> It seems that, just like Aprio, for some unannounced reason (there's no
> press release nor any notice on the company web page) the founding CEO
> of Pyxis, Naeem Zafar, is now unexpectedly missing and he's subsequently
> been replaced by the Pyxis VP of Engineering, Joe Hutt.
>
>     - from http://www.deepchip.com/wiretap/070310.html


From: Pallab Chatterjee <pallabc=user domain=siliconmap hot net>

Hi, John,

I was just at the Infocast Semicon Venture Fair and thought you'd be
interested in hearing that the Pyxis people pulled a last minute no-show
there.  This a small show that is primarily to VCs; it was 105 people
total with 60 start-ups and 45 finance/investor people -- like USVP,
Sequoia, and Bay Ventures.

Their keynote panel this year was Jim Hogan, a guy from Mayfield, and
some woman I don't know from Dorsey & Whitney.  Lucio Lanza was on the
panel last year.  It was sponsored by FSA and SEMI; it's not just two guys
doing a show, it's serious.  FSA and SEMI don't just sponsor anything.

This year ClearShape was looking for $12 million; Nangate for $20 million;
Tesla (an ESL company) for $2 million in first round; and Pintail (a test
company by Taylor Scanlon, who found Virual Silicon, Inc.) for $5 million
in growth financing because they already have a cash flow.

It shocked me that Pyxis was slated to appear, but pulled a "no show".
Start-ups pay something like $1000 or $2000 to be at the show, appear in
its printed program, and to do four 15 minute pitches over the two days.

In the printed program, it said Naeen Zafar and Joe Hutt from Pyxis were
slated to present.  It also listed they already had $14.7 million in prior
funding and were seeking an additional $10 million.  I have not heard
Pyxis received any of that $10 million they were looking for, so there
might be an interesting story you should look into, John.  It will most
likely be a bad story, because I have not heard of any EDA start-up that
has gotten new funding that did NOT run a press release about it.

    - Pallab Chatterjee
      SiliconMap, LLC                            Livermore, CA