Draper and Northeast Microelectronics Coalition Partner to Accelerate Lab-to-Fab Transitions
Advisory collaboration will support ASIC design and MPW readiness, helping startups reduce technical risk and speed semiconductor commercialization.
Draper and the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC) announced that Draper will provide advisory services and support to startups and small companies within NEMC's membership to de-risk and accelerate lab-to-fab technology transition. The formal introduction will be made at the 2026 Microelectronics Commons Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
These services build upon the NEMC's Powering Regional Opportunities for Prototyping Microelectronics (PROPEL) program, providing funding and support to help early-stage ventures and growing firms overcome complex technical risks and reduce development timelines.
Under the agreement, Draper will offer Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) design and multi-project wafer (MPW) readiness advisory services to NEMC members, where such support is appropriate to project objectives. The goal is to help reduce execution risk, improve design quality, and better prepare for MPW fabrication and downstream integration.
"We look forward to sharing our unique experience and deep expertise in ASIC design and MPW preparedness with NEMC members," said Michael Cassidy, Director, Secured & Assured Systems, Draper. "This agreement reflects our commitment as a trusted innovation partner to strengthen this region's microelectronics ecosystem by meeting innovators where they are. Draper's role will be to help NEMC members navigate the complexity of ASIC design, fabrication, and integration so their ideas can move from the lab into the real world to support national security and commercial competitiveness."
"This unique collaboration with Draper provides microelectronics innovators much-needed access to trusted advisory support within the ME Commons ecosystem, reinforcing the value of design readiness and MPW execution discipline," said Farhad Vazehgoo, Director, Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships, NEMC. "By reinforcing the value of design readiness and MPW execution discipline, we are strengthening our offerings to help member companies overcome manufacturing and operational hurdles and accelerate time to market."
ASIC design is the process of creating custom-built semiconductor chips optimized for a single, specific function, offering high performance, efficiency, and small size for a wide range of applications. MPW semiconductor manufacturing arrangements allow customers to share tooling (like mask) and microelectronics wafer fabrication cost between several designs or projects.
Draper's role will be advisory in nature, intended to support member success rather than approve designs, certify readiness, or control access to MPW or fabrication resources. Any work will be scoped and coordinated through MassTech to ensure alignment with NEMC program objectives.
