At CoreHW, innovation is more than just a goal—it’s a continuous process of turning ideas into reality. Principal System Architect Paavo Väänänen has spent nearly a decade at the heart of this process at CoreHW, helping drive technology forward while leading teams and working closely with customers.
A Career Sparked by Innovation
Paavo’s path into IC design began during his university years, where a professor’s enthusiasm for the field ignited his own curiosity. The complexity and potential of integrated circuits fascinated him, and he quickly immersed himself in the world of IC design.
After graduating, he built his expertise at several well-known companies, gaining valuable experience. During this time, he crossed paths with the future founders of CoreHW, working alongside them on challenging projects.
As the industry evolved and new opportunities emerged, joining CoreHW felt like a natural next step in his career. The idea of building something new with a team he trusted was too good to pass up.
Bringing Designs to Life
One of the most rewarding aspects of IC design, Paavo explains, is witnessing how an initial concept evolves into a working product. It all starts with a blank whiteboard, where ideas take shape as sketches, arrows, and notes. From those early discussions, the team begins crafting a detailed plan, refining it step by step.
As the design process moves forward, abstract concepts gradually transform into something tangible—a physical chip that lands in the lab, ready for testing. The journey from idea to implementation is long, requiring precision, creativity, and patience. But when the final product performs as intended, the sense of accomplishment is unmatched. “The entire process is truly fascinating!”
Collaboration at Its Finest
Successful IC development is rarely a solo effort. At CoreHW, close collaboration is key—not just within the design teams but also with customers. Working in the customer interface, Paavo plays a crucial role in bridging technical expertise with real-world needs.
His job is to interpret customer requirements, translate them into actionable design tasks, and ensure that CoreHW’s engineering teams deliver solutions that exceed expectations. “What I find exciting about CoreHW project work is the complete journey from sketch to chip.”
This hands-on approach creates strong partnerships and ensures that every project is built on a foundation of mutual understanding. The company’s culture of transparency and teamwork makes it easy to align goals and solve challenges together.
The Power of Honest Engineering
CoreHW’s philosophy is rooted in “Dark Side Honesty”—a principle that emphasizes radical transparency in both internal collaboration and customer relationships. For Paavo, this mindset is essential in delivering the best possible outcomes.
By setting clear expectations and addressing challenges head-on, the team fosters trust and ensures that projects move forward smoothly. This level of honesty strengthens relationships, accelerates problem-solving, and ultimately leads to better technology. It ensures that customers can rely on CoreHW’s expertise in creating products that elevate the customers’ success.
Through this approach, CoreHW not only delivers world-class IC solutions but also empowers customers to push the limits of what’s possible. It’s this commitment to excellence that has kept Paavo inspired for nearly ten years—and counting.
ASIC System Design & Integration
CoreHW provides end-to-end ASIC design solutions, covering RF, mm-wave, analog, and digital ICs—from high-level system architecture to full production.
At the System Design stage, Paavo leverages his experience in RFIC design to define chip architectures and ensure seamless integration into customer systems. His expertise includes ASIC system design, RF front-end architecture, RTL control system design, RFIC analog and mixed-signal design, control algorithm development, and embedded RFIC software.
With experience in telecommunications, wireless systems, and industrial applications, CoreHW ensures optimized performance, power efficiency, and design scalability from the very first phase of ASIC development.
About CoreHW
CoreHW, founded in Finland in 2013, is a leading fabless semiconductor company specializing in designing chips for wireless technology. Our offerings include custom IC design services, semiconductor IP licensing, and component supply.
We specialize in Radio Frequency (RF), mm-wave, analog, and digital Integrated Circuits (ICs), complemented by custom antenna design and testing.
