Crosslight Software Inc.
Crosslight Software Inc., founded in 1995 in Vancouver, provides TCAD simulation tools (APSYS, PICS3D, CSUPREM, NovaTCAD) for compound-semiconductor device and process design, serving LED, laser diode, power-electronics, and academic research customers worldwide via enterprise licenses and maintenance contracts, with branch offices in Japan, China, and Taiwan.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Crosslight Software Inc. does
Crosslight Software Inc., founded in 1995 and headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, develops TCAD (Technology Computer-Aided Design) simulation tools used by semiconductor device and process engineers to model compound-semiconductor devices before fabrication. Its core product suite centers on APSYS (a 2D/3D finite-element device simulator combining electrical, thermal, optical, and quantum-mechanical models), PICS3D (3D simulation for laser diodes and photonic integrated circuits, winner of the 1998 Laser Focus World Commercial Technology Achievement Award), CSUPREM (process simulation for ion implantation, diffusion, oxidation, and etching), and NovaTCAD (a bundled entry-level package). Supporting products include LASTIP, PROCOM, SAWAVE (claimed as the world's first commercial 3D SAW simulator), OptoWizard, MaxMode, MaskEditor, LayerBuilder, Semicrafter, SimuCenter, CrosslightView, and a NEGF module, with circuit-co-simulation via Minispice and integration interfaces to LTSpice, Keysight IC-CAP, SPICE, and Lumerical.
The company sells enterprise software licenses bundled with annual maintenance contracts that provide updates, bug fixes, beta access, and priority technical support. Distribution is direct enterprise sales supplemented by branch offices in Japan, China, and Hsinchu, Taiwan (the latter in Hsinchu Science Park, led by former UMC TCAD manager Vincent Tsao) and a global network of distributors. Customer segments are primarily compound-semiconductor manufacturers (LED, laser diode, VCSEL, HEMT, SiC/GaN power device makers) and academic research institutions; revenue, pricing, and external funding are not publicly disclosed, and ownership remains private and founder-led after three decades.
Crosslight Software Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Crosslight Software Inc.
- Legal name
- Crosslight Software Inc.
- Website
- https://crosslight.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Crosslight Software Inc., founded in 1995 in Vancouver, provides TCAD simulation tools (APSYS, PICS3D, CSUPREM, NovaTCAD) for compound-semiconductor device and process design, serving LED, laser diode, power-electronics, and academic research customers worldwide via enterprise licenses and maintenance contracts, with branch offices in Japan, China, and Taiwan.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Crosslight Software Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Semiconductor TCAD Simulation Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Semiconductor & Electronics Simulation (device physics, EDA/TCAD twins) (HDAGAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- System-Level, Multi-Physics & Package/PCB Co-Design (EDA) (HDAHAFAD)
Keywords
Where Crosslight Software Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Crosslight Software Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Software Licenses: The company sells TCAD simulation software packages including APSYS, PICS3D, CSUPREM, LASTIP, NovaTCAD, and SAWAVE. Software is distributed with maintenance contracts for updates and technical support.
- Maintenance Contracts: Customers with up-to-date maintenance contracts receive software updates, bug fixes, access to beta versions, and priority technical support.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Crosslight Software Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Crosslight Software Inc. develops and licenses TCAD (Technology Computer-Aided Design) simulation software for semiconductor devices and processes. Its products provide 2D and 3D finite-element modeling that couples electrical, thermal, optical, and quantum-mechanical physics to support compound semiconductor devices including LEDs, laser diodes, VCSELs, photodetectors, HEMTs, and power devices. Software is sold primarily via enterprise licenses with recurring maintenance contracts and is supported through branch offices and global distributors.
Product overview
Crosslight Software Inc. provides an integrated suite of TCAD (Technology Computer Aided Design) simulation tools for semiconductor devices and processes. The core portfolio includes APSYS for 2D/3D device simulation, PICS3D for 3D photonic integrated circuit and laser diode simulation, CSUPREM for process simulation, and NovaTCAD as a bundled entry package. The ecosystem is complemented by LASTIP (laser simulation, merged into PICS3D), PROCOM (photonics communication), and SAWAVE (surface acoustic wave devices). Supporting tools include MaskEditor, LayerBuilder, Semicrafter, SimuCenter (modern GUI), CrosslightView (visualization), Minispice (circuit co-simulation), and specialized modules for NEGF quantum transport and OptoWizard/MaxMode for standalone optical/electromagnetic modeling. The company celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2025, reflecting over three decades of continuous development in semiconductor simulation technology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PICS3D: 3D simulation software package for laser diode and photonic integrated circuits
- APSYS
- CSUPREM
- LASTIP
- NovaTCAD
- SAWAVE
- PROCOM
- OptoWizard
Products and services
- APSYS Advanced 2D/3D semiconductor device simulator used by compound semiconductor manufacturers and researchers to model LEDs, laser diodes, photodetectors, HEMTs, and power devices with coupled electrical, thermal, optical, and quantum-mechanical physics.
- PICS3D 3D simulation package for laser diodes and photonic integrated circuits, including microcavity, VCSEL, and PCSEL devices, with coupled optical, electrical, and thermal modeling.
- CSUPREM Process simulation software for semiconductor fabrication steps such as ion implantation, diffusion, oxidation, and etching, with 3D mesh generation.
- LASTIP 2D/3D simulation tool for edge-emitting semiconductor lasers such as DFB, DBR, and tapered lasers, now functionally merged into PICS3D as a basic edition.
- PROCOM Simulation tool for photonic components used in optical communication devices and systems.
- NovaTCAD Integrated software bundle combining APSYS, CSUPREM, and PICS3D into a single affordable package for comprehensive semiconductor device and process simulation.
- SAWAVE Specialized 3D TCAD simulator for surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices used in RF filter and sensor applications.
- OptoWizard Standalone optical modeling tool for passive photonic devices featuring eigenmode solvers, BPM, TMM, FDTD, and ray tracing methods, including a proprietary FDTD solver.
- MaxMode Solver Standalone electromagnetic solver for optical and high-frequency device modeling applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- PICS3D won the 1998 Commercial Technology Achievement Award from Laser Focus World
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Crosslight Software Inc.
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Crosslight Software Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature14 records
Crosslight Software Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Can Bayram Lab)minorAnnual collaboration with Assistant Professor Can Bayram's research group. Students work with Crosslight TCAD tools in academic setting, with best projects selected for the 'Crosslight Best Project Award'. Winners include projects on GaN LEDs, micro-LEDs, VCSELs, and biomedical applications. Collaboration started in 2018.
- Dr. Gary DolnyminorDr. Gary Dolny, Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from University of Pittsburgh with 35+ years industry experience at companies including Fairchild Semiconductor (Technical Fellow), acts as an advisor on development and applications of Crosslight's TCAD tools with emphasis on power and analog devices. Has published approximately 80 papers, received two conference best paper awards, and has been awarded approximately 40 U.S. patents.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Crosslight Software Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Synopsys: Synopsys offers Sentaurus TCAD as part of its comprehensive EDA portfolio alongside TCAD-adjacent tools like RSoft photonic and QuantumATK. As a multi-billion-dollar full-stack EDA incumbent, Synopsys dwarfs Crosslight in scale but historically focuses more on silicon CMOS than Crosslight's compound-semiconductor niche.
- Ansys: Ansys is a large engineering simulation platform that includes photonic, electromagnetic, and thermal solvers (including the acquired Lumerical FDTD platform). It competes with Crosslight's OptoWizard and MaxMode Solver for photonic and electromagnetic simulation use cases as part of a broader multiphysics portfolio.
- Siemens EDA: Siemens EDA (formerly Mentor Graphics) is a major EDA incumbent whose broader portfolio touches TCAD-adjacent process and device simulation. While less specialized in compound semiconductors than Crosslight, it represents a large-vendor alternative for enterprise customers evaluating TCAD alongside other EDA purchases.
Emerging players
- TiberCAD: TiberCAD is an Italy-based TCAD simulation tool with multiphysics capabilities for semiconductor optoelectronic and nanoelectronic devices, providing partial overlap with Crosslight's compound-semiconductor and photonic simulation focus.
- Global TCAD Solutions: Global TCAD Solutions (GTS) is an Austria-based TCAD provider focused on power semiconductor and SiC/GaN device simulation, overlapping with Crosslight's APSYS power-device module on a narrower geographic and customer base.
- nextnano: nextnano is a Germany-based quantum device simulation software company specializing in NEGF and quantum-mechanical transport modeling, offering partial overlap with Crosslight's NEGF module and advanced physics capabilities.
Direct peers
- Silvaco: Silvaco's Victory TCAD and Victory Process directly compete with Crosslight's APSYS, CSUPREM, and PICS3D in semiconductor device and process simulation, serving similar compound-semiconductor and photonic customers with comparable 2D/3D physics-based simulation tools.
- Cogenda: Cogenda is a Singapore-based TCAD software provider competing directly with Crosslight in semiconductor device simulation, with comparable 2D/3D simulation capabilities targeting compound semiconductors and similar academic and industrial customers across Asia-Pacific.
Others
- Ansys / Lumerical: Lumerical (now part of Ansys) provides FDTD and photonic device simulation tools that integrate with Crosslight's LASTIP/PICS3D via documented coupling interfaces. It serves overlapping photonics customers with complementary rather than directly competing electromagnetic simulation capabilities.
- COMSOL: COMSOL is a general-purpose multiphysics simulation platform with semiconductor and MEMS modules that partially overlap with Crosslight's thermal-electrical-optical coupled simulation. While not a TCAD specialist, COMSOL is used by similar academic and industrial research customers as a complementary or alternative tool.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Crosslight Software Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceCrosslight Software Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Crosslight Software Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Crosslight Software Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Crosslight Software Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Crosslight Software Inc.
What does Crosslight Software Inc. do?
Crosslight Software Inc. develops and licenses TCAD (Technology Computer-Aided Design) simulation software for semiconductor devices and processes. Its products provide 2D and 3D finite-element modeling that couples electrical, thermal, optical, and quantum-mechanical physics to support compound semiconductor devices including LEDs, laser diodes, VCSELs, photodetectors, HEMTs, and power devices. Software is sold primarily via enterprise licenses with recurring maintenance contracts and is supported through branch offices and global distributors.
Is Crosslight Software Inc. a public or private company?
Crosslight Software Inc. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Crosslight Software Inc. founded?
Crosslight Software Inc. was founded in 1995. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Crosslight Software Inc. based?
Crosslight Software Inc. is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Crosslight Software Inc. make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Software Licenses are the primary driver. The others are maintenance Contracts.
Who are Crosslight Software Inc.'s main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Synopsys, Ansys and Siemens EDA. Emerging players are TiberCAD, Global TCAD Solutions and nextnano. Direct peers are Silvaco and Cogenda. Others are Ansys / Lumerical and COMSOL.
Does Crosslight Software Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Crosslight Software Inc..
What industry is Crosslight Software Inc. in?
Crosslight Software Inc.'s product category is Semiconductor TCAD Simulation Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAGAEAC, Semiconductor & Electronics Simulation (device physics, EDA/TCAD twins), with a secondary code of HDAHAFAD, System-Level, Multi-Physics & Package/PCB Co-Design (EDA). Its NAICS code is 513210 and its SIC code is 7373.