Innogrit Corporation is a leading provider of digital storage solutions, with a focus on SSD controllers and NAND flash controllers. In the following article, a brief biography into the professional beginnings of co-founder Dr. Zining Wu is discussed.
In 2016, Dr. Zining Wu and four of his closest colleagues joined forces to co-found InnoGrit, a leading startup in digital storage technology. However, despite the company’s relatively young age, Dr. Wu has a long history of success within the tech industry, with nearly 300 patents, 8 technical papers, 3 degrees, and 1 book to his name.
To better understand how Dr. Zining Wu has grown over the course of his career to now head a leading hardware firm, we must first look back in time at his humble beginnings. This biography will explore his past work with Marvell, as well as his earlier days as a student in Beijing.
From a Bachelor’s Degree at Tsinghua to a Ph.D. at Stanford
Zining Wu, born in March 1972, has always been a diligent and dedicated student. After excelling in his high school entrance exams, he was accepted into Tsinghua University in Beijing, one of China’s most prestigious institutions. There, he studied electronic engineering and earned his Bachelor’s Degree.
However, Dr. Wu did not stop there – he continued his education at Stanford University, where he completed a master’s and then an additional Ph.D. in just 8 years. His thesis, “Coding and Iterative Detection for Magnetic Recording Channels,” was later published as a book and can now be purchased on Amazon.
Wu Begins Working for Marvell in 1999
Shortly after graduating from Stanford University, Dr. Zining Wu began working with Marvell, a leading provider of semiconductor solutions. He started as a Senior Member of the Technical Staff and was quickly promoted to Principal Engineer. In this role, he worked on developing the world’s first Gigabit Ethernet transceiver chip.
He soon rose through the ranks and by 2008, he was promoted to the company Vice President. During his tenure, he oversaw billions of dollars of sales, multi-generational innovations, and the world’s first LDPC-based SSD controller, native PCIe controller, and NVRAM-powered PCIe cache solution. During this time, he also served as the Vice President of Engineering at SoCs, helping the business deliver 802.11ac chips
However, by 2016, Dr. Wu was ready to venture out on his own and establish a company that would focus on the emerging field of digital storage. And so, InnoGrit was born.
Dr. Zining Wu Founds InnoGrit in 2016
InnoGrit Corporation was founded in 2016 by Dr. Zining Wu and four other experienced engineers, with the aim of providing innovative storage solutions for the next generation of devices.
To date, the company has raised over $70 million in funding and is backed by leading investors such as Sequoia Capital, GGV Capital, and NEA. InnoGrit News is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and has a team of over 100 employees.
The company’s products consist of some of the most advanced and technologically innovative SSD controllers on the market. InnoGrit’s flagship product, Tacoma IG5669, is the world’s first PCIe 5.0 x4 SSD controller. It delivers up to 14GB/s of sustained sequential read performance and 11GB/s of write performance and is designed for use in high-end enterprise and gaming applications.
Along with the Tacoma IG5669, InnoGrit Corporation has also recently debuted two other top-of-the-line PCIe 4.0 SSD controllers: the PCIe 4.0 DRAMless and the PCIe 4.0 ZNS. All three controllers are available for purchase on the company’s website.
What’s Next for InnoGrit and Dr. Zining Wu
Looking to the future, InnoGrit News is focused on continuing to innovate and push the boundaries of digital storage. The company is already working on next-generation PCIe 5.0 SSD controllers and is expected to launch a new product in the coming months.
As for Dr. Wu, he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. He remains actively involved in InnoGrit’s day-to-day operations and is passionate about his work in digital storage. With over two decades of experience in the tech industry, he is well-positioned to continue leading InnoGrit into the future.
The Takeaway
From humble beginnings as a student in Beijing to now heading a leading digital storage firm, Dr. Zining Wu has come a long way in his career. His experience in the tech industry, coupled with his dedication to innovation, has allowed him to build a successful company from the ground up. As InnoGrit looks to the future, there is no doubt that Dr. Wu will continue to play a pivotal role in its success.
