What Get2Chip does

Get2Chip was a privately held Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software company headquartered in San Jose, California, that specialized in RTL synthesis and architectural synthesis for nanometer-scale semiconductor design. Its core product, the RTL Compiler (G2C-RC), performed logic synthesis within customers' Chip-Own-Tool (COT) design flows, with supporting capabilities including G2C Design Hierarchy, a proprietary format for timing constraints, loop-rolling and unrolling transformations, and G2C-RC Power Flows for low-power optimization. The technology targeted semiconductor companies building complex system-on-chip (SOC) designs that required tight timing correlation with backend implementation tools.

The company generated revenue primarily through one-time software licenses sold via direct enterprise field sales to semiconductor design organizations, supported by customer portals, e-learning courses, a DesignZone of reference designs, and discussion groups. Procket Networks was a publicly cited customer, and the company added a worldwide support footprint by opening a technical support office in India on March 31, 2003. Backed by an $8M funding round in October 2000 from Intel Capital, VenGlobal Capital, and Wafra, Get2Chip operated until it was acquired by Cadence Design Systems on April 10, 2003, with the deal framed as giving Cadence "industry's best nanometer-scale synthesis technology" integrated into its Encounter platform.

Name

Get2Chip

Legal name

Get2Chip

Website

https://get2chip.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Acquired

Short description

Get2Chip was a San Jose-based EDA software company that developed the RTL Compiler for nanometer-scale logic synthesis in semiconductor SOC design flows, selling one-time software licenses to enterprise chip designers before being acquired by Cadence in April 2003.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Software

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Design Services & ASIC/SoC Implementation (EDA-Adjacent) (HDAHAFAL)

Keywords

• Electronic design automation
• RTL synthesis software
• Logic synthesis tools
• Semicustom chip design
• Nanometer-scale synthesis

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. EDA Software Licenses: Get2Chip generated revenue through licensing of its RTL Compiler and synthesis technology to semiconductor companies. The company was acquired by Cadence in 2003, suggesting commercial licensing operations were in place.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Get2Chip develops and licenses Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software focused on RTL synthesis and architectural synthesis for nanometer-scale semiconductor designs. Its flagship product, the RTL Compiler (G2C-RC), performs RTL compilation for COT (Circuit Own Tool) design flows, delivering faster runtime, improved clock speed, area reduction, and timing correlation with backend implementation. The company also provided G2C-RC Power Flows for low-power synthesis optimization and design resources through its DesignZone.

Product overview

Get2Chip was a design technology and Electronic Design Automation (EDA) company that developed synthesis technology for semiconductor design. The company's primary product was the RTL Compiler, a synthesis tool designed for nanometer-scale chip design. Get2Chip also offered G2C-RC Power Flows for power optimization in synthesis. The company was acquired by Cadence Design Systems in April 2003, which integrated Get2Chip's synthesis technology into Cadence's Encounter platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RTL Compiler (G2C-RC) Electronic Design Automation synthesis tool that compiles RTL descriptions for nanometer-scale semiconductor designs, targeting semiconductor and networking companies building complex System-on-Chip (SOC) integrated circuits.
• G2C-RC Power Flows Power-aware synthesis flows built on the RTL Compiler (G2C-RC) to deliver low-power optimization for nanometer-scale semiconductor designs, for engineering teams targeting energy-efficient chip implementations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Faster synthesis runtime compared to alternative approaches
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CadenceflagshipTechnology or Integration · 10 April 2003Get2Chip was acquired by Cadence on April 10, 2003. The acquisition empowered Cadence with 'industry's best nanometer-scale synthesis technology'. This represented a significant technology integration where Cadence incorporated Get2Chip's RTL Compiler capabilities into its portfolio.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Synopsys: The dominant RTL synthesis vendor through Design Compiler. Synopsys is the most direct competitor to Get2Chip's RTL Compiler in nanometer-scale logic synthesis for SoC design.

Emerging players

• Atrenta: Front-end design and RTL analysis/synthesis-adjacent EDA startup acquired by Synopsys in 2015. Operated in the same fragmented front-end design space that Get2Chip targeted.
• Forte Design Systems: High-level (behavioral/architectural) synthesis specialist acquired by Cadence in 2014. Directly comparable to Get2Chip's architectural synthesis capability.
• Magma Design Automation: Independent EDA startup from the same era as Get2Chip, focused on physical design and synthesis for nanometer ICs. Both companies represented the wave of challengers attempting to disrupt the Big 3 with focused synthesis/physical tools.
• Ambit Design Systems: Pre-acquisition competitor in RTL synthesis; acquired by Cadence in 2005 (two years after Get2Chip). Closely comparable point-tool synthesis vendor that ultimately followed a similar strategic exit path.
• Calypto Design Systems: High-level synthesis and power optimization EDA vendor, ultimately acquired by Cadence. Overlapped with Get2Chip in architectural synthesis and low-power design optimization.
• Silicon Design Systems: Early-2000s RTL synthesis startup that was acquired (by Synopsys). Closely contemporaneous peer with Get2Chip in the synthesis point-tool wave that targeted nanometer-scale design challenges.

Others

• Jasper Design Automation: Formal verification EDA vendor acquired by Cadence in 2014. Adjacent rather than direct — addresses the front-end verification gap Get2Chip's synthesis tools complemented in the broader design flow.

Broad incumbents

• Cadence Design Systems: Acquirer of Get2Chip and one of the 'Big 3' EDA incumbents. Pre-acquisition, Cadence's own BuildGates synthesis offering competed directly with Get2Chip's RTL Compiler; post-acquisition, the technologies were merged into the Encounter platform.
• Siemens EDA (formerly Mentor Graphics): Third member of the 'Big 3' EDA incumbents, offering synthesis and place-and-route tools. Mentor competed with Get2Chip in the broader nanometer-scale design flow market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors3 records

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 Get2Chip