What Probe Test Solutions does

Probe Test Solutions Limited (PTSL), founded in 2009 and headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland, designs and manufactures advanced Automated Test Equipment (ATE) interface hardware used by global semiconductor manufacturers to validate integrated circuits at the wafer and package level. Its product portfolio spans vertical probe cards (PowerX for high-voltage/high-current up to 10 kV and 1,000 A, Vertex, MXP, and the in-development MVP MEMS vertical probe), RF probe cards (NuvoRF up to 110 GHz, HelixRF, and the industry-leading PhazorRF at 120 GHz), cantilever probe cards, custom load boards and PCBs (with IABC active bond circuit technology supporting drill sizes down to 0.002″ and BGA pitch down to 0.15 mm), high-performance test sockets, proprietary RAPID interposers, and SI/PI simulation and validation services using CST Studio and Cadence Sigrity. The acquisition of Dallas-based ThinkMEMS in November 2022 extended the portfolio into MEMS-fabricated contactors and antennas enabling direct signal-path mmWave testing beyond 120 GHz.

PTSL operates a B2B hardware sales model with quote-based, application-specific pricing negotiated per customer program. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales — CEO Jordan Mackellar and VP of Global Sales Derek Wilson travel to Tier-1 customer sites — supported by regional offices in the US (Phoenix, San Diego, Dallas, Massachusetts, Lakewood Ranch FL), Costa Rica, Malaysia, China (Daxing/Beijing), Taiwan (Hsinchu and Kaohsiung), and the Philippines (Imus, Cavite), plus an in-house MEMS fabrication facility in Hamilton, UK. Customers include global semiconductor manufacturers in automotive radar, 5G/6G communications, AI and network processors, RF mobile chipsets, and high-speed digital ICs (PCIe Gen 5/6, USB 4.1/4.2, 112/224 Gbps PAM4). The company is privately held, having raised $30 million in growth equity from Tikehau Capital in October 2022, and is led by a management and board team that includes former executives of Dialog Semiconductor, Teradyne, NXP, R&D Altanova, and Motorola.

Revenue is generated through product sales of custom-engineered probe cards, PCBs, sockets, and interposers, supplemented by professional services revenue from SI/PI simulation, PCB design, and turnkey project management that bundles the full hardware stack under a single vendor relationship. PTSL claims industry-leading delivery cycles approximately twice as fast as competitors, supported by vertical integration from design through MEMS fabrication and PCB assembly, and has pursued a stated strategy of geographic expansion and consolidation M&A in the fragmented semiconductor test equipment market. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications, is a Living Wage and Disability Confident Employer, and operates a UK facilities energy consumption reduction program that has lowered usage from over 70 MWh to under 40 MWh per month while increasing green electricity usage from 68% to over 91% in two years.

Name

Probe Test Solutions

Legal name

Probe Test Solutions Limited

Website

https://probetestsolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Probe Test Solutions Limited designs and manufactures advanced semiconductor Automated Test Equipment interface hardware — including vertical, RF (up to 120 GHz), and cantilever probe cards, load boards, test sockets, and SI/PI simulation services — for global Tier-1 semiconductor manufacturers serving automotive radar, 5G/6G, AI processors, and high-speed digital IC end markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Semiconductor Test Equipment

NAICS

Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (333242), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Test, Probe & Burn-In Equipment (Wafer Sort/Final Test) (HDAHAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sockets, IC Sockets & Test/Programming Interconnects (HDAHAOAF), Failure Analysis, Reliability & Qualification Services (HDAHADAH)

Keywords

• Semiconductor probe cards
• RF test solutions
• Vertical probe cards
• ATE test hardware
• PCB fabrication services

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Probe Cards and Test Hardware: PTSL designs, manufactures, and sells advanced semiconductor wafer and package test solutions including vertical probe cards, RF probe cards, cantilever probe cards, and test sockets. Revenue is generated through product sales with custom configurations for specific customer applications.
2. PCB Design and Fabrication: In-house PCB design services and fabrication for ATE probecards and load boards. Manufacturing complex load boards at cost-effective prices due to advanced tools and high yields.
3. Turnkey Solutions: Full turnkey semiconductor test solutions combining probe cards, PCBs, test sockets, and simulation services. Project management and manufacturing operation optimized for faster delivery than industry competitors.
4. SI/PI Simulation Services: Signal and Power Integrity simulation and validation services using CST Microwave Studio and Cadence Sigrity for full path validation with NuvoRF probes and 4-port 100GHz VNA.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Probe Test Solutions Limited (PTSL) designs, manufactures, and sells advanced semiconductor wafer and package test hardware — including vertical, RF, and cantilever probe cards (PowerX, Vertex, MXP, MVP, NuvoRF, HelixRF, PhazorRF), test sockets, load boards, and PCB design and fabrication services. The company also delivers turnkey ATE solutions combining probe cards, PCBs, simulation services, and SI/PI validation for semiconductor manufacturers serving automotive radar, 5G/6G communications, and AI processor markets.

Product overview

Probe Test Solutions Limited (PTSL) provides advanced semiconductor test solutions as a comprehensive portfolio of hardware products and services. The core product line includes Vertical Probe Cards (PowerX, Vertex, MXP, MVP), RF Probe Cards (NuvoRF, HelixRF, PhazorRF), and Cantilever Probe Cards. Supporting services include PCB Design and Fabrication, SI/PI Simulation & Validation, Test Sockets, and Turnkey Solutions. PTSL positions itself as a one-stop-shop for full turnkey solutions, combining deep industry experience with cutting-edge innovation from concept to implementation. The company also offers proprietary interposer technology (RAPID) for enhanced signal integrity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PhazorRF: High frequency RF probe card product family for next generation automotive radar, 5G and 6G applications, demonstrating highest performance signal integrity RF probe card solutions up to 120GHz.
• PowerX
• Vertex
• MXP
• MVP
• NuvoRF
• HelixRF
• RAPID

Products and services

• PowerX High voltage and high current vertical probe card solution offering up to 10kV and 1,000 Amps capability with advanced air coolant solution for accurate measurement while inhibiting thermal distortion and arcing during high power wafer test of automotive, AI, and high power SoC devices.
• Vertex Versatile vertical probe card technology manufactured with PTSL custom geometries and homogenous materials for maximum reliability, supporting bond pad, bump/pillar applications, high density flip chip, and peripheral-plus applications.
• MXP PTSL custom vertical spring probe card technology with wafer side contacts made with homogenous materials for maximum performance. Features crown, flat, wedge, and pointed tip shapes with long lifetime and field replaceable probes, suited for high pin count AI and SoC test.
• MVP Latest breakthrough in MEMS Vertical Probe Technology using probes manufactured in PTSL's MEMS fabrication facility, enabling fine-pitch, high-density probe card solutions.
• NuvoRF Optimized high-performance RF probe card solution offering high-speed robust characterization test for both wafers and PCBs with field replaceable contact assembly, supporting high performance RF up to 110 GHz with 100% customer configurable architecture and proven correlation between simulated and measured losses.
• HelixRF Multi-site high-speed RF probe card wafer test solution for RF Front-End and mmWave applications, utilizing PTSL's in-house fabricated conductive body for true coaxial paths, achieving low ground inductance and high isolation.
• PhazorRF High frequency RF probe card product family with ultra-low loss, high bandwidth probe enabling high device measurement accuracy from characterization to full ATE production, achieving the highest frequency 120GHz RF probe card in the ATE industry and supporting next generation automotive radar, 5G and 6G applications.
• Cantilever Probe Cards Cantilever probe cards designed to maximise performance and cost benefits, featuring fine pitch (30µm pad pitch), high temperature (to 200°C), low leakage (1fA/V), and RF solutions (to 6GHz).
• Test Sockets High-performance test sockets for characterisation and high volume applications, supporting BGA, LGA, QFP, QFN, and custom modules with pin force range 14-40 gf, inductance 0.4 nH or above, and lifetime up to >1 million cycles.
• RAPID (PTSL Integrated Interposer) Proprietary PTSL board-on-board interposer technology that enhances signal integrity while reducing cycle time and cost by moving manufacturing challenges from a high aspect ratio single PCB to a low aspect ratio daughter card.
• PCB Design Custom semiconductor ATE probecard and load board design service with a global design team offering around-the-clock design execution, expertise in 56-112G PAM4 design, high parallelism, RF, and fine pitch applications, with 15 years average PCB design experience per engineer.
• PCB Fabrication Complex ATE PCB fabrication and assembly service featuring Integrated Active Bond Circuit (IABC) technology with drill size minimum 0.002 inches, BGA pitch down to 0.15mm, drill aspect ratio up to 40:1, and impedance tolerance of +/- 2%.
• SI/PI Simulation & Validation Signal and Power Integrity simulation and validation service using CST Microwave Studio and Cadence Sigrity, including complete 3D model simulations and full path validation with NuvoRF probes and 4-port 100GHz VNA, supporting RF 100GHz+, 112/224 Gbps PAM4, PCIe Gen 5 and 6, USB 4.1 and 4.2, and HDbaseT PAM8.
• Turnkey Solutions Full turnkey semiconductor test solutions combining probe cards, load boards, sockets, and simulation services, with project management and manufacturing operations optimised to deliver hardware to test floor twice as fast as industry competitors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products delivered twice as fast as industry competitors
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ThinkMEMScoreTechnology or Integration · 9 October 2022PTSL acquired Dallas, Texas-based ThinkMEMS in October 2022, extending portfolio to include high-frequency RF and fine-pitch MEMS-based probe card technology. ThinkMEMS offers unique process IP combining fabrication of microdevices and assembly of complex structures for functional devices with unmatched repeatability and signal isolation at frequencies over 100 GHz.
• New College Lanarkshire (NCL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPTSL partners with New College Lanarkshire for development of bespoke modules and qualifications at HNC and HND levels. This collaboration ensures training programmes align to the changing needs of the semiconductor industry, addressing skills gaps through targeted education programmes.
• University of the West of Scotland (UWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPTSL partners with University of the West of Scotland for educational collaboration supporting graduate and apprenticeship programmes. Partnership helps shape the future workforce for the semiconductor industry through collaborative training and development initiatives.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• FormFactor: Largest pure-play probe card supplier globally, offering vertical, MEMS, cantilever and RF probe cards used in wafer sort and final test. Directly competes with PTSL across automotive, communications and AI semiconductor customers.
• Technoprobe: Italy-based leading probe card manufacturer with vertically-integrated MEMS capabilities. Competes head-to-head with PTSL in advanced vertical and MEMS probe cards for high-end computing, automotive and communications ICs.
• Cohu (Cohu Semiconductor Solutions): After acquiring Xcerra and its probe card assets (including SV Probe), Cohu offers probe cards, test sockets, and ATE interfaces. Overlaps directly with PTSL's probe cards, test sockets and turnkey solutions portfolios.
• Micronics Japan Co. (MJC): Japanese probe card specialist serving logic, memory and SoC wafer test markets. A long-standing direct competitor to PTSL in vertical and cantilever probe cards for high-volume semiconductor manufacturers.
• Chunghwa Precision Test Tech (ChPT): Taiwan-based probe card manufacturer with strong Asia footprint and growing vertical/MEMS product lines. Competes with PTSL in serving APAC foundries and OSATs for advanced-node wafer test.
• Yokowo Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of spring probe contacts and vertical probe cards used in semiconductor test. Directly comparable to PTSL's Vertex, MXP and custom vertical probe card offerings.

Emerging players

• Translarity: Emerging MEMS-based probe card company focused on advanced packaging and known-good-die test. Represents a potential disruptor and partial overlap with PTSL's MEMS vertical probe roadmap.
• FEINMETALL: German precision probe and contact technology supplier with growing semiconductor test probe card exposure. Comparable niche player pursuing high-reliability and high-frequency probe contacts similar to PTSL.

Broad incumbents

• Teradyne: Major ATE OEM whose UltraFlex platform (where CTO Don Thompson originated key interface IP) drives test cell roadmaps. A broad incumbent that defines the ecosystem in which PTSL's probe cards are deployed.
• Advantest: Largest ATE OEM globally and acquirer of R&D Altanova (PTSL board member Jim Russell's prior firm). Sets tester-platform standards that influence probe card design requirements for PTSL and peers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=wr_O6Dx_jVE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ptsl

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Probe Test Solutions