Kandou
Kandou AI is a fabless semiconductor company that designs high-speed connectivity chips and IP — including retimers, SerDes, and chiplet interconnects — using proprietary Copper MIMO and Chord Signaling technology, serving hyperscale AI infrastructure, PC OEMs, and semiconductor manufacturers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersLausanne, Switzerland
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Kandou firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kandou
- Legal name
- Kandou Bus, S.A.
- Website
- https://kandou.ai
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Kandou AI is a fabless semiconductor company that designs high-speed connectivity chips and IP — including retimers, SerDes, and chiplet interconnects — using proprietary Copper MIMO and Chord Signaling technology, serving hyperscale AI infrastructure, PC OEMs, and semiconductor manufacturers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kandou industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Semiconductor Connectivity IP
- NAICS
- Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (33441), Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (3344)
- SIC
- Computer Communications Equipment (3576)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Silicon IP Subsystems & Chiplet IP (Die-to-Die, UCIe, NoC, I/O chiplets) (HDAHAFAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Compute & Acceleration ICs (CPU/GPU/AI/FPGA/ASIC) (HDAHABAC), Memory Interface & PHY ICs (DDR/HBM/SerDes PHY) (HDAHAKAE), AI Hardware IP & Chiplet/Packaging for Accelerators (EDA/IP, advanced packaging) (HDAAAAAL)
Keywords
Where Kandou is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lausanne
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Kandou business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Semiconductor Chip Sales: Fabless semiconductor company selling physical chips including PCIe retimers (Regli), USB4 retimers (Matterhorn), and PCIe switches (Zetti). Revenue from unit sales to OEM customers.
- IP Licensing: Licensing of proprietary IP including Glasswing chiplet interconnect technology, Tigerwing SerDes, and Chord Signaling technology to semiconductor manufacturers and system designers.
- AI Fabric Solutions: Chiplet-based AI fabric products built using Copper MIMO links for AI system builders. Next-generation products targeting AI infrastructure and rack connectivity.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise semiconductor products with custom pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Kandou product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kandou AI is a fabless semiconductor company that designs and sells high-speed wired connectivity chips and SerDes IP for AI infrastructure, data center, and consumer electronics applications. Its product portfolio includes PCIe 5.0/CXL 2.0 retimers (Regli), USB4 retimers (Matterhorn), PCIe Gen 5 switches (Zetti), chip-to-chip SerDes IP (Glasswing, Tigerwing), error-correction IP (DIMMGuard), and PCIe diagnostics software (Besso), all built on its proprietary Copper MIMO and Chord Signaling technology. The company also licenses its silicon IP to semiconductor manufacturers and supplies chiplet interconnect building blocks for hyperscale AI cluster builders.
Product overview
Kandou AI is a fabless semiconductor design company offering a portfolio of high-speed connectivity solutions for AI infrastructure. The core portfolio includes Regli (PCIe 5.0/CXL 2.0 retimer), Matterhorn (USB4 retimer), Glasswing (chip-to-chip SerDes IP using CNRZ-5 Chord signaling), Besso (diagnostic software), and Zetti (PCIe Gen 5 switch). All products are powered by proprietary Copper MIMO technology. Next-generation offerings include Tigerwing (260 Gbps chip-to-chip interconnect) and DIMMGuard (error correction IP). The company leverages Tier 1 supply chain partnerships with TSMC for fabrication and ASECL Taiwan for assembly/testing, having shipped over 20 million silicon units to date.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Regli: Industry-leading PCIe 5.0 and CXL 2.0 retimer for signal optimization in data center applications.
- Matterhorn
- Glasswing
- Besso
- Tigerwing
- Zetti
- DIMMGuard
Products and services
- Regli
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduces AI inference system costs by up to 12x
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Kandou
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kandou technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature9 records
Kandou partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and primary.
- Baya SystemsstrategicStrategic IP licensing agreement announced July 2026. Kandou AI licensed Baya's WeaveIP fabric and WeaverPro software platform for developing next-generation 448G copper AI connectivity platforms. Collaboration aims to address AI memory wall problem combining Copper MIMO with Baya's software-defined fabric platform.
- TSMCcoreManufacturing partner for over a decade. Kandou AI utilizes TSMC's 4nm and leading-edge process nodes. TSMC's unique chiplet stitching allows up to 40 chiplets in one package. Over decade of partnership utilizing expertise beyond industry standards.
- ASECL TaiwancoreAssembly and testing partner. Performs electrical tests on all die surpassing industry thresholds, flip-chip CSP assembly, and 100% parametrical and functional tests on every packaged part with random QA testing.
- EPS GlobalprimaryFranchised distributor established 1999. Distributes Kandou products for data networking and storage, virtualization, cloud, and IoT markets. Located at epsglobal.com/manufacturers/kandou.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kandou competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rambus: Specialist in high-speed memory interface and SerDes IP, including HBM/GDDR PHY and chiplet subsystems. Overlaps with Kandou's DIMMGuard, Glasswing, and Tigerwing IP offerings for memory and chip-to-chip connectivity.
- Alphawave Semi: Fabless supplier of high-speed SerDes, chiplet IP, and connectivity silicon targeting AI, networking, and storage. Directly comparable in product portfolio, IP licensing model, and hyperscaler customer focus.
- Credo Technology: Fabless supplier of high-speed SerDes, retimers, and AECs for cloud, AI, and hyperscale data centers. Competes head-to-head with Kandou in optical/electrical connectivity for AI fabric and rack-scale deployments.
- Astera Labs: Fabless semiconductor company focused on connectivity/retimer ICs and fabric solutions for AI/cloud infrastructure, with Aries retimers and Taurus/Aries Smart Cable Modules. Direct competitor in hyperscaler AI SerDes and PCIe retimer sockets where Kandou also competes.
- Marvell Technology: Major fabless supplier of SerDes, custom silicon, and chiplet platforms; a named Kandou Glasswing customer and a direct competitor in custom-silicon and interconnect IP for data center and AI workloads.
Broad incumbents
- Synopsys: Largest EDA and silicon IP vendor with broad multi-market SerDes, UCIe, and memory PHY IP. Strategic investor in Kandou's Series A but also a competitor in the IP licensing market.
- Cadence Design Systems: EDA and IP vendor offering a growing portfolio of SerDes, memory, and connectivity IP. Strategic investor in Kandou and customer/supplier partner (Kandou uses Cadence EDA), while also competing in select IP categories.
- Broadcom: Diversified incumbent with the dominant SerDes, custom silicon, and networking silicon franchises for hyperscalers. Provides the primary competitive benchmark across Ethernet, PCIe, and now AI fabric.
- Microchip Technology: Mixed-signal and connectivity IC vendor with retimer, PCIe, and signal-conditioning product lines serving industrial, automotive, and data center customers. Broad incumbent with overlap in Kandou's Regli/Matterhorn PCIe/USB retimer space.
Emerging players
- Baya Systems: Emerging IP and software-defined fabric company whose WeaveIP fabric and WeaverPro platform were licensed by Kandou in July 2026 for 448G copper AI connectivity — a strategic co-development partner with adjacent IP exposure to the same hyperscaler market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kandou social profiles
Digital presenceKandou compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Kandou financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kandou leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Kandou funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds13 records
Investors20 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kandou 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 Kandou
What does Kandou do?
Kandou AI is a fabless semiconductor company that designs and sells high-speed wired connectivity chips and SerDes IP for AI infrastructure, data center, and consumer electronics applications. Its product portfolio includes PCIe 5.0/CXL 2.0 retimers (Regli), USB4 retimers (Matterhorn), PCIe Gen 5 switches (Zetti), chip-to-chip SerDes IP (Glasswing, Tigerwing), error-correction IP (DIMMGuard), and PCIe diagnostics software (Besso), all built on its proprietary Copper MIMO and Chord Signaling technology. The company also licenses its silicon IP to semiconductor manufacturers and supplies chiplet interconnect building blocks for hyperscale AI cluster builders.
Is Kandou a public or private company?
Kandou is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Kandou founded?
Kandou was founded in 2011. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Kandou based?
Kandou is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Kandou make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Semiconductor Chip Sales are the primary driver. The others are IP Licensing and AI Fabric Solutions.
Who are Kandou's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rambus, Alphawave Semi, Credo Technology, Astera Labs and Marvell Technology. Broad incumbents are Synopsys, Cadence Design Systems, Broadcom and Microchip Technology. Baya Systems is listed as an emerging player.
Does Kandou have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kandou.
What industry is Kandou in?
Kandou's product category is Semiconductor Connectivity IP. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAFAH, Silicon IP Subsystems & Chiplet IP (Die-to-Die, UCIe, NoC, I/O chiplets), with a secondary code of HDAHABAC, Compute & Acceleration ICs (CPU/GPU/AI/FPGA/ASIC). Its NAICS code is 33441 and its SIC code is 3576.