Amar Abid-Ali to Lead Execution Phase Following Formation of Strategic Board.
SOUTH WALES, UK. September 23rd 2025 – Novomorphic, the semiconductor design house backed by Cadence Design Systems, the Welsh Government, and CSA Catapult, today announced the appointment of Amar Abid-Ali as Chief Executive Officer.
Abid-Ali brings more than 25 years of experience in deep tech commercialisation and market leadership, with proven expertise in both technical strategy and commercial execution. His appointment follows the recent formation of Novomorphic‘s strategic board and signals the company’s transition from planning to active execution.
“I’m excited to join Novomorphic and help shape it from the ground up,” said Abid-Ali. “We have a fantastic opportunity to tackle the most challenging problems in semiconductors, at the system level, where digital, mixed-signal and compound technologies converge. Whether it’s intelligent edge sensing, high-efficiency power systems, photonics, or integrated RF solutions, we’re going to build solutions that customers can take to market and scale commercially.”
As CEO, Abid-Ali will focus on three immediate priorities: building a world-class engineering team with cross-domain expertise, securing early customer partnerships in high-growth sectors including edge AI and industrial sensing, and establishing technology development capabilities aligned with UK industrial priorities.
His leadership comes at a critical time as Novomorphic seeks to capitalize on Wales’ position as home to one of Europe’s largest compound semiconductor clusters. “Wales has world-class manufacturing capabilities,” Abid-Ali explained. “Our role is to add the design intelligence, architecting systems, optimising performance, and fully leveraging the advanced materials produced by local fabrication facilities.”
Under Abid-Ali’s leadership, the company will work to capture more of the semiconductor value chain domestically while building a robust local talent pipeline through collaboration with regional universities and strategic partners.
Prior to joining Novomorphic, Abid-Ali served as Chief Commercial Officer at CSA Catapult, one of the company’s key strategic partners. His track record of helping both start-ups and established technology companies, giving him unique insight into scaling technical organisations while maintaining commercial focus and deep familiarity with the semiconductor ecosystem.
Martin McHugh, Chair of the Board at Novomorphic, emphasized the significance of the appointment: “Amar brings the technical depth and commercial discipline essential for building globally competitive design capabilities. His appointment represents the beginning of our delivery phase. The board has established our strategic vision, now Amar will lead its implementation and execution.”
Abid-Ali’s appointment comes as demand grows for system-level semiconductor solutions that integrate multiple technologies. Modern applications in edge AI, power electronics, and advanced communications require seamless integration of digital, analogue, and compound semiconductor technologies, exactly the type of complex, multi-domain challenges Novomorphic was created to address.
“The semiconductor industry is moving beyond standalone chips toward integrated systems,” Abid-Ali noted. “Companies need partners who can architect complete solutions from the ground up. That’s the capability we’re building here in Wales.”
ENDS