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Key people at Cirrus Logic.
Cirrus Logic was founded in 1984 by Kamran Elahian (Co-Founder & Exec. VP).
Cirrus Logic is an Austin, Texas-based fabless semiconductor company that designs and develops high-precision analog, digital, and mixed-signal integrated circuits specifically tailored for low-power, high-fidelity audio and energy applications. The enterprise supplies its specialized audio processing components to major flagship smartphone manufacturers and consumer electronics producers, successfully powering billions of individual devices across the global technology market. Operating under the ticker symbol CRUS on the NASDAQ exchange since its initial public offering in 1989, the firm maintains a broad geographic footprint with additional engineering and sales offices located throughout Arizona, Europe, Japan, and Asia. Currently directed by Chief Executive Officer John Forsyth, the organization officially reincorporated its business structure in Delaware in 1999 to accommodate its continued corporate expansion. Cirrus Logic was originally founded in 1984 by Dr. Suhas S. Patil and Michael Hackworth.
Key people at Cirrus Logic.
Cirrus Logic was founded in 1984 by Kamran Elahian (Co-Founder & Exec. VP).
Cirrus Logic is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in high-performance mixed-signal integrated circuits (ICs), particularly low-power audio, voice, haptics, and power management solutions for consumer electronics.[1][4] It develops products like codecs (integrating analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters), smart codecs with digital signal processing, boosted amplifiers, haptic drivers, camera controllers, fast-charging ICs, and standalone digital signal processors (DSPs).[4] The company serves major smartphone manufacturers and other mobile device makers, solving challenges in delivering superior audio quality, voice biometrics, haptic feedback, and efficient power delivery in compact, battery-constrained devices.[1][3][4] With headquarters in Austin, Texas, and a Nasdaq listing (CRUS) since 1989, Cirrus Logic has sustained growth through strategic acquisitions and innovation in audio leadership, expanding into voice, haptics, and machine learning.[3]
Cirrus Logic traces its roots to 1981, when Suhas Patil, a former MIT professor and University of Utah instructor, founded Patil Systems Inc. in Salt Lake City, Utah, to commercialize his Strategic/Logic Array (S/LA) microchip system for managing computer hard disk drives.[1][2] In 1984, the company renamed itself Cirrus Logic, relocated to Silicon Valley, and adopted a pioneering "fabless" manufacturing model under co-founder and CEO Michael Hackworth, targeting the burgeoning PC components market.[1][2][3] Key early milestones included its 1989 Nasdaq IPO (symbol: CRUS), which funded acquisitions like Crystal Semiconductor in 1991—establishing audio expertise—and others such as Acumos (1992) for graphics and AudioLogic (1999) for advanced audio tech.[1][2][3] The company moved headquarters to Austin, Texas, in 2000; Jason Rhode became CEO in 2007; it acquired Wolfson Microelectronics in 2014 to bolster global audio dominance; and John Forsyth was named president in 2020, with Rhode remaining CEO.[3][4]
Cirrus Logic rides the wave of premium mobile audio and sensory experiences amid rising demand for AI-enhanced voice assistants, immersive haptics, and efficient power in smartphones and wearables.[3][4] Its timing capitalized on the 1990s PC boom, 2000s mobile shift, and 2010s audio renaissance, with acquisitions aligning to market forces like smartphone proliferation and battery optimization.[1][2][3] The company influences the ecosystem by supplying "heart" components to top OEMs, enabling trends in spatial audio, biometric security, and edge AI processing, while its fabless approach democratizes high-end mixed-signal tech for global device makers.[3][4]
Cirrus Logic is poised to deepen integration in next-gen devices with AI-driven voice/haptics and ultra-efficient power ICs, potentially targeting AR/VR, automotive audio, and IoT growth areas. Trends like 5G/6G edge computing and sustainable power management will propel demand, evolving its influence from audio supplier to essential enabler of intelligent, sensory-rich consumer tech—building on decades of fabless innovation that turned a disk-drive startup into a semiconductor powerhouse.[3][4]
