Singer

Scientific Ventures' Mark Templeton of Los Altos Dies in Kayaking Accident

Mark R. Templeton of Los Altos, the managing director of venture capital firm Scientific Ventures and the former co-founder and President of Artisan Components, died Sunday while kayaking with friends on the Rogue River in Oregon, according to the Josephine County Sheriff’s Department in Grants Pass, Oregon.

Mr. Templeton was 57.

According to the NBC affiliate in Southern Oregon, Mr. Templeton was on a guided rafting trip and drowned when his inflatable kayak flipped at Wildcat Rapid. Deputies told the station he was found against a rock about two feet underwater.

Mr. Templeton was venture capitalist in Silicon Valley who used his background as an engineer to foster scientific advancement, according to spokesman Sam Singer. In his capacity as a director and board member of numerous tech companies and organizations, he was instrumental in driving growth in the intellectual property market through a combination of technical and business innovation.

After studying engineering at Boston University and working as a software engineer in the integrated circuit industry for a number of years, Mr. Templeton co-founded Artisan Components Physical IP in 1991, where he served as president and CEO. Artisan Components quickly became the industry standard for implementing complex SoC (system on a chip) design.

In 2004, Artisan Components was acquired by ARM Holdings, the world’s leading semiconductor intellectual property supplier, where Mr. Templeton served for a number of years as North American President and Chief Strategy Officer, according to his LinkedIn profile, which Singer confirmed.

At the time of his death, Mr. Templeton was managing director of Scientific Ventures, an investment and advisory firm specializing in the application of science and technology to new business concepts. He also served on the boards of numerous technology companies and organizations.

Singer said Templeton was an avid kayaker who had crossed the Russian River, Lake Tahoe, various lakes around Bear Valley and the Pacuare River in Costa Rica.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

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