Allen 101X 4:00–5:00pm
MEMS Start-up Adventures: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Kurt Petersen
President and Co-Founder, Cepheid
Consulting Professor of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University
Abstract:
Many interesting stories happen during start-ups. Like the "outside air"
guy, who was allergic to "inside air" - how did we solve this sensitive
employment issue at NovaSensor? Also, what about the corporate chairman
who vowed to take my house and my car and make sure that I never worked
again? What about the lay-offs and the lawsuits? We will explain these
and other adventures including the successes, the failures, and the
strange incidents that happen in the real world of MEMS start-ups.
Maybe, we will also get some insights into how some start-ups succeed
and others don't.
Biography:
Kurt Petersen received his BS degree cum laude in EE from UC Berkeley in
1970. In 1975, he received a PhD in EE from the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology. Dr. Petersen established a micromachining research group
at IBM from 1975 to 1982, during which he wrote the review paper
"Silicon as a Mechanical Material," published in the IEEE Proceedings
(May 1982). This paper is still the most frequently referenced work in
the field of micromachining and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).
Since 1982, Dr. Petersen has co-founded three successful companies in
micromachining technology, Transensory Devices Inc. in 1982, NovaSensor
in 1985, and Cepheid in 1996. All of these companies have become
technical and commercial leaders in the field of MEMS devices and
applications. Most recently, Cepheid was established with the mission of
commercializing advanced MEMS techniques and other technologies for
miniaturized, biomedical and microfluidic systems and instruments,
particularly in the area of fast, portable, automated nucleic acid (DNA)
analysis for diagnostic applications in the biomedical, environmental,
and food industries as well as for bio-warfare defense. Cepheid has
become a recognized industry leader in rapid DNA purification,
detection, and analysis.
Dr. Petersen has published over 100 papers, and has been granted over 25
patents in the field of micromachining. In 2001 he was awarded the IEEE
Simon Ramo Medal for his contributions to MEMS. Dr. Petersen is a member
of the National Academy of Engineering and is a Fellow of the IEEE in
recognition of his contributions to "the commercialization of MEMS
technology".
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