What Altos Design Automation does

Altos Design Automation is an electronic design automation (EDA) company founded in 2005 and headquartered in San Jose, California. The firm develops ultra-fast library characterization technology used by semiconductor foundries, advanced node designers, and custom IC designers to validate and characterize foundation intellectual property such as standard cells, I/Os, complex multi-bit cells, memories, and mixed-signal blocks. According to firmographic data, Altos operates with a small team of 1-10 employees and is privately held.

The company's core offering is the Virtuoso Characterization Suite, built around its patented Inside View Technology. Inside View is engineered to deliver higher correlation to silicon than alternative approaches while improving library throughput and ensuring complete timing, power, noise, and statistical coverage of IP. The suite integrates with the Cadence Spectre Circuit Simulator, the industry-standard SPICE simulator, to combine throughput with the accuracy required for advanced-node (28nm and below) libraries. The solution targets specific pain points at advanced process nodes, including managing leakage power across multiple threshold voltage variants (SVT, LVT, HVT), modeling instance-specific voltage variation, analyzing temperature gradients, and maintaining library corners — issues that drive silicon re-spin risk when left unaddressed.

Altos operates a B2B enterprise software model with non-public, quote-based pricing. Distribution is via direct enterprise sales to large semiconductor companies and foundries, complemented by online support portals, free trials, training and certification programs, and community/developer-relations channels. The company has raised $1.5 million in a single seed funding round led by Vista Ventures in January 2007. Detailed revenue, customer count, and post-2007 headcount trend data are not present in the source material, and several firmographic fields (operating status, founding date precision, ownership, operating geographies) are reported as undetermined.

Name

Altos Design Automation

Website

https://altos-da.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Altos Design Automation is a 2005-founded EDA company that provides ultra-fast library characterization technology with patented Inside View Technology for validating semiconductor IP at advanced process nodes, serving foundries and chip designers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Software

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

IP Enablement, Characterization & Porting Services (HDAHAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

EDA Software Platforms (Digital Implementation, Verification & Signoff) (HDAHAFAA), Analog/Mixed-Signal & RF EDA Tools (HDAHAFAB)

Keywords

• Library characterization software
• EDA design tools
• Semiconductor IP validation
• Standard cell libraries
• Mixed-signal characterization

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Altos Design Automation is an EDA company that develops and sells ultra-fast library characterization technology used to validate and characterize semiconductor foundation IP. Its offering targets standard cells, I/Os, complex multi-bit cells, memories, and mixed-signal blocks, and is engineered to deliver better correlation to silicon while improving library throughput for advanced-node designs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Virtuoso Characterization Suite Characterization and validation solution for foundation IP including standard cells, I/Os, complex multi-bit cells, memories, and mixed-signal blocks, incorporating patented Inside View technology for improved silicon correlation and library throughput.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Samsung FoundrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2026Deep collaboration on 2nm and 3D-IC technologies to meet surging AI infrastructure and physical AI demand. Extended partnership for advanced node semiconductor development.
• TSMCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 October 2021Cadence Integrity 3D-IC Platform supports TSMC 3DFabric Technologies for advanced multi-chiplet designs. Strategic collaboration for 3D-IC packaging solutions.
• SamsungcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 2021Collaboration to accelerate 3nm mixed-signal silicon development. Joint efforts to streamline semiconductor design at advanced nodes.
• ArmcoreTechnology or IntegrationArm-Based Solutions partnership providing technology interoperability and integration for semiconductor design using Arm processor architectures.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Ansys: Simulation powerhouse with RedHawk and analog/multi-physics tools that share a customer base with Altos. Ansys competes indirectly for advanced-node design flow wallet and signals into the same foundries and IDMs.
• Siemens EDA (Mentor Graphics): Broad EDA incumbent offering competing analog/mixed-signal and characterization tools. Siemens EDA's Calibre and Analog FastSPICE platforms overlap with the customer base Altos serves in advanced-node library development.
• Cadence Design Systems: Broad incumbent EDA platform and Altos's principal integration partner. Cadence's Virtuoso, Spectre, and library characterization flow is the distribution vehicle for Altos's technology, making Cadence the most important ecosystem participant and a likely acquirer.
• Keysight Technologies: Broader electronic design and test incumbent. Keysight's EEsof EDA tools (e.g., ADS, GoldenGate) and design-flow software intersect with the analog/RF characterization workflow that Altos supports.

Direct peers

• Synopsys: Largest direct EDA competitor. Synopsys offers its own library characterization and cell library development solutions (e.g., PrimeLib, SiliconSmart) that compete head-to-head with Altos's Virtuoso Characterization Suite for advanced-node IP characterization.
• Primarius Technologies: Direct competitor in EDA characterization and modeling. Primarius focuses on standard cell, memory, and IO characterization as well as SPICE modeling, overlapping directly with Altos's IP characterization portfolio.
• Proplus Design Solutions: Direct competitor specializing in library characterization and SPICE modeling. Proplus's NanoCell and related products target the same advanced-node IP validation workflow that Altos serves.

Emerging players

• Silvaco: EDA and TCAD/simulation vendor with overlapping analog/mixed-signal and IP characterization capabilities. Silvaco is a smaller rival that competes for characterization and modeling engagements at advanced nodes.
• Zuken: EDA vendor in PCB and IC packaging design. While Zuken sits at a different layer of the design stack, it is a tangential EDA peer addressing semiconductor design customers with overlapping buyer relationships.
• Altair Engineering: Simulation and design optimization vendor with EDA-adjacent offerings. Altair's electronic system design tools compete for design and simulation budgets at customers who also procure library characterization tools.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Altos Design Automation