OpenHW Group Appoints Florian 'Flo' Wohlrab as New CEO to Spearhead Open-Source Ecosystem Advancement

OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OpenHW Group, a global consortium driven by its members and contributors, is pleased to announce the appointment of Florian 'Flo' Wohlrab as its new CEO. OpenHW Group, dedicated to fostering collaboration among hardware and software designers on open-source cores, related IP, tools, and software projects, has chosen Wohlrab to lead the organization into a new era of open-source innovation.

With a proven track record in heading EMEA and Japan sales at Andes Technology, Wohlrab brings a wealth of RISC-V ecosystem experience to OpenHW Group. His primary mission will be to accelerate the adoption of high-quality, open-source RISC-V cores in mainstream applications while making it accessible for newcomers to join the vibrant RISC-V ecosystem.

"OpenHW Group has experienced exponential growth, attracting an ever-expanding membership and diverse range of projects," noted Rick O’Connor, retiring President and CEO of OpenHW Group. "Flo's unique blend of technical acumen and business expertise positions him perfectly to lead our community. His deep understanding of the RISC-V ecosystem makes him the ideal choice to guide OpenHW Group and its members towards the next phase of expansion."

"I am truly excited to join OpenHW Group and am eager to advance the availability of industrial-grade, flexible open-source RISC-V cores," said Florian Wohlrab, CEO of OpenHW Group. "With freely accessible, industrial-grade cores, we anticipate a surge in innovation and a plethora of groundbreaking chip designs. OpenHW Group stands at the forefront of this new open-source core frontier, and I am deeply honored to lead this charge."

Charlie Hauck, OpenHW Group Board Member and CEO of Bluespec, remarked, "The RISC-V ISA represents the future of computing, and it demands open and dependable RISC-V cores, precisely what OpenHW Group offers and maintains. As the demand for open-source cores continues to grow, Flo's profound knowledge of the RISC-V architecture, coupled with his expertise in sales and business development, will undoubtedly prove invaluable to OpenHW Group and its members."

Before joining OpenHW Group, Wohlrab played a pivotal role in numerous projects at Andes Technology. He successfully introduced RISC-V CPU IP to leading multinational corporations and pioneered its adoption in emerging sectors, including automotive, medical, and security.

About OpenHW Group and CORE-V Family

The charter of the OpenHW Group is to develop, verify and provide open-source processor cores, along with hardware and software needed for use in high volume SoC production. OpenHW provides an infrastructure for hosting high quality open-source HW developments in line with industry best practices. The OpenHW Cores Task Group within the organization has the mandate to develop the open-source IP for the CORE-V family of open-source RISC-V processors. The OpenHW Group is a global, non-profit, member-driven organization based in Canada, and partnered with the Eclipse Foundation.

All references to OpenHW Group and CORE-V trademarks are the property of OpenHW Group. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.