
Chris Rowen
CEO, BabbleLabs, Inc.
Topic:
VC Panel AMA
Bio:
Chris is a well-known Silicon Valley entrepreneur and technologist, currently serving as CEO and co-
founder of BabbleLabs, a leading provider of AI-based speech processing software. Previously, he
worked as CTO for Cadence’s IP Group, where he and his team developed a new processor and memory
for advanced applications in mobile, automotive, infrastructure, deep learning, and IoT systems. Chris
joined Cadence after its acquisition of Tensilica, the company he founded in 1997 to develop extensible
processors. He led Tensilica as CEO, to develop the leading domain-specific processor core family and
one of the most prolific embedded processor architectures. Before that he was VP and GM of the Design
Reuse Group at Synopsys. Chris was a pioneer in developing RISC architecture and helped found MIPS
Computer Systems in the 1980s. He holds an MSEE and PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford and
a BA in physics from Harvard. He holds more than 40 US and international patents. He was named an
IEEE Fellow in 2015 for his work in development of microprocessor technology.