proprietary fabrication method using less than 5-micron interconnections, addressing chiplet adoption challenges. The approach utilizes large-format panel-level integration, delivering high electrical and thermal performance at efficient costs and high yields.
March 19, 2025 | Achieved ISO14001:2015 and ISO45001:2018 certifications
In the same year, Silicon Box achieved two internationally recognized standards.
- ISO14001:2015: This certification is awarded for having a proactive Environmental Management System that showcases our commitment to managing our environmental impact with pollution prevention, legal compliance, and continual improvement.
- ISO45001:2018: This certification recognizes our robust Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) management system, which effectively manages health and safety risks, enhances OH&S performance and prevents work-related injuries and illnesses.
Onwards and upwards
April 15, 2025 | Dr. Han received the Leonardo International Prize 2025
Dr. Han was honored by the Italian government for his significant contributions to Italy's technological landscape through highly innovative and strategically important investments that create valuable employment opportunities.
April 22, 2025 | Listed on Hack Summit’s 150 ClimateTech companies to watch
Silicon Box is recognized for its proprietary packaging technology that enables next-generation tech with the lowest possible power consumption.
June 1, 2025 | #6 on TechInAsia’s top funded startups list
Silicon Box ranked no. 6 on Tech In Asia’s top 50 rising startups in Asia.