Synopsys, Inc.

Description

Synopsys is the largest of the Big Three EDA suppliers by revenue and a major supplier of semiconductor IP.

Founded in 1986, Synopsys develops a complete flow of EDA software, from initial design and system modeling through verification and design for manufacturability. The company also provides tools for early software prototyping and virtualization. It also develops tools for optical communication and TCAD, and IP ranging from standard interfaces to memory controllers and audio subsystems. Target markets are IoT, including wearables and smart medical devices, automotive/autonomous vehicles, and security.

The company’s license structure ranges from renewable TSLs to term licenses and perpetual licenses.

Synopsys also offers design consulting services and cloud-based services.

• HQ: Mountain View, CA, USA
• Web: URL
• Other names: Synopsys. Synopsys, Inc. used to be known as Optimal Solutions, Inc. until 1987. In 1987, Optimal Solutions changed it’s name to Synopsys.
• Type: Company

Invention:

• VMM in 2005.
• RVM in 2003.

Founding: Synopsys, Inc. founded:

• SPIRIT Consortium in 2003.
• Open SystemC Initiative in 1999.
• Transcendent Design Technology, Inc. in 1998. Spun out from Synopsys using electromechanical design tools acquired in the Viewlogic merger.

Acquisitions:

• Divested its ARC Processor IP Solutions business to GlobalFoundries in 2026.
• Ansys in 2025. As part of the acquisition, Keysight Technologies acquired Ansys’ PowerArtist business and Synopsys’ Optical Solutions Group.
• Synopsys divested the Software Integrity Group in August 2024.
• Valtrix in 2024.
• Intrinsic ID in 2024.
• Imperas in 2023.
• PikeTec in 2023.
• Maxeda in 2023.
• Silicon Frontline in 2023.
• FishTail Design Automation, generation of timing constraints and formal constraint verification, in September 2022.
• WhiteHat Security in 2022.
• Concertio in 2021.
• Semi and Flat Panel Display Solutions from BISTel in 2021.
• Code Dx in 2021.
• Moortec, a provider of in-chip PVT monitoring, in November 2020.
• Qualtera, big data analytics for semiconductor test and manufacturing, in June 2020.
• Dorado DA in 2020.
• Light Tec in 2020.
• Tinfoil Security in 2020.
• IP from INVECAS in 2020.
• Terrain Technologies in 2020.
• DINI Group in 2019.
• QTronic GmbH in 2019.
• IP from eSilicon in 2019.
• Kilopass Technology in 2018.
• Silicon and Beyond in 2018.
• PhoeniX Software in 2018.
• Black Duck Software in 2017.
• Static analysis technology from Forcheck in 2017.
• Sidense Corporation in 2017.
• Quantumwise in 2017.
• Codiscope in 2016.
• Cigital in 2016.
• Gold Standard Simulations Ltd. in 2016.
• Simpleware in 2016.
• WinterLogic, Inc. in 2016.
• Goanna Software Pty Ltd. in 2015.
• Protecode in 2015.
• Elliptic Technologies in 2015.
• Atrenta, Inc. in 2015.
• Codenomicon Oy in 2015.
• Bluetooth Smart IP from Silicon Vision in 2015.
• Seeker security assets and team from Quotium in 2015.
• Target Compiler Technologies N.V. in 2014.
• Kalistick in 2014.
• Coverity in 2014.
• Brandenburg Gmbh in 2014.
• Springsoft in 2012. US$406 million (NT$12.2 billion), or approximately US$305 million (NT$9.2 billion) net of cash acquired.
• Magma Design Automation Inc. in 2012. $523 million net of cash acquired.
• Emulation and Verification Engineering in 2012.
• ExpertIO, Inc. in 2012.
• CiraNova Inc. in 2012.
• Luminescent Mask Synthesis technology in 2012.
• Inventure Inc. in 2012.
• Mosys SerDes IP in 2012. $4.25M.
• RSoft Design Group in 2012.
• Extreme DA, Corp. in 2011.
• nSys Design Systems Private Limited in 2011.
• Zerosoft Inc. in 2010. $24.0 million in cash and future contingent cash payments.
• Nusym Technology, Inc. in 2010.
• VaST Systems Technology Corporation in 2010.
• Synfora, Inc. in 2010.
• CoWare LLC. in 2010. Synopsys spent $37.4M on purchase of CoWare, VaST and Gemini.
• Virage Logic Corporation in 2010. Acquired for approximately $299.5 million in cash.
• Optical Research Associates in 2010.
• TeraRoute LLC. in 2009.
• Gemini Design Technology Inc. in 2009.
• MIPS Analog Business Group in 2009. Acquired for $22 million in cash.
• CHIPit business unit in 2008. Acquired from ProDesign Electronic GmbH.
• Synplicity, Inc. in 2008. Acquired for $223.3 million in cash and $4 million in stock awards.
• MOSAID SIP assets in 2007. $15M cash.
• Sandwork Design, Inc. in 2007. Acquired for $24 million in cash.
• ArchPro Design Automation, Inc. in 2007. Acquired for $12.9 million in cash.
• Virtio Corporation in 2006. $9.1M.
• Sigma-C Software AG in 2006. Acquired for $20.5 million in cash.
• TriCN Associates LLC. in 2005.
• Nassda Corporation in 2005. Acquired for total cash consideration of $200.2 million.
• HPL Technologies, Inc. in 2005. Acquired for $11 million in cash. In 2004 Synopsys invested in HPL, buying a 20% stake in the company. Total consideration including that investment was approximately $15.7 million.
• Leda Design, Inc. in 2004.
• Integrated Systems Engineering AG in 2004. Acquired for $100 million cash.
• Monterey Design Systems, Inc. in 2004.
• Memory BIST Division of iRoC in 2004.
• Progressant Technologies, Inc. in 2004.
• Cascade Semiconductor Solutions, Inc. in 2004. Acquired for total upfront consideration of $15.8 million and contingent consideration of up to $10 million.
• Analog Design Automation, Inc. in 2004. Acquired for total consideration of $12.2 million.
• Accelerant Networks, Inc. in 2004. Acquired for total consideration of $23.8 million.
• Verification IP assets of Qualis in 2003. Synopsys acquired the verification assets of Qualis, integrating Qualis’ Domain Verification Component technology into its DesignWare product. Synopsys also hired several members of the Qualis team. As part of the agreement, Qualis discontinued sale of its products and use of the Qualis name.
• InnoLogic Systems, Inc. in 2003.
• Numerical Technologies, Inc. in 2003. Acquired for $240.2 million cash ($266.8 total consideration).
• inSilicon Corporation in 2002. Acquired for $65.4 million cash ($74.6 million total consideration).
• Avant! Corporation in 2002. The total merger consideration was approximately $1 billion.
• Co-Design Automation, Inc. in 2002. $36M.
• CycleC and other technology assets in 2001. C Level Design ceased operations in 2001 and sold its technology to Synopsys. The CycleC product was incorporated into Synopsys’ VCS Verilog simulator, and the rest of C Level’s product line was discontinued.
• VirSim Tool in 2000. Acquired for $7 million.
• The Silicon Group, Inc. in 2000. Acquired for $3 million, including cash payments of $1.8 million.
• Leda SA in 2000. Acquired for $7.7 million, including cash payments of $7.5 million.
• CoverMeter Tool in 1999. Acquired for $2.3 million cash, notes payable of $2.2 million (total consideration $4.5 million).
• Smartech Oy in 1999. Acquired for $9.7 million in cash.
• Stanza Systems, Inc. in 1999. Acquired for $11 million cash, issuance of 46,000 shares of common stock and reserve of 21,000 shares of common stock for issuance under Stanza’s 1998 stock option plan (total consideration $15.4 million).
• Gambit Automated Design, Inc. in 1999. Acquired for $29.2 million cash, notes payable of $8 million, and 78,000 shares of common stock (total consideration $41.3 million).
• Apteq Design Systems Inc. in 1999. Acquired for $1 million cash, notes payable of $0.6 million and $0.4 million assumption of debt (total consideration $2 million).
• Radiant Design Tools, Inc. in 1998. Acquired for $1 million cash.
• Everest Design Automation, Inc. in 1998. Acquired for 1.4 million shares.
• Systems Science Inc. in 1998. Acquired for $26 million in cash plus $12 million in notes and 318,000 reserved shares (a total $47.1 million consideration).
• Advanced Test Technology, Inc. in 1997. Acquired for $2.2 million cash and notes payable of $1 million.
• Viewlogic Systems, Inc. in 1997. Viewlogic merged with Synopsys in a stock trade valued at $497 million.
• EPIC Design Technology, Inc. in 1997. EPIC merged with Synopsys in a $427.1 million stock swap merger. Synopsys issued approximately 10.3 million shares for the 13.8 million shares of EPIC stock.
• Arkos Design Systems in 1995. Acquired for approximately $9.3 million in cash and notes.
• Silicon Architects in 1995. Acquired in an exchange of stock and options valued at about $38 million.
• Arcad SA in 1994. Acquired for approximately $1.5 million.
• Cadis GmbH in 1994. Acquired for approximately $4 million
• Logic Modeling Corporation in 1994. Acquired by Synopsys for a stock transaction with an estimated value of $118 million.
• ExperTest in 1993. ExperTest ran out of funding in 1993 and ceased operations. Sunrise Test Systems and Synopsys both acquired some ExperTest technology, and both companies hired ExperTest employees.
• Compiled Designs GmbH in 1993.
• Zycad System VHDL Unit in 1990. Acquired for $5 million in cash.

Subsidiary:

• Synopsys Optical Solutions became a unit of Synopsys, Inc. in 2010.
• Synopsys Silicon Library Business became a unit of Synopsys, Inc. in 2001.
• Viewlogic PCB/Systems Unit became a unit of Synopsys, Inc. in 1997.
• Arkos Emulation Unit became a unit of Synopsys, Inc. in 1995.

Deprecation of:

• Synopsys, Inc. used to be known as Optimal Solutions, Inc. until 1987. In 1987, Optimal Solutions changed its name to Synopsys.