Lip-Bu Tan Appointed as Intel CEO as Company Seeks Stability Amid Industry Shifts
Intel has appointed Lip-Bu Tan as its new Chief Executive Officer at a time when the chipmaker continues to face serious challenges in keeping pace with competitors in the rapidly evolving semiconductor industry. While his name may not be widely recognized by the public, Tan brings decades of experience from the venture capital and chip design worlds—experience that could shape Intel's future strategy in significant ways.
Elena Whitmore 
Intel has appointed Lip-Bu Tan as its new Chief Executive Officer at a time when the chipmaker continues to face serious challenges in keeping pace with competitors in the rapidly evolving semiconductor industry. While his name may not be widely recognized by the public, Tan brings decades of experience from the venture capital and chip design worlds—experience that could shape Intel's future strategy in significant ways.
Born in Malaysia, raised in Singapore, and now a U.S. citizen, Tan arrived in the United States to pursue higher education, studying nuclear engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before completing business school in California. In 1987, he founded Walden International, a venture capital firm that took unconventional approaches to investing in semiconductor startups. His belief that small, highly skilled teams could disrupt industry incumbents led him to fund hundreds of emerging companies, including Annapurna Labs, later acquired by Amazon.com for $370 million. That acquisition laid the foundation for Amazon's in-house chip division, which now produces central processors used more frequently by the company than those from Intel.
Another notable investment was in Nuvia, which Qualcomm bought in 2021 for $1.4 billion. The deal aimed to strengthen Qualcomm's position in the laptop and PC chip space—territory traditionally dominated by Intel. This track record highlights Tan's longstanding role in shaping competition in the chip sector.
His most recent investment was in Celestial AI, a startup focused on photonic computing, which is also backed by Advanced Micro Devices—a key rival of Intel. Despite his new position, Tan remains closely connected to the startup ecosystem, with ongoing ties to companies that could either compete with or become targets for Intel.
From 2009 to 2021, Tan served as CEO of Cadence Design Systems, a software company specializing in chip design tools. During his leadership, Cadence became a close partner of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), a foundry that has focused solely on chip manufacturing since its founding. Cadence shifted toward providing design solutions to major tech firms, including Apple, which eventually moved away from using Intel chips in its devices. Over Tan's tenure, Cadence's stock value rose by 3,200%.
According to Karl Freund from Cambrian AI Research, “He did a really good job of pointing (Cadence) in the right direction. Cadence really aligned themselves with TSMC – they saw them as a leader and the go-to shop.”
Analyst Jack Gold also commented, “Tan can leverage his experience and especially his industry connections, while also pursuing excellence within Intel,” emphasizing the importance of letting him lead without excessive interference from the board.
As Intel navigates complex transitions in chip design and manufacturing, Tan’s background in both areas could serve as a guiding force. However, how effectively he can apply his underdog strategies to a company of Intel’s scale remains to be seen.
