What PDF Solutions does

PDF Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: PDFS) is a publicly traded semiconductor manufacturing analytics company founded in 1991 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The company provides an integrated analytics and process control platform that combines software (Exensio Analytics, secureWISE, Cimetrix connectivity, Sapience integration), hardware (eProbe 150/250 e-beam inspection systems, Design-for-Inspection IP cells), and professional services (Integrated Yield Ramp) to help semiconductor manufacturers accelerate yield ramps, reduce excursions, and optimize production economics. The platform supports over 50 data formats from FDC, test, assembly, and packaging operations, harmonizing data from more than 24,000 manufacturing machines worldwide into semantic models that feed AI/ML-driven analytics.

The company sells through a direct enterprise field-sales motion to foundries, Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs), Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test providers (OSATs), and fabless semiconductor companies, with named customers including TSMC, Intel, GlobalFoundries, Samsung, DENSO, Robert Bosch, and ON Semiconductor. Revenue is generated through software subscriptions and licenses (with cloud or on-premise deployment), hardware sales (eProbe systems), and performance-based professional services. The company reported FY2025 revenue of $219.0 million (up 22% YoY) with 76% gross margins and 21% operating margins, and operates from 16+ offices across North America, EMEA, and Asia. The business model blends recurring software revenue with capital equipment sales and project-based services.

Strategic activity has intensified in 2025-2026, including the $130 million acquisition of secureWISE (the largest in company history), the launch of Exensio StudioAI via a licensing agreement with Intel for the Tiber AI Studio MLOps platform, the introduction of DirectScan e-beam inspection technology, and a May 2026 public offering that raised approximately $85.7 million in gross proceeds. The company holds SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001:2022 certifications and is led by co-founder John Kibarian (CEO) alongside co-founder Kimon Michaels (EVP Products and Solutions) and CTO Andrzej Strojwas.

Name

PDF Solutions

Legal name

PDF Solutions, Inc.

Website

https://pdf.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

PDF Solutions provides semiconductor manufacturing analytics and process control software and hardware, combining the Exensio AI-driven data platform, eProbe e-beam inspection systems, and secureWISE/Cimetrix equipment connectivity for foundries, IDMs, OSATs, and fabless semiconductor companies globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Semiconductor Manufacturing Analytics Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210), Software Publishers (5132), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

EDA Cloud/SaaS, Design Data Management & Collaboration (HDAHAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Data Engineering, Integration & ETL/ELT Services (BPAEAHAB)

Keywords

• Semiconductor analytics software
• Yield management platform
• Manufacturing data analytics
• Process control software
• E-beam inspection systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Clara

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses and Subscriptions: Exensio Analytics platform sold as software subscriptions with cloud or on-premise deployment options. The company pivots toward higher-margin recurring cloud-based analytics and networking solutions with a 72% gross margin profile.
2. Professional Services: Integrated Yield Ramp services, consulting, training, and implementation services delivered globally across Asia, North America, and Europe. Services team provides technical expertise for manufacturing optimization and system integration.
3. Hardware Systems: eProbe inspection systems (eProbe 150, eProbe 250) and Design-for-Inspection hardware products. The company plans to nearly double its eProbe inspection machines in the field for 2026.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PDF Solutions provides a big data analytics platform (Exensio) that harmonizes 50+ semiconductor manufacturing data formats into semantic models for yield, quality, and process control optimization. The company supplements this software platform with e-beam inspection hardware (eProbe, DirectScan), characterization vehicle IP, secureWISE IIoT connectivity, Cimetrix equipment control software, and performance-based yield ramp services for semiconductor manufacturers including foundries, IDMs, fabless companies, and OSATs.

Product overview

PDF Solutions provides a comprehensive semiconductor analytics platform and product portfolio organized around its Exensio Analytics Platform as the core product, with multiple variants (Exensio IDM, Fabless, Foundry, OSAT) serving different semiconductor company types, plus specialized modules for Manufacturing Analytics, Process Control, Test Operations, Assembly Operations, and StudioAI for AI-driven natural language analytics. The portfolio includes Advanced Insights for Manufacturing (AIM) solutions offering production-proven ML capabilities (ASD, CEI, CCR, ELF, ETP, IMD, Smart Testing, YA-FDC), the Design-for-Inspection System with eProbe hardware for e-beam inspection and DirectScan technology, the Characterization Vehicle System for yield ramp acceleration, Sapience enterprise integration platform, Cimetrix equipment connectivity and control products (EquipmentControlFoundation, CIMControlFramework, DEEP, StudioTwin), and secureWISE remote equipment monitoring (acquired for ~$130M). Services include Integrated Yield Ramp, Professional Services, and Value Added Services. The company serves major semiconductor manufacturers including TSMC, Intel, GlobalFoundries, Samsung, and supports over 50 data formats for harmonizing manufacturing data at scale.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Exensio Analytics Platform: Industry-leading big data analytics platform for semiconductor manufacturing supporting over 50 different data formats from FDC, Test, Assembly, and Packaging. Includes variants: Exensio IDM, Exensio Fabless, Exensio Foundry, Exensio OSAT, Exensio Battery.
• secureWISE
• Design-for-Inspection System (DFI)
• Characterization Vehicle System
• Cimetrix Connectivity & Control
• Advanced Insights for Manufacturing (AIM)
• Sapience
• Exensio StudioAI
• eProbe

Products and services

• Exensio Analytics Platform
• Advanced Insights for Manufacturing (AIM)
• Design-for-Inspection System (DFI)
• eProbe
• Characterization Vehicle System
• secureWISE
• Sapience
• Cimetrix Connectivity and Control
• Exensio Battery
• Exensio StudioAI
• Exensio Process Control
• Exensio Test Operations
• DirectScan E-Beam Inspection Technology
• Exensio Assembly Operations
• Integrated Yield Ramp (IYR)
• Professional Services
• Value Added Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% less time on data wrangling and preparation
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability10 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Intel (Tiber AI Studio)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 October 2025Licensing agreement with Intel for Tiber AI Studio MLOps automation platform, integrated into Exensio Studio AI to help chip manufacturers streamline AI development, optimize yield, and improve product quality.
• Kulicke & Soffa (K&S)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaboration combining K&S RPM (Real-time Process Monitoring) data-enabled assembly tools with PDF Solutions' Exensio AI/ML capabilities to address challenges of production system control and variability reduction in semiconductor assembly and packaging.
• Siemens Digital Industries SoftwarecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Collaboration developing comprehensive solution transforming IC test and yield analysis data from Siemens' Tessent software into actionable intelligence using the Exensio analytics platform.
• AdvantestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2020Advantest and PDF Solutions partnered to build Advantest Cloud powered by Exensio. Advantest divested its entire 3.31 million share stake in PDF Solutions through a public offering in May 2026, though the partnership continues for cloud-powered semiconductor analytics solutions.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationAWS provides cloud infrastructure for Exensio analytics platform deployment. PDF Solutions works with AWS to provide best-in-class performance and security for analyzing product and factory data with the Exensio analytics platform, reducing in-house IT maintenance and infrastructure costs.
• SAPcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership integrating manufacturing data with ERP data to enable Industry 4.0. Exensio Process Control and Manufacturing Analytics are available in the SAP App Store, enabling companies to connect manufacturing analytics with enterprise resource planning.
• IntelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeepening partnership addressing semiconductor manufacturing complexity at advanced nodes. Collaboration on chip design optimization and yield improvement for Intel's 18A and 14A manufacturing processes and advanced packaging solutions, approximately four years in duration.
• MeidenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMeiden is a distributor of Cimetrix equipment control and connectivity products in Japan, in addition to providing products and services to semiconductor equipment industries.
• RorzeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRorze is a manufacturer of transferring systems and robots for semiconductor wafers and flat panel glass substrates, and a distributor of Cimetrix equipment control and connectivity products in Japan, US, and Asia.
• EDOM TechnologyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEDOM is a professional semiconductor agent and distributor based in Taiwan with subsidiaries in China, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Malaysia, distributing Cimetrix products in the region.
• ElectrotekminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerElectrotek delivers intelligent software, automation, and robotics solutions for manufacturing efficiency, based in Singapore with industry professionals serving semiconductor and other manufacturing sectors.
• FACET Technology IncminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFACET is a professional service provider and solutions integrator in Factory Automation with customers from Taiwan, mainland China and Japan, experienced in SECS/GEM interface integration service for equipment makers.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Others

• Synopsys: Dominant EDA vendor with TCAD, yield, and design-for-manufacturing tools that overlap with PDF Solutions' characterization and DFI offerings. Operates at much larger scale across the chip design-to-manufacturing flow.

Broad incumbents

• Hitachi High-Tech: Operates a major semiconductor metrology and inspection business, and has historically partnered with PDF Solutions on data connectivity. Competes in fab analytics and defect inspection for memory and logic customers.
• Applied Materials: Largest semiconductor equipment maker with a substantial Process Diagnostics and Control business (formerly APC/Accent). Overlaps with PDF Solutions in inspection, metrology, and software analytics as part of a much broader equipment and services portfolio.
• Cadence Design Systems: Major EDA platform with growing investment in digital-twin, analytics, and system-level design. Cadence's EDA flow competes with parts of the Exensio ecosystem, particularly in physical verification and design-for-yield.
• Siemens Digital Industries Software (Siemens EDA): Owns the Tessent test and yield-analysis suite, which PDF Solutions integrates with via the Exensio platform. Siemens EDA is both a partner and a competitor in IC test and yield analytics.

Direct peers

• Camtek: Specializes in inspection and metrology for advanced packaging, heterogeneous integration, and compound semiconductors—directly adjacent to PDF Solutions' DFI and eProbe use cases in 3D and advanced packaging workflows.
• Onto Innovation: Specializes in process control, optical metrology, and yield management for advanced semiconductor nodes and packaging. Competes head-to-head with PDF Solutions in yield analytics and macro defect inspection at leading-edge fabs.
• KLA Corporation: Largest pure-play provider of process control and yield management solutions to the semiconductor industry. KLA's inspection and metrology portfolio directly overlaps PDF Solutions' eProbe and DFI systems, and both companies serve the same Tier-1 foundry and IDM customers.

Emerging players

• ProteanTecs: Provides on-chip monitoring and analytics for predictive reliability and yield, overlapping with PDF Solutions' AIM/ELF and Smart Testing solutions. Emerging direct competitor in ML-driven in-chip and test analytics.
• Yield.io (Yieldfocus / yieldHUB): Specialized yield management and test-data analytics vendor for fabless and IDM semiconductor companies. Smaller than PDF Solutions but competes for the same Exensio Fabless and YMS budget line items.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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• Facebookgo.pdf.com/facebook
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pdf-solutions
• Instagramgo.pdf.com/instagram

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors

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

M&A8 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about PDF Solutions