Tignis
Tignis is a Seattle-based AI process control and analytics software provider for semiconductor manufacturing, selling the PAICe Monitor, PAICe Maker, and patent-pending DTQL platform via subscription to top-five global semiconductor equipment manufacturers before its acquisition by Cohu, Inc. in early 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Tignis does
Tignis is a Seattle-based software company that develops AI-powered process control and analytics solutions for semiconductor manufacturing. The company's product portfolio is built around the PAICe Digital Twin Platform, comprising PAICe Monitor (AI/ML-based real-time process monitoring and anomaly detection), PAICe Maker (prescriptive analytics and manufacturing optimization), and the patent-pending DTQL scripting language for custom analytics workflows. The software is deployed directly on semiconductor manufacturing equipment and layered on existing production processes, serving top-five global semiconductor equipment manufacturers as well as semiconductor fabricators. The technology is differentiated by its equipment-level integration, structured time-series data analytics capabilities, and proprietary scripting framework for advanced process optimization.
The company operates a B2B enterprise software model with subscription/recurring revenue from software licenses to semiconductor customers, supplemented by direct enterprise field sales and engagement through industry events and semiconductor trade conferences. Tignis was venture-backed prior to its acquisition by Cohu, Inc., a publicly traded semiconductor test equipment supplier, raising approximately $15.7 million across four funding rounds between 2018 and 2022, including a $1 million investment from BMNT in August 2021 and a $7.2 million Series A led by DN Capital in May 2022. Founded in 2017 by Jon Herlocker (President & CEO) and led with COO Matt McLaughlin, Tignis maintained a small team (11-50 employees) focused on product development and customer execution.
In December 2024, Cohu, Inc. announced a definitive agreement to acquire Tignis to expand into the estimated $2.6 billion semiconductor process control market and add advanced AI/ML capabilities to its existing DI-Core software platform. The transaction, funded with cash on hand, was expected to close in January 2025, making Cohu the parent company of Tignis and integrating the PAICe platform into Cohu's broader test handler, ATE, and inspection equipment portfolio serving automotive, computing, consumer, industrial, mobile, and IoT semiconductor end-markets.
Tignis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tignis
- Legal name
- TIGNIS, INC.
- Website
- https://tignis.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Tignis is a Seattle-based AI process control and analytics software provider for semiconductor manufacturing, selling the PAICe Monitor, PAICe Maker, and patent-pending DTQL platform via subscription to top-five global semiconductor equipment manufacturers before its acquisition by Cohu, Inc. in early 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tignis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Semiconductor Process Control Software
- NAICS
- Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Process & Batch Control Software (Recipe Management, ISA-88) (IMAGABAH)
Keywords
Where Tignis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Tignis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Software Analytics Platform: AI-powered process control and analytics software sold to semiconductor manufacturers and equipment companies. Revenue derived from software licenses and possibly related services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Tignis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tignis develops AI-powered process control and analytics software for semiconductor manufacturing, delivered through the PAICe Digital Twin Platform. The platform includes PAICe Monitor for real-time process monitoring and anomaly detection, and PAICe Maker for prescriptive analytics and manufacturing optimization, both powered by the proprietary patent-pending DTQL scripting language. The software is deployed directly on semiconductor manufacturing equipment and layered onto existing processes to enable automated, AI-driven process control.
Product overview
Tignis offers an AI-powered process control and analytics software portfolio for semiconductor manufacturing, built around the PAICe Digital Twin Platform. The platform comprises two primary solutions: PAICe Monitor (real-time process monitoring and anomaly detection) and PAICe Maker (prescriptive analytics and optimization), powered by the proprietary DTQL scripting language. These solutions are deployed directly on semiconductor manufacturing equipment and layered on existing processes to enable AI-driven process control.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PAICe Monitor: AI-powered process control and analytics-based monitoring solution for semiconductor manufacturing.
- PAICe Maker
Products and services
- PAICe Monitor AI-powered real-time process monitoring and anomaly detection solution for semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Provides operators with real-time analytics to identify and address process deviations quickly, deployed directly on manufacturing equipment and layered on existing processes. Targeted at semiconductor equipment manufacturers and fabricators.
- PAICe Maker Prescriptive analytics and manufacturing optimization solution within the PAICe platform that enables data-driven decision making and process improvement workflows. Leverages the proprietary patent-pending DTQL scripting language for advanced analytics, targeted at semiconductor equipment manufacturers and fabricators seeking yield and productivity improvements.
Companies that use Tignis
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Tignis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature3 records
Tignis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered primary and minor.
- Cohu, Inc.primaryCohu, Inc. entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Tignis to enhance its data analytics and AI/ML platform. The acquisition enabled Cohu to expand into the estimated $2.6 billion semiconductor process control market with Tignis's PAICe Monitor and PAICe Maker solutions. Transaction expected to close in January 2025.
- H4XLabsminorTignis completed an enterprise accelerator program with H4XLabs to promote the growth of its first commercial product.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Tignis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PDF Solutions: PDF Solutions provides analytics and yield management software for semiconductor manufacturing, including its Exensio and Cimetrix product families used by fabs and equipment OEMs. Like Tignis, it sells AI/ML-driven process control and analytics layered on existing manufacturing workflows, making it the closest direct competitor.
- proteanTecs: proteanTecs offers AI-based chip and system monitoring, using machine learning on telemetry from semiconductors in production and in the field. It overlaps with Tignis in applying ML to semiconductor manufacturing data for yield, reliability, and process visibility, and sells into overlapping fab and equipment customers.
- Onto Innovation: Onto Innovation provides process control metrology, inspection, and software analytics used by semiconductor manufacturers and equipment makers. It targets many of the same yield and process optimization problems as Tignis, with a more established install base across fabs.
Broad incumbents
- KLA Corporation: KLA is the dominant incumbent in semiconductor process control and yield management, offering inspection, metrology, and analytics across the fab. It competes with Tignis at the analytics layer and is a key reference point for how AI process control could be monetized at scale.
- Applied Materials: Applied Materials is one of the largest semiconductor equipment companies and offers AI-driven process control and analytics as part of its broader equipment portfolio. It sells into the same top-five equipment OEM and fab customer base and represents both a partner and competitive threat to Tignis.
- Lam Research: Lam Research is a top semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment vendor that has been investing in software, sensors, and AI for advanced process control. It is a likely customer and competitor to Tignis in deposition and etch process control.
- Hitachi High-Tech: Hitachi High-Tech supplies metrology, inspection, and process control systems for semiconductor manufacturing and has expanded its analytics and software offerings. It is comparable as a broad incumbent pursuing AI-enabled process control in fabs.
- ASML: ASML is the dominant lithography vendor and increasingly sells software and analytics around its systems, including yield and process control offerings. It is comparable to Tignis as a top semiconductor equipment company integrating AI/analytics into its installed base.
- Tokyo Electron: Tokyo Electron (TEL) is a major semiconductor equipment supplier across deposition, etch, and lithography tracking, and has been building out its analytics and process control software capabilities. It overlaps with Tignis on AI-driven process optimization for fab customers.
- Siemens Digital Industries Software: Siemens provides industrial automation, digital twin, and process control software (e.g., Opcenter, Xcelerator) used across advanced manufacturing including semiconductors. It is comparable as a broader industrial software platform player encroaching on semiconductor process control analytics.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Tignis social profiles
Digital presenceTignis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tignis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Tignis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tignis M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tignis
What does Tignis do?
Tignis develops AI-powered process control and analytics software for semiconductor manufacturing, delivered through the PAICe Digital Twin Platform. The platform includes PAICe Monitor for real-time process monitoring and anomaly detection, and PAICe Maker for prescriptive analytics and manufacturing optimization, both powered by the proprietary patent-pending DTQL scripting language. The software is deployed directly on semiconductor manufacturing equipment and layered onto existing processes to enable automated, AI-driven process control.
Is Tignis a public or private company?
Tignis is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Tignis founded?
Tignis was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Tignis based?
Tignis is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tignis make money?
One revenue line is on record: software Analytics Platform.
Who are Tignis's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PDF Solutions, proteanTecs and Onto Innovation. Broad incumbents are KLA Corporation, Applied Materials, Lam Research, Hitachi High-Tech, ASML, Tokyo Electron and Siemens Digital Industries Software.
Does Tignis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tignis.
What industry is Tignis in?
Tignis's product category is Semiconductor Process Control Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGABAH, Process & Batch Control Software (Recipe Management, ISA-88). Its NAICS code is 334519 and its SIC code is 3823.