Silvaco appoints Walden Rhines as CEO, succeeding Babak Taheri, who departed after seven years.
Quiver AI Summary
Silvaco Group, Inc. announced that Dr. Babak Taheri has stepped down as Chief Executive Officer after nearly seven years, during which he oversaw the company's successful initial public offering. The company's board has appointed Walden “Wally” C. Rhines as the new CEO, effective immediately. In his statement, Dr. Taheri expressed pride in the company’s accomplishments and growth, while Rhines highlighted the exciting market opportunities for Silvaco in semiconductor design automation. Rhines has significant experience in the industry, having previously served as CEO of Mentor Graphics Corporation and currently holding positions at Cornami, Inc. and Qorvo, Inc. Board Chair Kathy Pesic praised both leaders for their contributions and expressed confidence in Rhines' ability to lead the company into its next chapter. Silvaco, headquartered in Santa Clara, California, provides software solutions for semiconductor design and digital twin modeling across various industries.
Potential Positives
- Appointment of Dr. Walden C. Rhines as the new CEO introduces leadership with extensive experience in the semiconductor industry, potentially enhancing company growth and innovation.
- Dr. Babak Taheri's leadership prior to the transition included a successful IPO and sustained double-digit growth, indicating a strong foundation for future developments.
- The company's strategic position in the semiconductor design automation market is emphasized, highlighting growth opportunities and a strong pipeline of business.
- Dr. Rhines’ confidence in the team and the company's trajectory suggests a positive outlook for shareholder value and continued innovation.
Potential Negatives
- Dr. Babak Taheri's departure as CEO after nearly seven years could indicate instability or significant changes in leadership that may affect investor confidence.
- The transition in leadership to a new CEO, Walden “Wally” C. Rhines, may create uncertainty regarding the company's future direction and strategic initiatives.
- The timing of the leadership change so soon after the IPO could raise concerns about the company's governance and succession planning.
FAQ
What recent leadership change occurred at Silvaco Group, Inc.?
Dr. Babak Taheri left his position as CEO, and Walden “Wally” C. Rhines was appointed as the new CEO.
When did Dr. Babak Taheri leave his CEO position?
Dr. Babak Taheri left the company on August 19, 2025.
Who is the new CEO of Silvaco Group, Inc.?
Walden “Wally” C. Rhines has been appointed as the new CEO of Silvaco Group, Inc.
What are Silvaco's main products and services?
Silvaco provides TCAD, EDA software, and SIP solutions for semiconductor design and digital twin modeling.
Where is Silvaco Group, Inc. headquartered?
Silvaco Group, Inc. is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.
$SVCO Insider Trading Activity
$SVCO insiders have traded $SVCO stock on the open market 8 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 2 have been purchases and 6 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $SVCO stock by insiders over the last 6 months:
- KATHERINE S. NGAI-PESIC has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 40,000 shares for an estimated $200,289.
- BABAK A. TAHERI (Chief Executive Officer) has made 2 purchases buying 25,000 shares for an estimated $122,992 and 0 sales.
- YELENA I. PESIC has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 20,763 shares for an estimated $104,842.
- ILLIYA I. PESIC sold 15,000 shares for an estimated $73,156
- RYAN A BENTON (Chief Financial Officer) sold 168 shares for an estimated $777
To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard.
$SVCO Hedge Fund Activity
We have seen 34 institutional investors add shares of $SVCO stock to their portfolio, and 31 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.
Here are some of the largest recent moves:
- YIHENG CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. removed 100,136,918 shares (-98.9%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $472,646,252
- SAMJO MANAGEMENT, LLC removed 510,600 shares (-76.7%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $2,410,032
- TOPLINE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC added 232,290 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $1,096,408
- FIRST EAGLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC added 130,709 shares (+20.3%) to their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $616,946
- MORGAN STANLEY removed 87,776 shares (-40.5%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $414,302
- GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC removed 80,309 shares (-75.7%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $379,058
- JACOBS LEVY EQUITY MANAGEMENT, INC removed 78,363 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $369,873
To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard.
$SVCO Analyst Ratings
Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $SVCO in the last several months. We have seen 2 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 0 firms issue sell ratings.
Here are some recent analyst ratings:
- Rosenblatt issued a "Buy" rating on 08/07/2025
- Needham issued a "Buy" rating on 05/12/2025
To track analyst ratings and price targets for $SVCO, check out Quiver Quantitative's $SVCO forecast page.
$SVCO Price Targets
Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $SVCO recently. We have seen 2 analysts offer price targets for $SVCO in the last 6 months, with a median target of $11.0.
Here are some recent targets:
- Blair Abernethy from Rosenblatt set a target price of $12.0 on 08/07/2025
- Charles Shi from Needham set a target price of $10.0 on 05/12/2025
Full Release
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Silvaco Group, Inc. (“Silvaco”) (NASDAQ: SVCO), a provider of TCAD, EDA software, and SIP solutions that enable semiconductor design and digital twin modeling through AI software and innovation, today announced that Dr. Babak Taheri has left the company, effective August 19, 2025, following nearly seven years as Chief Executive Officer, during which he led the company through its initial public offering. The Board has appointed Walden “Wally” C. Rhines, Ph.D., as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.
“It has been a great honor to work with the team and the board at Silvaco. I am very proud of our successful IPO and the sustained double-digit growth over several years. The ‘One Silvaco’ team has achieved many accomplishments,” said Dr. Babak Taheri. “The dedicated team at Silvaco is well-positioned to continue executing its strategic vision and creating shareholder value.”
“Silvaco is at an exciting point in its market opportunity. We sit at the forefront of semiconductor design automation with a unique set of technology offerings and a strong pipeline of business opportunities,” said Rhines. “On behalf of the Company and the Board, I would like to thank Babak for his leadership for nearly seven years and wish him the very best. I’m honored to step into this role and am committed to maximizing long-term value for our shareholders.”
Rhines has served as a member of Silvaco’s board of directors and as a member of the audit committee since September 2022. Since March 2020, he has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Cornami, Inc., and is Chairman of the board of directors of Qorvo, Inc. (Nasdaq: QRVO). Rhines previously served CEO of Mentor Graphics Corporation from 1993 until its acquisition by Siemens in March 2017. Following the acquisition, Rhines served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens EDA (formerly Mentor Graphics). Rhines holds a B.S.E. in engineering from the University of Michigan, an M.S. and Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Stanford University, and a M.B.A. from the Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business.
“We are at an exciting point in Silvaco’s trajectory, and I have the utmost confidence in Wally leading Silvaco through this next chapter. I also want to thank Babak who has been an incredible asset to the company and has played an instrumental role in all of our recent milestones, including our public listing and acquisitions," said Kathy Pesic, Co-Founder and Chair of the Board.
About Silvaco Group, Inc.
Silvaco is a provider of TCAD, EDA software, and SIP solutions that enable semiconductor design and digital twin modeling through AI software and innovation. Silvaco’s solutions are used for semiconductor and photonics processes, devices, and systems development across display, power devices, automotive, memory, high performance compute, foundries, photonics, internet of things, and 5G/6G mobile markets for complex SoC design. Silvaco is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and has a global presence with offices located in North America, Europe, Egypt, Brazil, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Vietnam. Learn more at
silvaco.com
.
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