ABOUT US
ABOUT US
Mission Statement
Elevate’s mission is to serve our semiconductor and system test customers by providing world class test integrated circuits (ICs) that address the industry’s most complex ATE challenges. We strive to exceed our customer’s expectations, now and well into the future, through designing the lowest power/highest density solutions, with the goal of providing the lowest possible cost of test.
Connect with our team
Jan Guadestad, Chief Executive Officer
Jan holds an MBA from Santa Clara University (2009) and has two master’s degrees in Physics: one from the University of Maryland, College Park (2001), and another from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim Norway (2000). He comes to the team with an impressive background that includes an MBA, two master’s degrees in Physics, and over two decades of executive leadership in the semiconductor industry. Jan has been a pivotal board member of Elevate Semiconductor since the company’s transition under Presidio Investors in 2018.
Patrick Sullivan, Founder + Chief Technology Officer
Mr. Sullivan holds a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from The University of Wisconsin – Madison. He has designed analog chips for A.T.E applications for almost 30 years while working at Brooktree, Edge Semiconductor, Semtech, Planet ATE and Intersil. Mr. Sullivan was a cofounder of Edge Semiconductor and Planet ATE. Mr. Sullivan currently sits on the board of directors of IQ Analog.
Patrick Sullivan, Founder + Chief Technology Officer
Mr. Sullivan holds a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from The University of Wisconsin – Madison. He has designed analog chips for A.T.E applications for almost 30 years while working at Brooktree, Edge Semiconductor, Semtech, Planet ATE and Intersil. Mr. Sullivan was a cofounder of Edge Semiconductor and Planet ATE. Mr. Sullivan currently sits on the board of directors of IQ Analog.
Fred Sharkey, Vice Presient of Finance
Fred Sharkey comes to the Elevate team with substantial financial leadership experience in the semiconductor, manufacturing, and professional services spaces. Fred delivers a dynamic combination of financial acumen, operational experience, and data analysis to partner with executive teams to drive financial performance. Fred is passionate about working with privately-owned fast-paced and complex organizations positioned to rapidly scale. He holds a BBA in Accountancy from Notre Dame and an MBA from The University of Wisconsin. In addition, he holds a CPA and CMA certifications.
Simon Leigh, Vice President of Engineering
Simon has 15 years experience designing analog IC’s for the ATE market while at Elevate Semi and Analog Test Engines. Before working in the ATE space Simon has worked at Analog Devices, STMicroelectronics and NextWave Wireless. He attended both the University of Cambridge and MIT.
Simon Leigh, Vice President of Engineering
Simon has 15 years experience designing analog IC’s for the ATE market while at Elevate Semi and Analog Test Engines. Before working in the ATE space Simon has worked at Analog Devices, STMicroelectronics and NextWave Wireless. He attended both the University of Cambridge and MIT.
Tim Bakken, Vice President of Global Sales
Tim has held senior leadership and engineering positions in the semiconductor industry for over 30 years. Prior to joining ElevATE, he led sales teams for Samsung Semiconductor and applications teams for Texas Instruments. Tim began his career in engineering and held various design positions at Teradyne and IMC Semiconductor before moving into sales. He holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California.
john Docherty, board member
John boasts an impressive 40+ years in the semiconductor industry, including holding key Senior Executive positions at AMD Global Operations and Global Foundries. He has lived and worked in various parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, Canada, and the United States. was most recently the Chairman of a privately held Singapore automation company. He currently spends his time as a member of the Global ECP advisory group and the UK-based Techworks board.
Isaura Igaeta, Board Member
Isaura Gaeta brings over 40 years of global technology experience, encompassing general management, manufacturing, product scaling, and risk management in the semiconductor sector. She recently retired from Intel Corporation, where she drove multi-billion-dollar R&D product investments and served as Head of Operations for the 25,000-member Platform Engineering Group. Isaura has received the prestigious Intel Achievement Award five times. Isaura serves on the board of Stearns Bank, N.A., and chairs the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley. She holds BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.
Heather Kirkby, board member
Heather Kirkby brings over 25 years of global leadership experience across technology and life sciences. She has held significant roles at Intuit and Siebel (acquired by Oracle), with strong roots as a Product Leader and most recently as Chief People Officer for Recursion Pharmaceuticals, a $2 billion-dollar public startup leading the tech-enabled drug discovery industry. Heather’s achievements have been recognized with numerous accolades, including Intuit’s prestigious CEO Leadership Award in 2017, Women Tech Council Leadership Finalist in 2020, and an MBA from Harvard University.
OUR
Investment Partner
In 2018 Presidio partnered with ElevATE to accelerate business growth and expand its product offering in the ATE market.
Presidio Investors, a private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA with an office in Austin, TX, was founded in 2007 to pursue exceptional lower middle market investments. The firm’s experienced investment professionals specialize in growth-oriented buyouts in the Business Services, Consumer Services and Financial Services industries. The entire Presidio Investors team also has substantial operating experience, and works side-by-side with management teams to help achieve the best possible outcome for all stakeholders.
Presidio Investors, a private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA with an office in Austin, TX, was founded in 2007 to pursue exceptional lower middle market investments. The firm’s experienced investment professionals specialize in growth-oriented buyouts in the Business Services, Consumer Services and Financial Services industries. The entire Presidio Investors team also has substantial operating experience, and works side-by-side with management teams to help achieve the best possible outcome for all stakeholders.
OUR
Investment Partner
In 2018 Presidio partnered with ElevATE to accelerate business growth and expand its product offering in the ATE market.
Presidio Investors, a private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA with an office in Austin, TX, was founded in 2007 to pursue exceptional lower middle market investments. The firm’s experienced investment professionals specialize in growth-oriented buyouts in the Business Services, Consumer Services and Financial Services industries. The entire Presidio Investors team also has substantial operating experience, and works side-by-side with management teams to help achieve the best possible outcome for all stakeholders.
Presidio Investors, a private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA with an office in Austin, TX, was founded in 2007 to pursue exceptional lower middle market investments. The firm’s experienced investment professionals specialize in growth-oriented buyouts in the Business Services, Consumer Services and Financial Services industries. The entire Presidio Investors team also has substantial operating experience, and works side-by-side with management teams to help achieve the best possible outcome for all stakeholders.
