Leadership & Expertise
Riviera SiC is led by a founding team of industry veterans with decades of combined experience in semiconductor materials, advanced crystal growth, and high-volume manufacturing. We are bringing together top-tier European engineering and strategic global supply chain expertise to build a robust foundation for 200 mm SiC production.
Meet the team
Rihards Tarvids
Co-Founder / Board Member
Managing Director
Extensive experience in precision manufacturing, crystal growth operations and industrial automation, leading complex manufacturing projects from installation to production.
Former Production Manager with proven expertise in high-volume manufacturing, process optimisation and industrial operations.
Founder of multiple industrial technology companies, focused on building RivieraSiC into a leading European 200 mm Silicon Carbide crystal manufacturer.
Markus Pavlekovic
Strategic Advisor
Over 8 years of experience in semiconductor technical sales, strategic account management, and process engineering.
Bridges the gap between customer specifications, industry demand trends, and the complex logistical methodologies of crystal growth.
Hands-on experience in crystal processing and materials handling, maintaining rigorous oversight of technical parameters and quality control.
Renars Dzilums
Co-Founder
Managing Director
Directs the physical build-out and strategic scaling of the Riviera SiC manufacturing site, ensuring the facility meets strict environmental and utility requirements for SiC growth.
Manages facility CAPEX, budgeting, and real estate asset structuring to efficiently support the company's transition to high-volume manufacturing.
Oversees local procurement, vendor relations, and regulatory compliance to ensure a fully operational facility handover for furnace installation.
Guntis Karklins
Co-Founder / Board Member
Managing Director
Brings over two decades of leadership experience in international industrial manufacturing and business development.
He is responsible for RivieraSiC’s corporate strategy, business operations and international partnerships, ensuring the company is built on a strong operational and commercial foundation.
His experience in leading complex industrial organisations, building high-performing teams and executing long-term growth strategies supports RivieraSiC’s transition from early-stage development to industrial-scale semiconductor manufacturing.
Path to High-Volume Manufacturing
Securing the European semiconductor supply chain requires a phased, capital-efficient approach to scaling. Our development roadmap is designed to move from facility infrastructure to high-yield 200 mm production with complete transparency.
Phase 0: Facility Infrastructure & Procurement (Current)
Securing strategic real estate in Jūrmala, Latvia.
Finalizing 200 mm furnace supplier agreements.
Initiating clean-room and utility build-outs.
Phase 1: Pilot Operations & Baseline Qualification (Late 2026 – Mid 2027)
Delivery and hook-up of initial 200 mm pilot furnaces.
Process stabilization and first boule growth.
Yielding initial crystals that meet exact target specifications for structural and electrical properties.
Phase 2: Process Expansion & Sampling (Mid 2027 – Mid 2028)
Scaling furnace capacity to 20 units.
Meeting preliminary yield targets and stabilizing cycle reproducibility.
Delivering automotive-grade samples for device-level stress testing to early-access partners.
Phase 3 & HVM: Full Qualification & Mass Production Ramp (2028 – 2029+)
Incremental capacity expansion up to 100 furnaces planned
Completing customer reliability tests and finalizing PPAP sign-off.
Full manufacturing release and integration into the localized European power electronics supply chain.
This is our shopfloor we are currently preparing in Jurmala.