It’s no secret that the semiconductor industry has been facing challenges in 2022 – Intel, AMD, Nvidia and others reported shrinking revenues throughout the year due to macroeconomic hurdles like global inflation and geopolitical conflicts.

But it would be a mistake to count out players in the silicon world - the sector is more than a one-trick pony, and certain segments are thriving even as they face difficult economic times. Companies with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), high power computing, cloud, and intelligent edge business, for example, are booming. These hot emerging technologies are becoming a lifeline for a beleaguered tech sector and innovations are letting companies focus on the future.

And investments are still flowing into semiconductor startups. According to Semiconductor Engineering, 113 semiconductor startups raised $3.5 billion in October alone. Some of the biggest funding hauls were in the AI product and service market – with more than $1 billion raised in that segment.

CRN takes a look at 10 of the hottest semiconductor startups shaking up the industry this year:

* Alif Semiconductor

* Astera Labs

* Atomica Corp.

* Axelera AI

* Cron AI

* Eliyan

* Lightelligence

* Luminous Computing

* Syntiant Corp.

* Quadric