October 2023: Interview with the CEO

As we approach the end of 2023, our Founder & CEO, John O'Donnell, takes a moment to provide insights into yieldHUB's current status and his vision for the company's future. Join us as we delve into his thoughts and plans in this exclusive interview.

How have the past three years been for yieldHUB?

Since the onset of the Covid pandemic, we've been on a dynamic and transformative path. We've grown our revenue significantly in the past three years, and in response to our growing customer base, we've expanded our team by approximately 80%. This expansion has been essential in providing the necessary support to our new customers and users. Additionally, we've identified new niches for our platform and have made substantial investments in research and development.

What type of R&D are you working on?

In terms of R&D, we've been hard at work enhancing our analytics and data processing speeds through innovative techniques. Furthermore, we've broadened our capabilities in image analysis. Perhaps one of the most exciting developments on the horizon is the imminent release of our new big data platform, slated for launch in 2024. We're also making investments in real-time technology and manufacturing efficiency analysis. We anticipate that our customers will reap the benefits of these investments between 2024 and 2030.

What motivates you every day to lead yieldHUB?

It's the synergy of our outstanding team and our exceptional customers. Fundamentally, my drive has always stemmed from a passion for eliminating inefficiencies, whether they exist within our organization or within the processes our customers employ to enhance yield.

Internally, it's paramount to me that we bring aboard the right talent and service providers across all key functions, including R&D, Sales, Marketing, Operations, Engineering, Customer Success, IT, HR, QA, and Finance. Equally important is ensuring that we have the necessary tools and resources at our disposal. Whether it's efficient software development while safeguarding our intellectual property and trade secrets, project management, ticket handling, sales pipeline management, or marketing analytics, I believe we've invested in the right tools for our stage of growth. Our IT team ensures top-notch security and server management, a crucial aspect as we serve cloud customers across numerous countries. HR and compliance remain central, as does collaborating with the right partners for accounting, tax planning (e.g. for R&D), and staffing on both international and local fronts. Having the right people allows me to focus on working “on” the company rather than getting bogged down in day-to-day operations. 

From a technical perspective, my driving force is to empower our customers to address all yield-related challenges that arise when designing and manufacturing microchips whether on a small, medium or large scale. This landscape is continually evolving, from initial silicon design to mass production, from chips to modules to chiplets, often with design teams in one part of the world and manufacturing in another. We consistently develop our solutions to tackle these evolving challenges head-on. In many cases, it's communication that poses a significant hurdle for our customers, prompting us to develop a platform that streamlines communication with powerful collaborative features.

What are your plans for yieldHUB over the next few years?

Looking ahead, we have ambitious plans for yieldHUB over the next few years. We're actively working toward expanding our team to reach 50 members shortly, necessitating increased investment, particularly in Ireland. We intend to bring on board more data scientists, engineers, software developers and testers to bolster our machine learning and AI capabilities.

Through strategic partnerships with other companies, we aim to broaden our customer base and third-party integrations. We're also discovering unexpected opportunities within the semiconductor industry where our technology can provide significant benefits. Meeting people face to face at conferences and in their offices and listening keenly is so important for this.

Our next platform is currently in the advanced stages of development. It represents our third major ground-up design. This platform is designed with integration in mind, featuring API-first technology, ideal for AI, machine learning, and rapid customization to meet each customer's unique needs. It's faster and even more scalable than our current platform, which is already renowned for its scalability and speed.

The future of yieldHUB is indeed promising, and we're committed to delivering exceptional solutions to our customers and partners.