Irwin joined USVP in 1990 as a general partner with significant investment experience: as CEO of Monolithic Memories, he led his firm's investments in successful startups such as Cypress Semiconductor, Xilinx and Altera. During his tenure as CEO from 1978 to 1987, Irwin spearheaded MMI's turnaround from virtual bankruptcy to a $250 million revenue organization. When MMI merged with Advanced Micro Devices, Irwin assumed the post of Vice Chairman of AMD. Irwin was also two-term Chairman of the Semiconductor Industry Association, has served on the Board of Directors of the National Venture Capital Association and served two terms on the Dean's Advisory Board of Santa Clara University. Irwin was a founding or lead investor in Blue Martini, CheckPoint Software Technologies, Centillium Communications, Crescendo Communications, MMC Networks, NeoMagic, Netro, Nuance Communications, Quick Logic, SanDisk and TelCom Semiconductor. He has led USVP's investments in BeVocal, On24 and Mellanox, among many others. Irwin received a B.S. in Economics from Brooklyn College and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering Science from Santa Clara University. A recipient of the Anti-Defamation League's Torch of Liberty, Irwin is involved with a number of community organizations in San Francisco and on the Peninsula. |