iSTART-TEK has been honored with the 2025 EE Awards Asia, where its independently developed EDA tool, START™ v5 (SRAM Test and Repair Solution), won the award for “Best EDA of the Year.” The award was accepted on behalf of the company by Vice President Nico Wang on December 5, 2025.
START™ v5 is built upon iSTART-TEK’s patented technology, “Method for Generating a Memory Built-In Self-Test Algorithm Circuit,” forming the core of a next-generation memory test and repair platform. After receiving its Taiwanese patent in 2022, the technology successfully obtained a U.S. patent in October 2023, signifying global recognition of iSTART-TEK’s breakthrough in memory test innovation. Winning this year’s EE Awards Asia further highlights the strength and innovation of Taiwan’s EDA technologies on the international stage.
The EE Awards Asia, jointly organized by EE Times Asia and EDN Asia, is one of the most influential annual recognitions in the Asia-Pacific electronics industry. Winners are selected through a combination of evaluations by an international panel of judges and votes from practicing engineers. This award underscores the technological innovation and practical value of START™ v5, further solidifying iSTART-TEK’s industry-leading position in memory test and repair technologies.
Traditional memory test algorithms often suffer from redundant test items, lengthy test times, increased manufacturing costs, and insufficient customization flexibility. The UDA modular algorithm framework in START™ v5 fundamentally resolves these challenges. Through editable and customizable test elements, engineers can eliminate redundant patterns, tailor test flows, and quickly adapt strategies for different process nodes and SRAM architectures. This approach shortens test time, significantly reduces costs, improves coverage, enhances chip yield, boosts product reliability, and lowers DPPM.
With its flexible architecture, scalable algorithms, and yield-optimization capabilities, START™ v5 has become a critical tool for many leading IC design companies in Taiwan and across the globe. iSTART-TEK noted that receiving the “Best EDA of the Year” award not only affirms the achievements of its R&D team, but also strengthens the company’s commitment to advancing test technologies for advanced nodes and high-reliability applications. Moving forward, iSTART-TEK will continue empowering customers to overcome memory test challenges in advanced manufacturing processes, improve design performance, and enhance mass-production reliability.
