What Huada Empyrean Software does

Huada Empyrean Software (华大九天) is China's largest and most comprehensive domestic electronic design automation (EDA) software provider, founded in 2009 and publicly listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (ticker 301269) as Beijing Huada Empyrean Technology Co., Ltd. The company develops full-flow EDA tool systems spanning analog, RF, memory, flat panel display, digital, foundry, and advanced packaging chip design, serving approximately 600-700 enterprise customers across IC design houses, foundries/IDMs, and panel manufacturers. Its tools underpin the annual production of hundreds of billions of chips, with named users including Diodes, Will Semiconductor, MPS, O2Micro, HLMC, Hua Hong Grace, BOE, and CSOT. The company also licenses base IP (standard cell libraries, IO libraries, memory compilers, eFuse) and delivers wafer manufacturing engineering services including test chip design, SPICE model extraction, PDK development, and wafer/IP testing.

The company's technology platform is anchored by the Empyrean Aether full-custom design environment and the PyAether Python ecosystem exposing 12,000+ APIs for automation and AI/ML integration. Proprietary core technologies include the ALPS parallel SPICE simulator, Argus hierarchical physical verification, Liberal/Liberal-GT CPU-GPU accelerated cell library characterization, Storm advanced packaging auto-routing, and the Vision design-to-mask-to-wafer diagnostic platform. In 2024, six products achieved ISO 26262 TCL3 and IEC 61508 T2 certification supporting ASIL D automotive chip design, and in 2025 the company led the development of two national automotive EDA group standards (T/CESA 1384-2025 and T/CESA 1385-2025).

Huada Empyrean monetizes primarily through EDA software licenses and subscriptions (perpetual, subscription, and usage-based), supplemented by professional services and IP licensing. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales across nine wholly-owned Chinese subsidiaries plus Hong Kong, supported by the annual HUG user conference (800+ attendees), university textbook programs, and an AI-powered Tianwen customer service model. The company competes with global EDA incumbents Synopsys, Cadence, and Siemens EDA in the Chinese market, where export restrictions on advanced EDA tools create structural demand for domestic alternatives.

Name

Huada Empyrean Software

Legal name

北京华大九天科技股份有限公司

Website

https://empyrean.com.cn

Company type

Public

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Huada Empyrean Software is China's largest domestic electronic design automation (EDA) software provider, delivering full-flow EDA tool systems for analog, RF, memory, flat panel display, digital, foundry, and advanced packaging chip design to approximately 700 enterprise customers across IC design, foundries, and panel manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

EDA Software Platforms (Digital Implementation, Verification & Signoff) (HDAHAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Analog/Mixed-Signal & RF EDA Tools (HDAHAFAB), System-Level, Multi-Physics & Package/PCB Co-Design (EDA) (HDAHAFAD), IP Enablement, Characterization & Porting Services (HDAHAFAI)

Keywords

• Electronic design automation
• EDA software tools
• Analog circuit design
• Physical verification
• Semiconductor design platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Beijing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. EDA Software Licenses and Subscriptions: Huada Empyrean derives primary revenue from licensing its EDA software tools including full-flow EDA tool systems, point tools, and base IP. Software licenses cover analog circuit design, RF circuit design, memory circuit design, digital circuit design, foundry EDA, advanced packaging EDA, and flat panel display EDA. Revenue is generated through perpetual licenses, subscription contracts, and usage-based arrangements with semiconductor companies, foundries, and panel manufacturers.
2. Technical Development Services: Technical services including foundry engineering services (test chip design, wafer and IP testing, SPICE model extraction, PDK development), base IP services (standard cell libraries, IO libraries, memory compilers, eFuse), and custom design services. These services complement software products and enhance customer stickiness.
3. Base IP Licensing: Revenue from licensing base IP products including standard cell libraries, general IO libraries, memory compilers, and eFuse IPs to semiconductor design companies and foundries. Over 100 sets of base IPs have been designed and verified across process nodes from 0.18um to most advanced domestic nodes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Huada Empyrean Software develops and sells full-flow Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software platforms covering analog, RF, memory, digital, foundry, advanced packaging, and flat panel display circuit design. The company also provides base IP products (standard cell libraries, IO libraries, memory compilers, eFuse) and technical services including foundry engineering, PDK development, SPICE model extraction, and test chip design.

Product overview

Huada Empyrean Software provides a comprehensive, integrated EDA platform with multiple full-flow tool systems and point tools. The product portfolio includes: (1) Full-Custom Design Platform (Empyrean Aether) supporting analog, storage, RF, and flat panel display circuit design flows; (2) Digital Circuit Design EDA tools including cell library characterization (Liberal/Liberal Mem/Liberal IP), formal verification (Formal MC/EC/Lint), timing/power optimization (XTop/XTime), clock analysis (ClockExplorer), physical verification (Argus), and parasitic extraction (RCExplorer); (3) Foundry EDA tools for model extraction (XModel), mask data processing (GoldMask/Mage), IBIS modeling (Demeter), and process diagnosis (Vision); (4) Advanced Packaging EDA tools (Storm/Argus PKG); (5) PyAether Python-based customization ecosystem with 12,000+ APIs; and (6) Foundation IP products and wafer manufacturing engineering services. The company serves nearly 700 customers supporting billions of chip shipments annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Empyrean PyAether®: Python-based unified architecture, highly automated and intelligent full-custom design platform ecosystem supporting analog, RF, storage, power and panel chip design needs with 12,000+ Python API interfaces.
• Empyrean Aether®

Products and services

• Empyrean Aether (全定制设计平台) Full-custom design platform providing schematic entry, layout editing, and simulation integration for analog, RF, memory, and flat panel display circuits; serves as the foundation of the PyAether ecosystem.
• Empyrean ALPS (电路仿真工具) High-speed, high-precision parallel transistor-level circuit simulator with multi-core optimization, intelligent matrix solver, and mixed-signal co-simulation capability for designs with millions of gates.
• Empyrean Argus (物理验证工具) Next-generation nanometer hierarchical parallel physical verification tool supporting DRC/LVS for analog, digital, and advanced packaging designs.
• Empyrean Patron (晶体管级电源完整性分析工具) Transistor-level power integrity analysis tool providing dynamic EM/IR, self-heating effect, and multi-state EM/IR analysis with layout back-annotation support.
• Empyrean Skipper (版图集成与分析工具) Large-scale layout integration and analysis platform supporting GDS/GDS.gz/OASIS/LEF/DEF formats with index-based parallel layout reading and graphics indexing.
• Empyrean RCExplorer (寄生参数提取工具) High-accuracy parasitic RC extraction tool with 3D field solver supporting full-chip transistor-level and cell-level extraction.
• Empyrean Polas (功率器件可靠性分析工具) Power device reliability analysis tool covering Rdson analysis, EM analysis with PAD current distribution, and IR-drop visualization for multi-tube series designs.
• Empyrean Liberal (单元库特征化提取工具) Fast and precise standard cell library timing and power characterization tool with built-in circuit simulation and distributed parallel scheduling.
• Empyrean Storm (先进封装自动布线工具) Advanced packaging automatic routing tool supporting mainstream silicon-based and organic RDL processes for multi-chip interconnect routing and large-area power/ground plane routing.
• Empyrean Vision (版图与工艺诊断分析平台) Full-flow layout and process diagnostic analysis platform covering Design-to-Mask-to-Wafer-to-Product, including AI-based hotspot prediction (Vision HP) and pattern matching (Vision PD).
• Empyrean XModel (器件模型提取工具) Device model extraction tool supporting silicon MOSFETs, silicon high-voltage devices, discrete devices, TFT devices, and third-generation semiconductor devices.
• Empyrean Mage (光刻掩模版布局设计工具) Photolithography mask layout design tool for optimal chip placement on exposure fields, automated mark placement, and wafer utilization optimization.
• Empyrean GoldMask (掩模版数据处理验证分析平台) Mask data processing, verification and analysis platform with fracture, MRC, and viewer tools for mask data conversion, rule checking, and analysis.
• ICExplorer-XTop (时序功耗优化工具) Timing and power optimization tool for advanced process and large-scale designs with hierarchical parallel data processing and incremental placement technologies.
• Empyrean PyAether (全定制设计平台生态系统) Python-based full-custom design platform ecosystem providing 12,000+ Python API interfaces, AetherWings toolkit, and access to 500,000+ open-source Python packages for AI/ML-enhanced circuit design automation.
• Standard Cell Library (标准单元库) Verified design cell library with over 100+ logic functions, multiple drive strengths, power management libraries, and optimization libraries supporting 0.18um to most advanced process nodes.
• Memory Compiler (存储器编译器) Memory IP generation tool supporting single/dual-port SRAM, register file, ROM compilers with high-speed CPU Cache and low-power driver SRAM IP customization.
• Test Chip Design (测试芯片设计) Test chip design services including SRAM test chips, SPICE test structures, PEX test structures, covering 0.18um to most advanced nodes.
• SPICE Model Extraction (SPICE模型提取) SPICE modeling services supporting logic, RF, BCD process from 0.5um to most advanced nodes with test structure design, data analysis, and model parameter extraction.
• PDK Development (PDK开发) PDK development services for logic, power, and RF processes with Pcell, DRC, LVS, RC, PERC, EMIR customization supporting advanced domestic nodes and 28nm+ mature nodes.
• Empyrean Argus PKG (先进封装物理验证工具) Advanced packaging physical verification tool with irregular layout processing, tolerance handling, heterogeneous multi-chip integration, and system connection checking for cross-chip system-level verification.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2-10x simulation speed improvement: ALPS delivers 2-4x faster simulation vs. prior tools; MPS reports multi-threading parallel simulation significantly improves design productivity
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

AI capability6 records

Feature18 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• 浙江创芯flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner in the '九天一芯' industry-education integration curriculum system. Zhejiang Chuangxin is building a domestic 55nm production and education tape-out platform, planning joint development of chip virtual manufacturing and design-manufacturing integration technology.
• 清华大学 / 浙江大学flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Jointly launched the '九天一芯'产教融合课程体系 with Zhejiang Chuangxin. The program enables students to complete RTL-to-GDS full-flow training and obtain testable chips using Huada Empyrean's full-flow design tools.
• 杭州九之星软件有限公司coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-organizer of the 2025 HUG conference alongside Huada Empyrean, representing a key ecosystem partner in the EDA industry.
• 中国半导体行业协会 (CSIA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 October 2024The China Semiconductor Industry Association provides guidance for HUG conferences and supports Huada Empyrean's industry initiatives. The association recognizes Huada Empyrean as a leading domestic EDA company.
• 中汽研科技有限公司flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 October 2024CAERI (China Automotive Technology and Research Center) partnered with Huada Empyrean to launch an integrated automotive chip reliability testing and simulation protocol. The collaboration addresses the gap in chip long-term reliability testing methods by incorporating reliability simulation and analysis EDA tools.
• 长电科技 (JCET)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 October 2024China's leading semiconductor packaging and testing company. VP Wu Baiping delivered a keynote on 'Advanced Packaging Design: Physical Sign-off & Ecosystem' at HUG 2024, highlighting collaboration on advanced packaging design verification.
• 中兴微电子 (ZTE Microelectronics)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 October 2024VP Ouyang Keqing delivered a keynote on 'STCO System-level Collaborative Innovation Engineering Practice' at HUG 2024, representing a key design customer using Huada Empyrean's EDA tools for advanced chip development.
• 北京航空航天大学 (BUAA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Joint publication of 'Empyrean模拟集成电路设计与工程' textbook with Prof. Hu Yuanqi. The book is part of the 14th Five-Year Plan national key publication project and MIIT Knowledge Empowerment Project. Huada Empyrean provided software support and technical collaboration.
• 江苏信息职业技术学院minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Joint publication of '集成电路版图设计—基于华大九天集成电路版图设计与验证平台Aether' textbook with Prof. Ju Shuirong. Part of the domestic EDA textbook series to be included in Academician Wang Yangrun's '集成电路系列丛书'.
• 电子工业出版社minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Leading Chinese publishing house collaborating with Huada Empyrean on a series of domestic EDA textbooks for universities. Books cover EDA development principles, full-custom IC design, digital IC design, IC manufacturing, packaging, and reliability.
• 人民邮电出版社minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Major Chinese publishing house collaborating on university textbooks based on Huada Empyrean's EDA platform, including the '十四五' national key publication project 'Empyrean模拟集成电路设计与工程'.
• EDA开放创新合作机制 (EDA²)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 August 2023EDA² is an open innovation cooperation mechanism for domestic EDA. Huada Empyrean co-organizes the annual HUG (生态伙伴及用户大会) conference with EDA², fostering industry collaboration and technology exchange in China's EDA ecosystem.
• 集成电路头部企业联合 (Coalition of leading IC companies)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021In 2021, Huada Empyrean jointly initiated and led the development of the National Vocational Skill Standards for Integrated Circuit Engineering Technicians with leading IC companies, issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and MIIT.
• TowerJazzflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018TowerJazz provides PDK (Process Design Kit) files that combine with Huada Empyrean's analog circuit design full-flow EDA tool system to offer customers a smooth mixed-signal IC design flow. O2Micro uses this combined solution for its global design team.
• 福州大学离散数学及其应用教育部重点实验室minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Strategic cooperation established in 2018. Huada Empyrean set up a scholarship at the lab to encourage graduate students to participate in EDA research. Lab won DAC 2017 Best Paper Award and ICCAD 2017 competition championship as first Chinese institution.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Synopsys: Global EDA market leader with comprehensive digital, analog, and verification tools. Direct global competitor to Huada Empyrean across the full chip design lifecycle, but Synopsys leads at cutting-edge process nodes while Huada Empyrean primarily serves Chinese domestic nodes.
• Cadence Design Systems: Global EDA leader competing directly with Huada Empyrean's analog, digital, and packaging tools. Cadence offers broader advanced-node support and stronger presence in automotive/AI chip design, while Huada Empyrean leads in Chinese domestic flat panel display EDA.
• Siemens EDA (Mentor Graphics): Siemens's EDA division competes in physical verification, PCB/IC design, and analog/mixed-signal tools overlapping with Huada Empyrean's Argus and analog full-flow offerings. Broad incumbent serving global customers including Chinese fabs.
• Ansys: Global leader in simulation software including electromagnetic, thermal, and reliability analysis overlapping with Huada Empyrean's Patron power integrity and Polas reliability analysis tools. Broad incumbent with much larger customer base.

Direct peers

• Primarius Technologies: Chinese domestic EDA peer specializing in device modeling, parallel SPICE simulation, and characterization tools. Directly competes with Huada Empyrean's XModel, Liberal, and ALPS products for Chinese foundry and IC design customers.
• Vermeer Technology: Chinese domestic EDA vendor recognized alongside Huada Empyrean as one of the leading local EDA companies. Directly competes in Chinese semiconductor EDA market with overlapping analog and digital design tool offerings.
• Beijing SmartChip Microelectronics Technology: Chinese domestic EDA peer and ecosystem partner that exhibited at HUG 2023. Provides formal verification and other EDA point tools directly competing with Huada Empyrean's Formal MC/EC/Lint products in the Chinese market.

Regional players

• Semitronix (Saimi Technology): Chinese domestic EDA and TCAD company providing semiconductor process simulation, device simulation, and yield analysis tools. Regional peer serving Chinese semiconductor manufacturers with complementary but overlapping tooling.

Emerging players

• Xpeedic (Chipanalog): Chinese EDA startup specializing in high-speed signal integrity, power integrity, and electromagnetic simulation. Emerging player with partial overlap to Huada Empyrean's parasitic extraction and power integrity offerings.
• Aldec: EDA company specializing in simulation, verification, and hardware-assisted verification for digital designs. Emerging player with overlapping verification tool portfolio addressing FPGA, ASIC, and SoC markets comparable to Huada Empyrean's digital SoC tools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors3 records

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

M&A

Investments3 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Huada Empyrean Software