EDA giant, mergers and acquisitions continue

Latest update time：2024-01-14

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For EDA, mergers and acquisitions seem to be the most common dynamic in the industry.

Some people also joked that EDA companies are either in the process of mergers and acquisitions, or on the way to find mergers and acquisitions targets. Even in the semiconductor down cycle, there is a lot of news about EDA mergers and acquisitions, and the three giants in the industry-Synopsys, Siemens and Cadence are based on countless mergers and acquisitions.

Especially in the mid-to-late 1990s, with the rapid development of chip technology, high-level language descriptions began to be applied, ESDA gradually became mainstream, and triggered a series of mergers and acquisitions. The pattern of the three giants gradually formed, and in the following nearly thirty years of history , they have directly participated in more than 200 mergers and acquisitions, and the average number of mergers and acquisitions per company is as many as 70. It is the never-ending mergers and acquisitions that have created the EDA market that is still booming today.

Recently, when Synopsys' acquisition of Ansys was pending, Cadence took the lead in acquiring Invecas. Next, let’s take a complete inventory of the EDA giant’s 2023 acquisition history. Since all analyzes are based on the author's opinions and do not represent all the facts, we hope Haihan can give us suggestions, thank you.

new ideas

Let’s look at Synaptics first. In 1986, Dr. Aart de Grus of GE Microelectronics Center founded Optimal Solutions, dedicated to developing Synthesis software with the function of automatically creating logic synthesis. The following year, the company was renamed Synaptics and officially embarked on the path of EDA development. the way.

In Synaptics' decades-long history, mergers and acquisitions have long been its most powerful secret weapon: In 1990, it acquired Zycad's VHDL simulation business and launched comprehensive test products; in 1995, it acquired Zycad's next-generation gate array technology (basic unit). Array) developed by Silicon Architects; in 1997, it acquired Epic Design Technology, which developed deep submicron analysis, and Viewlogic Systems, which developed advanced simulation products; in 2002, it acquired Avant, which ended patent litigation with Cadence, becoming the first company to provide top-level front-end and back-end complete A leading EDA tool supplier for IC design solutions; in 2008, it acquired Synplicity, a leader in FPGA implementation and debugging, and entered the FPGA market...

In the past year of 2023 alone, Synaptics has completed four acquisitions, which makes people sigh at its strength.

The first was Imperas, which was acquired at the end of December last year. The company is the UK's leading provider of RISC-V processor models, RISC-V verification solutions and software simulation virtual prototypes. The specific amount was undisclosed. After the acquisition was completed, Synaptics further expanded Developed its own RISC-V verification and verification solution.

According to the data, in November 2018, Impera released riscvOVPsim, a free RISC-V instruction set simulator that allows engineers to model and simulate single-core RISC-V CPUs. Aimed at both hardware and software engineers, the simulator can serve as an entry point to kickstart software development without the need for on-hand hardware and build and conformance testing on the hardware side. According to Imperas, riscvOVPsim can execute more than 1 billion instructions per second on a standard Windows or Linux PC. It also has configurable runtime settings for all RISC-V specification options to facilitate comparison of runtime results with RTL implementations.

In February 2023, Imperas Software Ltd announced its cooperation with Synaptics, Inc. To meet the growing demand for RISC-V processor verification. The collaboration enables mutual customers to streamline their RISC-V verification tasks using ImperasDV verification solutions and Synopsys' industry-leading VCS simulation and Verdi debug tools to increase efficiency and achieve critical time-to-market and quality goals. ImperasDV is the first commercially available verification IP for RISC-V processors and includes an architectural verification test suite, which is important for RISC-V developers to ensure that hardware implementations meet the expectations of the RISC-V enabled software ecosystem. It natively supports the open standard RISC V Verification Interface (RVVI) and uses a "lockstep comparison" co-simulation approach for comprehensive processor verification, including asynchronous events and debug operations.

Then in August, Synaptics announced its acquisition of PikeTec, a provider of automotive control unit software testing and verification solutions headquartered in Germany. According to the data, PikeTec was previously affiliated with the private equity company ECM Equity Capital Management and was established in 2007. Mainly engaged in the testing and verification of automotive control unit software, with a valuation of over US$200 million.

According to the official statement, PikeTec test automation tools enable intuitive and flexible testing in all stages of development and simulation environments, from model-in-the-loop (MiL) to vehicle-in-the-loop (ViL). As the volume and complexity of software increases, it is pushing the testing of automotive software into the early stages of product development, using models, software and processors in virtual environments. The combination of Synopsys' leading software-in-the-loop (SiL) and virtual hardware solutions with PikeTec's test automation tools and services provides automotive companies with a powerful solution that enables faster, safer and more secure rollout of SDV. market.

"Many automotive OEMs have adopted PikeTec's software test and validation solutions to address the increasing software content and complexity as they move to software-defined vehicles," said Ravi Subramanian, general manager of Synopsys Systems Design. "Combined "The expertise of Synopsys and PikeTec will enable us to bring innovative virtualization and test solutions to market that directly address the challenges our customers face as they shift left in software development and verification."

The above two companies belong to the field of verification and prototyping, and in the field of chip design, Synaptics in 2023 has also cast a wide net.

The first is Maxeda, a new EDA company from Taiwan, China. This acquisition did not include a press release or specific statement. The low-key Maxeda just quietly replaced the company's official website with a dark purple banner of the new owner. Data shows that Zhida Technology, founded in 2015, focuses on EDA. It provides floor planning automation, placement optimization, customized placement solutions and professional services for integrated circuit physical design. Core technologies include mixed-size circuit placement, data flow analysis, and floor planning technology, coupled with exploratory algorithms to provide high-performance circuit design automation functions.

In September last year, Zida announced that it would cooperate with major international IC design manufacturers to provide a number of mass-production-proven AI-assisted electronic design automation solutions (AI-assisted EDA Solution) - MaxPlace RL Reward Platform, which is 100 times faster through The placement speed, while relying on highly relevant rewards, has overcome the limitations of machine resources and computing time under actual mass production verification. It confirmed that the layout results produced by reinforcement learning were significantly better than the original reference design flow, effectively optimizing the performance of the wafer and significantly reducing the time required for physical design from months to days.

It is worth mentioning that after receiving his doctorate, Zhida CEO Chen Dongjie joined SpringSoft, an EDA company in Taiwan. After Siyuan was acquired by Synaptics in 2012, he chose to leave and start his own business. Now Zhida has been acquired again. This is his second time becoming an employee of Synaptics.

In addition to Zida, Synopsys also acquired Silicon Frontline in California, USA, in May last year. It specializes in providing related simulation EDA software for manufacturing and testing chips. Its main advantage lies in the prevention technology of semiconductor electrostatic discharge (ESD). Currently, the industry is the only company that can provide full-chip transient HBM and CDM ESD analysis solutions. 12 of the top 25 semiconductor companies in the world are using Silicon Frontline's products and technologies.

新思表示，Silicon Frontline Technology提供独特的电气布局验证解决方案，可解决当今复杂电子设计中至关重要而又难以解决的性能和可靠性难题。其解决方案能够检测大型功率半导体器件和静电放电（ESD）保护网络设计中的“盲点”，可帮助开发者在开发早期进行准确的优化和验证，让流片一次成功。设计团队可以在布局前后快速准确地进行电阻、电容、热和ESD验证，这对设计工作大有助益。在功率器件以及混合信号和模拟设计方面，Silicon Frontline的产品已成为实际的标准，可帮助开发者提高效率，确保设计的鲁棒性。

借助收购Silicon Frontline，新思扩展了设计分析产品组合的功能，构建系统级电气分析平台，还获得了鲁棒的框架，能够支持核心引擎的设计迁移，可用于3DIC、热管理和电迁移的系统级签核分析。

当然，与另一个重磅收购相比，上述四项收购都变成了开胃小菜。去年年底，有新闻传出，新思欲以每股约 400 美元总计350亿美元的价格将仿真软件巨头Ansys纳入囊中。

资料显示，Ansys成立于1970年，是一家仿真软件制造商，总部位于美国宾州。主要业务是开发可帮助预测产品如何在现实生活中运行的模拟软件，同时也是全球最大的计算机辅助工程（CAE）软件大厂。

两家公司过去一直保持着密切的联系。2017年，新思科技与Ansys宣布建立合作伙伴关系，将Ansys的技术与新思的部分技术整合在一起。这是为了帮助重叠的两家公司的客户更有效地使用他们的产品。今年6月，Ansys和新思科技宣布推出针对射频集成电路（RFIC）设计的新参考流程，该流程是与三星晶圆代工厂（Samsung Foundry）针对其14LPU工艺技术共同开发的。该参考流程有助于确保共同客户利用 Ansys 的黄金签收电磁分析以及 Synopsys 的综合模拟/射频和混合信号设计与验证解决方案来优化 RFIC 设计。

有趣的一点是，Ansys的历史上也有着多大28次的并购事件，其于2006年收购了在流体仿真领域处于领导地位的美国Fluent公司，以及2008年收购了在电路和电磁仿真领域处于领导地位的美国Ansoft公司，通过这几次关键整合，Ansys公司成为全球最大的仿真软件公司。

目前，这项大手笔收购的谈判仍在进行中，且存在着诸多不确定性，新思未必能够得偿所愿，不过可以确定的是，这项并购一旦达成，将为双方带来巨大的商业机会和战略价值，能够进一步推动半导体行业的整合与发展。

Cadence

与新思相比，Cadence同样是是电子设计领域的关键领导者，通过收并购逐步实现从模拟 IC 到数字 IC、芯片设计到 PCB和 IP 业务的延伸，1988年6月1日，最早的两家软件EDA公司——ECAD Systems和SDA Systems合并，宣告Cadence的诞生，并购使它们摆脱了小型EDA创业公司的束缚，从此一路腾飞。

Cadence的历史同样由并购写就：1989年：Cadence收购Tangent Systems，并推出时序驱动ASIC布局和布线工具，成为IC CAD的头号供应商；1990 年，Cadence 收购 Gateway Design Automation，将 Verilog 语言引入公开应用领域，促进了原理图设计到硬件描述语言的转变；1999 年，公司收购OrCAD，收获 PCB 设计软件及服务的最大客户群，开始进入 PCB 领域；2001-2002年，Cadence完成了多项IC设计技术的战略性收购，包括CadMOS串扰噪声分析技术、Silicon Perspective硅片虚拟原型技术、Plato 的NanoRoute技术和Simplex的信号与电源完整性技术……

在刚过去的2023年，Cadence完成了三项公司收购，分别是ARC、Intrinsix和Pulsic，以及对Rambus PHY IP的收购。

ARC

ARC Group Worldwide位于美国佛罗里达州，是一家专门从事金属注射成型 (MIM) 和洁净室塑料注射成型的精密制造商。金属注射成型（MIM）是一种利用注射成型技术的制造工艺，类似于塑料注射技术，但它不使用聚丙烯或聚碳酸酯等塑料材料，而是使用金属/热塑性塑料原料来制造具有复杂几何形状的部件，其成本仅为其他制造技术（如机械加工、冲压、铸造等）的一小部分。这项新技术与 Cadence 目前提供的内部服务以及客户对全面整合的、以医疗为重点的合同制造合作伙伴的要求非常吻合。

“收购ARC佛罗里达公司是我们成为客户领先的医疗技术制造合作伙伴战略的又一重大举措，我们将为客户提供从早期开发到规模化生产的完整解决方案，” Cadence公司总裁兼首席执行官Rob Werge表示，“通过将MIM加入Cadence的产品组合，我们进一步扩大了我们的垂直制造平台，为产品的规模化生产提供了另一种具有成本效益的方法，我们期待着利用该公司在医疗器械高精度金属注射成型方面的深厚专业知识，并将其与Cadence公司遍布全球七个地区的全套能力相结合，充分实现我们独特的集成模式所创造的价值。”

Intrinsix

Intrinsix Corporation是无线连接和智能传感技术 Ceva的全资子公司。是一家专注于美国航空航天和国防工业的设计工程解决方案提供商，在射频、混合信号、数字、软件、安全处理器和异构SoC接口IP 领域提供复杂的SoC设计专业知识，拥有超过1500种成功设计，其客户群包括英特尔、IBM、ADI和Lockheed Martin等公司。

Cadence表示，此次收购为 Cadence 带来了一支技术精湛的工程团队，他们在先进节点、射频、混合信号和安全算法方面拥有专业知识，扩大了 Cadence 的系统和 IC 设计服务团队，并扩大了 Cadence 在包括航空航天和国防在内的关键高增长垂直领域的影响力。

Pulsic

Pulsic总部位于英国布里斯托尔，是一家电子设计自动化（EDA）公司，专注于精密设计自动化，并提供经过生产验证的布局规划、布局和布线软件解决方案，以应对高级节点的极端设计挑战。作为对现有设计流程、标准和数据库的补充，Pulsic 技术比手动设计或其他 EDA 软件解决方案更快地提供手工质量。Pulsic 已为全球内存、FPGA、定制数字、LCD、成像和 AMS 市场的 IDM 和无晶圆厂客户提供成功的流片。

Cadence表示，Pulsic 的加入进一步强化了 Cadence Virtuoso Studio 的承诺，即使用 AI 为众多客户提供便利，帮助他们完成定制设计的传统手动任务，并通过自动化和创新进入设计可能性的新领域。

Rambus PHY IP

In July last year, Cadence and semiconductor IP provider Rambus announced that the two parties had reached a final agreement for Cadence to acquire Rambus SerDes and memory interface PHY IP business. Rambus will retain its digital IP business, including memory and interface controllers and security IP. The anticipated technology asset purchases will also bring Cadence's proven and experienced PHY engineering teams in the United States, India and Canada, further expanding Cadence's rich talent base in the field.

In January this year, Cadence, which had just celebrated the New Year, started a new acquisition pace, announcing the acquisition of Invecas, a provider of design engineering, embedded software and system-level solutions based in California, USA. According to the data, Invecas is closely related to major players in the design ecosystem. Participants have strong relationships with top fab, assembly and test partners, have extensive chip design and production experience, and have served hundreds of customers across various verticals including mobile, networking, hyperscale and automotive. In addition to Cadence's EDA solutions, Invecas will leverage and enhance Cadence's extensive IP portfolio to enable more comprehensive customized product solutions.

In fact, as early as February 2020, Synopsys also acquired some of Invecas's IP assets. Subsequently, Invecas retained its HDMI IP and ASIC design solutions, and now this part has been fully included in Cadence's bag.

Cadence said the acquisition adds a highly skilled system design engineering team with the expertise to provide customers with customized solutions across chip design, product engineering, advanced packaging and embedded software. The acquisition of Invecas enables Cadence to expand its systems design engineering offerings to support customers in key high-growth vertical industries who need to aggressively improve performance while addressing increasing system-level complexity. "

Siemens EDA

Different from the other two, Siemens EDA is not Siemens's own original business department. Its predecessor was Mentor Graphics, which was founded in 1981. It is also the earliest company among the three EDA giants. It initially engaged in computer-aided engineering business. In 1983, Acquired California Automation Design Company, launched interactive simulation software MSPICE in the CAE market, and began to develop overseas markets, establishing branches in the United Kingdom, France, West Germany, Japan and other regions.

Although Mentor Graphics was acquired by Siemens in 2016, it was also built on many mergers and acquisitions: 1984: Mentor acquired another EDA manufacturer in Oregon, Synergy Dataworks; in 1988, Mentor acquired Synergy Dataworks for US$5 million. Tektronix's CAE business; 1990: Mentor acquired Silicon Compiler Systems; in 2008, Mentor acquired Flomerics PLC for US$60 million in cash...

Mentor was once one of the largest EDA manufacturers in the world. However, with the rapid rise of Cadence and Synopsys, Mentor Graphics' market position was surpassed by the other two giants. However, due to Mentor Graphics' strong performance in signoff and DFT (Design For Test, Testable design) has accumulated many advantages, and currently Siemens EDA-related products (such as Caliber, etc.) still have certain advantages.

In the past 2023, Siemens EDA did not make repeated moves like Synopsys and Cadence. Instead, it only acquired one EDA company founded in 2008-Insight EDA. According to the data, Insight EDA is a pioneer in automatically solving specific design circuit reliability problems based on EDA. It can provide efficient circuit reliability analysis usage models, discover design-specific potential circuit reliability fault areas, and assist in solving related problems, helping engineers achieve The first casting was successful.

Siemens mentioned in the statement that the demand for circuit reliability is growing rapidly in the IC design industry. Siemens' Caliber PERC is committed to creating reliability sign-off software that can provide inspection functions that traditional verification tools cannot achieve. The addition of Insight EDA technology will Help Siemens provide end-to-end circuit reliability solutions for chip designers.

Michael Buehler-Garcia, vice president of product management for Caliber Design Solutions, Siemens' digital industrial software, said: "The acquisition of Insight EDA further improves Siemens' technology roadmap in the field of circuit reliability verification. By adding Insight EDA tools to Siemens' Caliber PERC product line, design engineers can now more easily perform design-specific reliability checks and analysis."

M&A Trends and Impact

Throughout 2023, the trend of mergers and acquisitions of EDA companies will become more and more intense. Everyone generally hopes to improve chip design automation experience through acquisitions to cope with major design process challenges such as layout, wiring, and testing brought by advanced processes.

Not only the three giants, but also second- and third-tier EDA manufacturers have also begun to buy and buy, such as Keysight acquiring Cliosoft, ANSYS acquiring Diakopto, etc. In the past, most mergers and acquisitions were concentrated in horizontal fields, but with the rise of artificial intelligence and new energy vehicles in recent years, Larger enterprises have also set their sights on these popular technologies and applications, and are keeping pace with the times and ensuring their competitiveness by getting involved in other fields.

In addition, system companies are still involved in chip design. The entire industry is changing from a "design-to-sales" model to a "design-to-use" model. System design and chip design may be merging. Current trends suggest that in the future we can achieve broader co-optimization, from electronic systems up to silicon processes. This is the so-called digital twin concept in the new industrial era. This full-stack optimization may require EDA companies not only to limit themselves to chip design, but also to extend to the entire electronic system design.

Just like Samsung, it can integrate what customers need under one roof and provide a complete set of supporting services. From this perspective, it is easier to understand that New Idea wants to acquire Ansys. The marriage of the two will create more than just an EDA. The giant of the industry may also become a new trend that will dominate the EDA industry in the future.

In fact, whether at home or abroad, a new wave of EDA mergers and acquisitions has arrived. As a reader, which one are you more optimistic about?

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