What Custom Silicon Solutions does

Custom Silicon Solutions (CSS) is a privately held, fabless semiconductor company founded in 1996 and headquartered in Irvine, California. The company specializes in custom analog, mixed-signal, RF, and high-voltage Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) design and manufacturing, working across CMOS, BCD, SiGe, SOI, and CIS process technologies from 28nm to 500nm. CSS serves four primary verticals — Industrial, Medical, Aerospace & Defense, and Consumer Electronics — delivering application-specific silicon for use cases ranging from downhole drilling sensors and robotic motor controllers to implantable hearing aids, phased-array radar, and active credit cards.

CSS operates a 30,000 sq. ft. headquarters that includes an 8,000 sq. ft. Class 10,000 in-house cleanroom for wafer probe and final production testing. Its core offering is turnkey ASIC development — managing the full product lifecycle from specification and design through wafer fabrication, packaging, qualification, and ongoing supply — with alternative engagement models including hybrid turnkey, design services only, and manufacturing services for customer-owned designs. The company complements this project-based model with a small catalog of standard IC products, most notably the CSS555 and CSS555C micro-power programmable 555 timers drawing under 5µA.

The business model generates revenue primarily through Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) fees and recurring unit pricing on custom ASIC programs, supplemented by direct unit sales of standard catalog products. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct, with quote-based pricing (typical quote turnaround of 1–2 weeks), and a recent addition of distributors and sales representatives for standard products. The company claims more than 300 tape-outs with a 100% success rate on fully committed programs, an engineering team averaging 25+ years of IC design experience, and tens of millions of ASICs shipped across consumer markets. Ownership and leadership are management-controlled, with CEO John Cheng, founder/VP Engineering Frank Bohac (10 patents), and VP Marketing Jared Stevenson (ex-onsemi).

Name

Custom Silicon Solutions

Legal name

Custom Silicon Solutions, Inc.

Website

https://customsiliconsolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Custom Silicon Solutions is a fabless, privately held ASIC design house in Irvine, CA, founded in 1996, providing turnkey custom analog, mixed-signal, RF, and high-voltage integrated circuits to Industrial, Medical, Aerospace & Defense, and Consumer Electronics customers, with a small catalog of micro-power standard IC products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Semiconductor Design (ASIC)

NAICS

Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing (334413)

SIC

Electronic Components, Nec (3679)

akta.pro primary industry

Custom & Application-Specific ASIC Design Services (HDAHABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Power Management & Power Conversion ICs (PMIC/DC‑DC/AC‑DC/Gate Drivers) (HDAHABAE)

Keywords

• Custom ASIC design
• Mixed-signal ICs
• Fabless semiconductor
• High-voltage integrated circuits
• Turnkey ASIC development

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom ASIC Development and Manufacturing (Turnkey): CSS develops custom ASICs from concept through mass production. Revenue is generated through Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) fees for design and development, plus unit pricing for production silicon. CSS manages the complete supply chain including wafer fabrication, assembly, testing, and delivery, providing full lifecycle product supply to customers. Engagement models include Full Turnkey ASIC, Hybrid Turnkey, Design Services, Manufacturing Services, and Standard Products.
2. Standard IC Products (CSS555, CSS555C, CSS68HC68W1): CSS offers a growing portfolio of standard off-the-shelf IC products including the world's lowest power 555 timer ICs (CSS555 and CSS555C, both drawing <5µA). Revenue is generated from unit sales of standard catalog parts. Products are sold in green 8-pin PDIP and SOIC packages, with supporting documentation and demonstration kits available for purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Custom Silicon Solutions (CSS) is a fabless ASIC company that designs and supplies custom analog, mixed-signal, RF, and high-voltage integrated circuits for Industrial, Medical, Aerospace & Defense, and Consumer markets. The company's core offering is turnkey ASIC development—from concept and specification through design, wafer fabrication, assembly, testing, and full supply chain management to mass production. CSS also sells a portfolio of standard IC products including the CSS555 micro-power 555 timer family and obsolete-part replacement ASICs.

Product overview

Custom Silicon Solutions (CSS) is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in custom ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) design and manufacturing. The company offers turnkey ASIC development services—managing the complete lifecycle from concept and specification through design, wafer fabrication, assembly, production testing, and supply chain management—as well as hybrid turnkey, design services, and manufacturing services engagement models. CSS also maintains a portfolio of standard IC products, most notably the CSS555 and CSS555C programmable 555 timer family, which are available as off-the-shelf components. The company serves Industrial, Medical, Aerospace & Defense, and Consumer markets, providing application-specific integrated circuits tailored to each sector's unique requirements including high-voltage, ultra-low power, precision analog, sensors/MEMs interfacing, and wireless communications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CSS555: Programmable 555 Timer IC - micro-power version of the popular 555 timer IC featuring operating current under 5µA and minimum supply voltage of 1.2V.
• CSS555C
• CSS555C-DMK
• CSS555-EZP
• CSS68HC68W1

Products and services

• Turnkey ASIC Development Full-service custom ASIC design and manufacturing from concept through mass production. CSS manages the complete product lifecycle including specification, design, wafer fabrication, assembly, testing, and supply chain management for enterprise customers in Industrial, Medical, Aerospace & Defense, and Consumer markets.
• Hybrid Turnkey ASIC Customer performs part of the circuit design while CSS handles final integration, tape-out, tooling ownership, and supply chain management, providing a flexible collaboration model for ASIC development.
• Design Services CSS provides specific design elements such as reusable IP blocks, cell development, feasibility studies, layout contracting, or test program development without owning top-level design or supply chain, allowing customers to supplement their own IC design teams.
• Manufacturing Services CSS manages the supply chain for customer-owned chip designs including tooling transfer, production supply chain ownership, and low-cost in-house testing using its 8,000 sq. ft. Class 10,000 cleanroom in Irvine, CA.
• CSS555 Programmable 555 Timer IC Off-the-shelf micro-power version of the popular 555 timer IC featuring under 5µA operating current, 1.2V minimum supply voltage, and a six-decade programmable counter for long timing delays; configuration stored in EEPROM. Available in green 8-pin PDIP and SOIC packages.
• CSS555C Programmable 555 Timer IC with Internal Timing Capacitor Off-the-shelf micro-power 555 timer with integrated precision 100pF ±1% timing capacitor, under 5µA operating current, 1.2V minimum supply voltage, and 1.2V to 5.5V supply range. Available in green 8-pin PDIP and SOIC packages. Winner of the Golden Mousetrap Best Product Award from Design News.
• CSS555C-DMK Demonstration Kit PC-based programming tool for CSS555 and CSS555C timer circuits with point-and-click configuration interface and USB connectivity for quick setup and testing.
• CSS555-EZP EZ Programmer Standalone DIP switch-based programmer for CSS555 and CSS555C timer circuits that does not require a PC, providing simplified in-system configuration.
• CSS68HC68W1 CMOS Serial Digital Pulse Width Modulator Off-the-shelf CMOS serial digital pulse width modulator with variable frequency and duty-cycle output, accessed via a 3-line serial interface. Direct replacement for Intersil CDP68HC68W1.
• Obsolete IC Replacement Services Custom drop-in replacement ASIC design service for obsolete commercial and military-grade components, delivering form-fit-function compatible devices built on modern silicon process technology to keep long-lifecycle industrial, medical, and aerospace systems in production.

Quantifiable outcome

• BOM cost reduction through integration of multiple discrete components into a single ASIC
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wafer Fabricators (unspecified)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSS is a fabless semiconductor supplier and is fab agnostic, meaning it is not tied to any particular wafer manufacturer. CSS partners with leading IC wafer fabs based on optimizing the solution for each customer's unique ASIC requirements, evaluating dimensions of price, performance, size, and power.
• Package, Assembly, and Test SupplierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSS partners with world-class assembly houses to provide cost-effective and high-performing packaged devices. While ASICs are commonly delivered in traditional encapsulated packages (QFN/DFN, BGA, QFP/TQFP, PLCC, WLCSP), CSS evaluates and selects assembly partners based on the specific ASIC requirements.
• EDA Tools SupplierscoreTechnology or IntegrationCSS uses industry-standard Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools for schematic capture, simulation, HDL coding, synthesis, static timing analysis, layout, DRC, LVS, and DFM checks throughout the ASIC design flow.
• Product Qualification SupplierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSS engages with product qualification suppliers for device qualification testing including ESD testing, Latch-up testing, HAST, HTOL, and other reliability tests required for ASIC production release.
• Distributors and Sales RepresentativesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCSS uses distributors and sales representatives to reach customers in various regions and market segments for its standard IC products (CSS555, CSS555C, CSS68HC68W1).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ICsense: Belgian mixed-signal IC design house offering turnkey custom ASIC and design services across automotive, industrial, medical, and aerospace — directly comparable in size, technical focus, and customer verticals.
• VeriSilicon: China-based fabless ASIC design services and semiconductor IP provider offering turnkey ASIC and custom silicon solutions across mixed-signal, RF, and analog — the most direct global analog to CSS's custom mixed-signal ASIC services model.
• Faraday Technology: Taiwan-based fabless ASIC design services and IP company providing turnkey custom IC development across multiple foundries — direct competitor in the fabless ASIC services space with comparable engagement model.
• Global Unichip Corp (GUC): Taiwan-based ASIC design services firm offering full turnkey ASIC solutions from spec to mass production, serving networking, consumer, and industrial — closely comparable to CSS in business model and customer engagement approach.
• Chipus Microelectronics: Analog/mixed-signal IC design services firm providing turnkey ASIC design across consumer, industrial, and medical — comparable in scale, technology scope (PMIC, data converters, analog), and fabless engagement model.

Broad incumbents

• Microchip Technology: Mixed-signal IC vendor offering custom ASIC and design services alongside a broad catalog of microcontrollers, analog, and FPGAs — competes in custom mixed-signal/analog opportunities at scale and with FPGA-anchored integration.
• Analog Devices: Global leader in analog, mixed-signal, and DSP ICs serving industrial, medical, aerospace & defense with both standard products and custom ASIC capabilities — competes with CSS in analog/mixed-signal design services at much larger scale.
• Renesas Electronics: Major analog/mixed-signal IC company that offers custom and semi-custom ASIC solutions for industrial, automotive, and infrastructure, in addition to broad product catalogs — competes with CSS in custom mixed-signal opportunities at much larger scale.
• Synopsys: EDA and IP giant offering ASIC implementation services, design services, and a vast pre-verified IP catalog — overlaps CSS on the ASIC design services side but as part of a much broader portfolio that includes tools, IP, and software.
• onsemi (ON Semiconductor): Large power and analog mixed-signal IC company with a custom ASIC business historically serving industrial and medical — competing incumbent where CSS's VP Marketing previously led a ~$100M business unit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Custom Silicon Solutions