Dr. Prabhakar (Prabhu) Goel is the Chairman of Duet Technologies Inc., a company which is engaged in designing chips as well as evolving software in electric design automation and telecommunications networking. Goel in recognition of his multi-dimensional achievements, corporate management skills and vast contributions to community services and is also the founder of Gateway Automation Software.

 
He did his schooling in Nainital and Allahabad and earned his Bachelors degree in Electrical Engg from IIT Kanpur in 1970 with President's Gold Medal. He received his Ph D in Electrical Engg from Carnegie Mellon University, USA in 1974. He held a series of positions in engineering and management with IBM and Wang Laboratories.

In 1973, he joined IBM's EDA organization at East Fishkill where he was involved with many developments in the area of chip test automation. At IBM he developed the Podem algorithm and other technologies that earned him 4 patents and several awards - including the IBM Corporate Award for innovation.

He left in 1981 to join Wang Labs where he was exposed to the commercial EDA industry. He left Wang in 1982 to start Gateway Design Automation - the company that delivered the now industry standard Verilog-XL to the market which was later sold for about $80 million.
 

Dr Goel is a leading entrepreneur and was founder and CEO of Gateway Automation Software in 1989 which was sold to Cadence and continued at Cadence for 2 more years. He left Cadence to become a private venture capitalist. He has been very active in supporting community activities.

Prabhu is one of the initial investors in Tharas Systems, and served as a member of the board of Directors, since the foundation in 1998. He is presently also on the Boards of Synplicity Inc. and six other privately held companies. Several of his present investments are in the EDA industry.