Soitec

What Soitec does

Soitec S.A. is a French public semiconductor materials company (Euronext Paris: SOI) founded in 1992, headquartered in Bernin (Grenoble), and operating six production lines across France and Singapore with approximately 2,100 employees. The company designs and manufactures engineered semiconductor substrates — primarily silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers plus silicon carbide (SmartSiC™), gallium nitride (RF-GaN), and photonic substrates — that chip manufacturers use to build RF front-ends, 5G filters, automotive power devices, edge AI processors, and data-center optical interconnects.

The foundation of Soitec's offering is its proprietary Smart Cut™ technology, co-developed with CEA-Leti, which uses ion implantation and molecular adhesion to transfer ultra-thin monocrystalline layers (10–100nm) between substrates with atomic-level thickness uniformity. This underpins ten product platforms (RF-SOI, FD-SOI, POI, Power-SOI, Photonics-SOI, SmartSiC™, RF-GaN, Imager-SOI, PD-SOI, MEMS-SOI) and complementary technologies (Smart Stacking™, Transistor Layer Transfer) serving three reporting segments: Mobile Communications (~50% of Q4 FY2026 revenue), Edge & Cloud AI (~32%), and Automotive & Industrial (~19%).

Soitec sells directly to enterprise semiconductor manufacturers through multi-year wafer supply agreements (e.g., Skyworks for POI, STMicroelectronics for FD-SOI, PSMC for TLT, Diodes for SmartSiC), generating revenue from hardware sales, technology licensing (notably the NSIG/Simgui China SOI license), and collaborative R&D services. Reported FY2025-2026 revenue was €592 million with a 25.4% EBITDA margin and positive free cash flow of €63 million; the company holds 4,800+ active patents and is led by CEO Laurent Rémont (effective April 2026, succeeding Pierre Barnabé).

Name

Soitec

Legal name

Soitec

Website

https://soitec.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Soitec is a French public semiconductor materials company that designs and manufactures engineered silicon-on-insulator substrates using proprietary Smart Cut™ technology, supplying chipmakers serving mobile RF, automotive, and cloud/edge AI markets under multi-year supply agreements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Semiconductor Materials

NAICS

Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (3344), Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (33441)

SIC

Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674)

akta.pro primary industry

Silicon Wafers (Prime/Test/SOI) (HDAHAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compound Semiconductor Wafers & Substrates (SiC/GaN/GaAs/InP/Sapphire) (HDAHAGAB), Wafer Services & Reclaim (Epitaxy, Thinning, Reclaim) (HDAHACAH)

Keywords

• Semiconductor substrates
• Silicon-on-insulator wafers
• Engineered wafer manufacturing
• Compound semiconductor materials
• Smart Cut technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Bernin

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Semiconductor Materials Sales: Soitec generates the majority of its revenue from the sale of engineered semiconductor substrates (wafers) including RF-SOI, FD-SOI, POI, Power-SOI, Photonics-SOI, SmartSiC, and other specialized substrates to semiconductor chip manufacturers. Revenue is derived from both production volumes and development agreements with customers.
2. Technology Licensing: Soitec derives licensing revenue from technology licensing arrangements, including the extended 10-year license agreement with NSIG (National Silicon Industry Group) subsidiaries Simgui and Simwings for SOI technology in China, with ongoing royalty arrangements.
3. R&D Services and Development Contracts: The company conducts collaborative R&D projects with partners including CEA, NTU Singapore, and others, sometimes receiving subsidies and research tax credits that supplement revenue from commercial activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Soitec designs and manufactures engineered semiconductor substrates (wafers) using its proprietary Smart Cut™ technology, producing a portfolio of 10 product platforms including RF-SOI, FD-SOI, POI, Power-SOI, Photonics-SOI, Imager-SOI, PD-SOI, MEMS-SOI, SmartSiC™ silicon carbide, and RF-GaN. These substrates are sold directly to chip manufacturers worldwide for use in smartphones, 5G infrastructure, electric vehicles, AI infrastructure, and industrial applications.

Product overview

Soitec is a global leader in innovative semiconductor materials that designs and manufactures engineered substrates using proprietary technologies. The company operates a platform-based business model centered on its core Smart Cut™ technology, which enables the production of ultra-thin monocrystalline layers for Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) and compound semiconductor substrates. The product portfolio spans 10 distinct substrate platforms organized across three strategic market segments: Mobile Communications (RF-SOI, FD-SOI, POI), Automotive & Industrial (Power-SOI, SmartSiC™, FD-SOI), and Edge & Cloud AI (Photonics-SOI, FD-SOI, Imager-SOI, PD-SOI). Additional offerings include RF-GaN and MEMS-SOI. Complementary technology platforms include Smart Stacking™ for 3D chip integration and Transistor Layer Transfer (TLT) for ultra-thin layers (5nm-1μm) in advanced packaging. Soitec serves as a critical materials supplier to semiconductor manufacturers worldwide, with products enabling performance and energy efficiency improvements in chips for smartphones, AI infrastructure, electric vehicles, and industrial applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SmartSiC™: Silicon carbide substrate technology for power electronics in electric vehicles and industrial applications
• Smart Cut™
• Photonics-SOI
• RF-SOI
• FD-SOI
• POI

Products and services

• RF-SOI Silicon-on-Insulator substrates providing reliable RF performance for cellular, Wi-Fi, and other high-growth connectivity markets; essential for 5G and wireless communications with high energy efficiency.
• FD-SOI Fully Depleted Silicon-on-Insulator substrates delivering low power consumption, high integration, and security for smart connected devices, automotive radar and processors, and RF mmWave applications.
• POI (Piezoelectric-On-Insulator) Piezoelectric-On-Insulator substrates enabling high-performance, energy-efficient RF filters for 5G smartphones with cutting-edge performance for signal coexistence in dense RF environments up to more than 3 GHz.
• RF-GaN RF Gallium Nitride substrates enabling RF designers to build high-efficiency power amplifiers for cellular applications.
• Power-SOI Smart power integrated circuit substrates meeting strict functional safety (FuSa) and integration requirements for intelligent power control systems in electric vehicles.
• SmartSiC™ Silicon Carbide substrates using proprietary Smart Cut™ technology to split high-quality monocrystalline SiC donor wafers and bond them to low-resistivity polySiC handle wafers, improving device performance and manufacturing yields while reducing environmental footprint for electric mobility, industrial, and renewable energy applications.
• Photonics-SOI Silicon-on-Insulator substrates for photonics applications providing high-speed data center interconnect solutions for cloud AI markets; critical for optical transceivers and co-packaged optics (CPO) architectures in AI infrastructure.
• Imager-SOI Silicon-on-Insulator substrates enabling high-resolution, energy-efficient image sensing solutions.
• PD-SOI Partially Depleted SOI substrates enabling customers to improve, enhance, and integrate increasingly complex computing capabilities and functions in cloud computing and network equipment.
• MEMS-SOI Silicon-on-Insulator substrates for micro-electromechanical systems providing higher precision, enhanced mechanical performance, and lower power consumption compared to conventional MEMS technologies for high-performance sensors.

Quantifiable outcome

• FD-SOI technology consumes 30-40% less power than conventional semiconductor designs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.

• QuoblystrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2026Soitec supplies FD-SOI 28Si wafers for Quobly's silicon-based quantum computers. First wafers are being processed at STMicroelectronics' 300mm facility in Crolles, France. The partnership supports Quobly's goal of deploying commercial quantum computers via cloud by end of 2026 and HPC infrastructure in 2027.
• NSIG (National Silicon Industry Group)coreTechnology or Integration · 13 March 202610-year extension of license agreement with NSIG subsidiaries Simgui and Simwings for SOI technology manufacturing and commercialization in China. No new technology transfer; focuses on strengthening Soitec's IP rights and market position in China's growing SOI substrate market. NSIG holds approximately 5.8% stake in Soitec.
• Skyworks SolutionscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 5 March 2026Multi-year supply agreement for POI (Piezoelectric-On-Insulator) wafers for Skyworks' Sky5 platform targeting 5G smartphone RF requirements. Soitec guarantees reliable, long-term supply to meet Skyworks' future RF requirements for current 5G mobile devices operating up to 3+ GHz.
• Tokai Carbon Co. LtdminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2026Partnership to develop advanced polySiC (polycrystalline silicon carbide) substrates for next-generation SiCOI (Silicon Carbide on Insulator) wafers. Supports Soitec's new facility in France using patented technology to enhance SiC substrate reuse by 70%.
• CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025Collaboration to develop automotive cybersecurity solutions using advanced FD-SOI technology. Research demonstrated that FD-SOI substrates provide intrinsic protection against fault injection attacks, significantly increasing the effort and cost required for potential breaches.
• CCRAFTminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2025Collaboration under the €5 million ELENA project (Horizon 2020) to establish European LNOI (Lithium Niobate on Insulator) wafer supply chain. Soitec supplies LNOI wafers domestically for photonic integrated circuits, addressing previous reliance on single non-EU supplier.
• CEA-LeticoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2025Long-standing co-development partnership for Smart Cut technology and advanced engineered substrates. CEA-Leti co-invented Smart Cut technology with Soitec and continues as key research partner in semiconductor innovation ecosystem.
• PSMC (Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2025Strategic partnership to provide 300mm TLT-ready substrates enabling advanced wafer-level 3D chip stacking. Combines Soitec's Smart Cut and infrared laser release processing for ultra-thin layers between 5nm and 1 micrometer, facilitating heterogeneous integration for smartphones, AI systems, and autonomous vehicles.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Shin-Etsu Chemical: Japanese chemical and silicon wafer manufacturer and global leader in 300mm silicon wafer supply, including SOI substrates. Soitec's most direct large-scale competitor in the SOI wafer market.
• SUMCO: Pure-play Japanese silicon wafer manufacturer producing SOI, epitaxial, and polished wafers for semiconductor fabs. Directly competes with Soitec in SOI wafer supply to logic and memory customers.
• GlobalWafers: Taiwanese wafer manufacturer producing 300mm SOI and silicon wafers globally through acquired SunEdison assets. Competes with Soitec in SOI substrate supply, particularly for CMOS image sensors and RF applications.
• Siltronic: German specialty silicon wafer manufacturer focused on 300mm wafers for advanced logic and memory. Soitec's primary European competitor in SOI and engineered wafer supply.
• SK Siltron: Korean silicon wafer manufacturer producing SOI and silicon wafers, recently expanded into silicon carbide substrates via SK Siltron CSS. Competes with Soitec across both silicon and SiC substrate portfolios.
• Wolfspeed: US-based pure-play silicon carbide substrate and device manufacturer. Direct competitor to Soitec's SmartSiC™ platform in the EV and industrial power electronics substrate market.
• Resonac (formerly Showa Denko): Japanese chemical and SiC substrate manufacturer (via its SiC epitaxial wafer business). Direct peer to Soitec SmartSiC™ in SiC substrates for power electronics.
• IQE: UK-based compound semiconductor wafer foundry specializing in GaN, GaAs, and InP epitaxial wafers for RF, photonics, and power applications. Direct peer to Soitec in GaN and compound semiconductor substrates.

Broad incumbents

• Coherent (formerly II-VI): US-based compound semiconductor materials and optoelectronic components company producing SiC, GaAs, and InP substrates. Broad incumbent overlapping with Soitec's compound semiconductor substrate portfolio.

Emerging players

• SICC (Shandong Shengong Carbon): Chinese silicon carbide substrate manufacturer rapidly scaling capacity to serve domestic EV and industrial customers. Emerging competitor to Soitec SmartSiC™ particularly in China, supported by local incentives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/soitec_en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/17220

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A3 records

Investments5 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Soitec