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Synaptics' Founder Carver Mead Honored with 2022 Kyoto Prize - Japan's Highest Private Award for Global AchievementSAN JOSE, Calif., June 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Synaptics® Incorporated (Nasdaq: SYNA) today announced that one of its co-founders, electronics engineer and applied physicist Carver Mead, Ph.D., the Gordon and Betty Moore Professor of Engineering and Applied Science, Emeritus, at California Institute of Technology, has been named the 2022 Kyoto Prize laureate in Advanced Technology. An international award bestowed by the non-profit Inamori Foundation to honor those who have contributed significantly to humankind’s scientific, cultural, and spiritual betterment, the Kyoto Prize was also bestowed upon Mead’s fellow Synaptics founder Federico Faggin in 1997. According to the Inamori Foundation, Mead’s pioneering contributions to the field of electronics include proposing and promoting a new methodology to divide the design process of very-large-scale integration (VLSI) systems into logic, circuit, and layout designs, and separating them from the manufacturing process. He also contributed greatly to the advancement of computer-aided design technology, paving the way to VLSI design automation which in turn led to the rapid development of the semiconductor industry. Mead and Faggin formed Synaptics more than thirty years ago to commercialize their ideas around combining semiconductor technology, neural networks, and artificial intelligence (AI) to build systems that compute as effectively as the human brain. Their work subsequently led to a series of innovations in human-machine interfaces, including touchpads. That work continues to this day, albeit with a greatly expanded mandate that encompasses the Internet of Things (IoT), including automotive, consumer, enterprise, and industrial applications. True to its roots, Synaptics is applying wireless connectivity, sensing, video, display, and low-power processing technologies toward the ultimate goal of engineering exceptional experiences for its customers. “It is an honor to receive the Kyoto prize this year for my work in the field of electronics,” said Mead. “While we knew we were on to something important and long-lasting when we founded Synaptics, neither co-founder Federico Faggin nor I expected to be recognized for our vision with such a prestigious and meaningful award.” “The Kyoto Prize is one of the highest achievements in the world, and to have two of our company’s founders recognized with the honor is rare and a tribute to the legacy they began at Synaptics 30 years ago," said Michael Hurlston, President andCEO of Synaptics. "I congratulate Carver on this award that recognizes and celebrates his immeasurable contributions to the electronics industry that have benefited and inspired many and have led to Synaptics’ ongoing success.” About Carver Mead About the Inamori Foundation and the Kyoto Prize About Synaptics Incorporated: Synaptics, and the Synaptics logo are trademarks of Synaptics in the United States and/or other countries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Media Contact A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3360c257-c190-41ac-92f6-2708caf6ff1d |