Professional Role and Responsibilities
Ashish Deshpande holds the position of Director - ASIC Design Verification at Alphawave IP Group since September 2022 (current as of 2025). He leads the ASIC Design Verification function within the company's Information Technology and Development team, which comprises four members. Ashish manages multiple direct reports including digital and design verification engineers such as Albert Ao, Freeman (Zijian) Zhou, Alexander Wong, Deborah Pais, Husen Mulla, and Catherine Leung (ASIC/FPGA Verification Manager). His role involves oversight of verification methodologies and ensuring the functional correctness of ASIC designs, aligning with Alphawave’s semiconductor IP focus.
Professional Experience
Ashish Deshpande brings extensive industry experience in ASIC design and verification, particularly focused on PCI and PCI-X IP verification using Synopsys Verification IP. His previous experience includes:
- Engineering management roles at OpenFive and SiFive
- Engineering roles at Rambus and GDA Technologies
- Early career involvement at Wipro (2000-2003)
- His career trajectory demonstrates progressive leadership responsibilities culminating in his current director-level role.
His skill set includes strong expertise in Verilog, SystemVerilog, UVM methodology, and block/IP-level verification, positioning him as a key technical leader in ASIC design verification activities aligned with advanced semiconductor connectivity IP.
Educational Background
Ashish’s academic credentials consist of:
- Bachelor of Engineering (BE) in Industrial Electronics from Bharati Vidyapeeth
- Diploma in Electronics and Radio Engineering from Cusrow Wadia Institute of Technologies
These qualifications support his technical foundation in electronics and semiconductor verification engineering.
Location and Networking
- Based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, which is also a significant hub for semiconductor engineering talent.
- Has a LinkedIn presence with 500+ connections ([LinkedIn Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashish-deshpande-4169901)), indicating an active professional network in the semiconductor and technology sectors.
Company Overview: Alphawave IP Group
- Alphawave IP Group is a semiconductor IP company specializing in DSP-based, multi-standard connectivity Silicon IP solutions targeting both data center compute and IoT device data generation.
- Headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; the company has a workforce ranging between 50-200 employees.
- Alphawave reported record bookings of US$515.5 million for FY 2024, a 34% increase from US$383.9 million in FY 2023, reflecting strong financial growth and market demand for their IP technology.
- The company is publicly traded and continues acquiring IP and technology to expand its portfolio.
Industry and Market Context
- Alphawave serves highly specialized markets focused on high-speed wired connectivity and compute technologies critical for next-generation data centers and AI infrastructure.
- The semiconductor industry is witnessing increased demand for advanced verification and design capabilities, particularly with the rising complexity of ASICs and integration needs.
- Ashish’s role is strategically important for ensuring the reliability and functional soundness of Alphawave's IP in this competitive environment.
Technical and Leadership Insights
- Ashish possesses an advanced understanding of verification flows including UVM, which is a standard industry methodology for functional verification of ASICs.
- His team structure indicates a balanced mix of senior and staff engineers, pointing to his leadership in technical mentorship and project delivery.
- Public references to his role in guiding students and professional talks at conferences like the Design Automation Conference (DAC) suggest recognition as a knowledgeable industry expert in ASIC design verification.
Relevant Industry Engagement
- Alphawave and Ashish Deshpande are associated with key industry events such as DAC 2024 and other semiconductor verification forums, reflecting active participation in technical advancement and thought leadership within the ASIC design community.
- The company’s growth trajectory and significant bookings indicate potential increasing validation needs and opportunities for collaboration or support in verification tooling and IP reliability enhancement.
In summary, Ashish Deshpande is a seasoned ASIC Design Verification leader at Alphawave IP Group, located in Bengaluru. His robust background in PCI/PCI-X verification, combined with management experience across recognized semiconductor companies, complements Alphawave’s strong market positioning in high-speed connectivity IP. Alphawave’s recent financial milestones affirm the company’s growing footprint, suggesting that Ashish operates in a dynamic environment with significant emphasis on design verification excellence and innovation.
