GDSFactory
GDSFactory (DoPlayDo, Inc.) provides an open-core chip design platform combining the world's most popular open-source Python framework for photonic, quantum, RF, and analog IC design with the commercial GDSFactory+ VSCode extension, serving academic researchers, commercial photonics teams, and defense/government labs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- Headquarters—
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What GDSFactory does
GDSFactory, operated by DoPlayDo, Inc. (Delaware, USA), provides an open-core software platform for chip design across photonic, quantum, RF, and analog integrated circuits. The company maintains the GDSFactory open-source Python library — described as the world's most popular open-source chip design framework — along with companion open-source simulation engines: gSim (FDTD and FEM electromagnetic simulation), MEOW (eigenmode expansion), SAX (frequency-domain S-parameter circuit simulation), and Circulax (time-domain circuit simulation). On top of this foundation, the commercial GDSFactory+ product is delivered as a VSCode extension that integrates layout editing, schematic editing, DRC/LVS verification, circuit simulation, and an AI agent for design assistance, with access to 43+ foundry PDKs from silicon photonics, silicon nitride, III-V, thin-film lithium niobate, and RF process vendors including Tower, GlobalFoundries, IMEC, AIM Photonics, and Ligentec. Adjacent commercial offerings include GDSFactory+ Cloud Workspace (managed browser environments), GDSFactory Hub (chip data storage and analysis), and DoRoutes (photonic routing).
The company monetizes GDSFactory+ on a per-seat subscription basis with annual, monthly, and multi-year billing, supported by a 30-day free trial and credit card or purchase order payments. A dedicated academic pricing tier includes both per-user and unlimited-institution options. Go-to-market combines an open-source community-led funnel (GitHub, PyPI, Slack community, conference workshops at OFC, CLEO, and Photonics West, plus YouTube tutorials) with direct sales for enterprise and government/defense buyers, the latter served through air-gapped local installation and GovCloud/Stormbreaker deployments. Customer segments span academic research groups, commercial photonics companies (with named design partners Lightmatter and Hewlett Packard Enterprise), defense and government labs, and the broad open-source developer community. The company is remote-first, venture-backed (per job postings mentioning stock options), with a small multidisciplinary engineering team spanning software, RF, photonics, computational simulation, and superconducting quantum disciplines.
GDSFactory firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GDSFactory
- Legal name
- DoPlayDo, Inc
- Website
- https://gdsfactory.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- GDSFactory (DoPlayDo, Inc.) provides an open-core chip design platform combining the world's most popular open-source Python framework for photonic, quantum, RF, and analog IC design with the commercial GDSFactory+ VSCode extension, serving academic researchers, commercial photonics teams, and defense/government labs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GDSFactory industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Software
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Foundry Platform & Design Enablement Services (PDK/DFM/Process Qualification) (HDAHACAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Quantum Compilation Toolkits (Frontend SDK Layer) (HDAGACAF), Programmable Logic (FPGAs/CPLDs) (HDAHAJAG)
Keywords
GDSFactory business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- GDSFactory+ Subscriptions: Commercial subscription to GDSFactory+ provides access to foundry PDKs, graphical editors, verification tools (DRC/LVS), circuit simulation, AI agent, and cloud/shared workspace features. Priced per seat with annual or monthly billing. Academic pricing available with institutional unlimited-user option.
- Academic Licensing: Dedicated academic pricing with two tiers: per-user and unlimited-users-within-institution. Popular for research groups where students rotate in and out. Includes onboarding support and documentation access.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free 30-day trial for GDSFactory+ |
| Subscription | Annual | Commercial per-user subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Academic per-user subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Academic institutional unlimited-users |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
GDSFactory product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GDSFactory provides an open-core chip design platform for photonic, quantum, RF, and analog integrated circuits. The free open-source GDSFactory Python library enables programmatic layout creation and verification, while the commercial GDSFactory+ VSCode extension delivers foundry PDK access, graphical layout and schematic editors, DRC/LVS verification, circuit simulation, and an AI design agent in a single integrated environment.
Product overview
GDSFactory offers an integrated chip design platform combining open-source foundation with commercial products. The core offering is GDSFactory+ (commercial VSCode extension) which provides foundry PDK access, graphical layout and schematic editors, DRC/LVS verification, circuit simulation, and AI agent - all in VSCode. Built on open-source engines: GDSFactory (layout), gSim (FDTD/FEM simulation), MEOW (EME solver), SAX (frequency-domain circuit simulation), and Circulax (time-domain circuit simulation). Additional commercial services include Cloud Workspace for remote development and GDSFactory Hub for data storage and analysis.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- gdsfactory: The world's most popular open-source chip design framework. Programmatically create, verify, and export photonic and electronic layouts.
- gSim
- MEOW
- SAX
- Circulax
Products and services
- GDSFactory+ Commercial VSCode extension providing an all-in-one chip design environment with foundry PDK access, graphical layout and schematic editors, DRC/LVS verification, circuit simulation, and an AI agent for photonic, quantum, and analog chip design. Targeted at commercial photonics companies, academic research groups, and defense/government labs.
- GDSFactory (Open Source) World's most popular open-source Python chip design framework for programmatically creating, verifying, and exporting photonic and electronic layouts. Distributed free via GitHub and PyPI, serves as the foundation of GDSFactory+ and as a standalone tool for researchers, students, and hobbyists.
- gSim FDTD & FEM Full-wave electromagnetic device simulation engine running FDTD and FEM solvers to model light propagation, mode profiles, and S-parameters for photonic devices. Used by photonic integrated circuit designers for device-level simulation.
- MEOW Eigenmode Expansion (EME) Eigenmode Expansion Method solver that efficiently simulates tapers, transitions, and other photonic structures where modes evolve along the propagation axis.
- SAX Circuit Simulator Blazingly fast S-parameter circuit simulator that composes component models into full photonic circuits and sweeps wavelength in seconds. Used for frequency-domain photonic circuit simulation.
- Circulax Time-Domain Circuit Simulator Time-domain circuit simulator for photonic systems that models transient behavior, modulation, and dynamic effects across circuits.
- GDSFactory+ Cloud Workspace Cloud-hosted workspace option for GDSFactory+ providing a remote development environment with shared workspace capabilities for team collaboration. Targets teams that prefer browser-based access over local installation.
- GDSFactory Hub Data Storage & Analysis extension for chip design data providing a complete overview of chip layouts, measurements, simulations, and analysis with visualization and collaborative custom analysis capabilities.
- DoRoutes Advanced routing functionality for photonic integrated circuits that simplifies complex waveguide routing designs with automated route creation and management.
Quantifiable outcome
- 10x faster chip design compared to legacy EDA tools
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use GDSFactory
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
GDSFactory technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability10 records
Feature11 records
GDSFactory partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
GDSFactory competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- KLayout: Open-source layout viewer and editor widely used alongside GDSFactory for GDS file visualization and DRC. Not a direct competitor for the integrated design-to-tapeout workflow but serves overlapping open-source-minded chip designers and is explicitly supported by GDSFactory as a complementary tool.
Broad incumbents
- Keysight Technologies: Provider of PathWave ADS (Advanced Design System) for RF and microwave circuit design, one of the legacy tools in the space GDSFactory+ targets with its new frequency-domain RF simulation features (v1.0.25-1.0.26). Broader test-and-measurement portfolio with overlapping RF/analog IC design customer base.
- Synopsys: Large EDA incumbent offering OptoCompiler and other photonic design tools (notably after acquiring Luceda Photonics in 2024). Competes with GDSFactory across photonic, analog, and RF design, with deeper enterprise integrations but less Python-native openness.
- Ansys: Multiphysics simulation provider that acquired Lumerical, a leading FDTD-based photonic simulation suite. Competes with GDSFactory's gSim FDTD/FEM engine and offers adjacent electromagnetic simulation; Lumerical is a direct peer for photonic device simulation workflows.
- Cadence Design Systems: Dominant EDA vendor whose Virtuoso and Spectre platforms are widely used for photonic, RF, and analog IC design. Provides GDS/SPICE import-export compatibility with GDSFactory+, positioning as the legacy incumbent GDSFactory seeks to disrupt with open-core pricing and Python-native workflows.
- Siemens EDA: EDA division of Siemens (formerly Mentor Graphics) offering Calibre for DRC/LVS and broader IC design tools. Competes in verification and layout; GDSFactory+ explicitly supports Calibre-format DRC decks alongside KLayout, reflecting direct overlap in the verification workflow.
Direct peers
- Flexcompute: Maker of Tidy3D, a cloud-native FDTD electromagnetic simulator that GDSFactory+ integrates with for device-level photonic simulation. Competes with gSim's FDTD capabilities while benefiting from integration into the GDSFactory+ workflow; serves the same photonic and quantum hardware design community.
- Luceda Photonics: IPKISS-based photonic IC design platform with Python-native tooling and PDK access (now part of Synopsys). Most directly comparable competitor to GDSFactory in the Python-driven photonic EDA niche, targeting similar academic and commercial photonic designers.
Others
- COMSOL: Multiphysics simulation platform with photonic device and RF modules that overlap with GDSFactory's simulation stack (FDTD, FEM, mode solving). Serves adjacent photonics and MEMS designers rather than competing head-on in the photonic IC tape-out workflow.
- XFDTD (Remcom): Electromagnetic simulation software suite including FDTD and FEM solvers for antenna, microwave, and photonic device modeling. Competes in the device-simulation layer with gSim/MEOW but lacks GDSFactory's integrated schematic-to-layout-to-verification flow.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
GDSFactory social profiles
Digital presenceGDSFactory financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GDSFactory leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
GDSFactory funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GDSFactory 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 GDSFactory
What does GDSFactory do?
GDSFactory provides an open-core chip design platform for photonic, quantum, RF, and analog integrated circuits. The free open-source GDSFactory Python library enables programmatic layout creation and verification, while the commercial GDSFactory+ VSCode extension delivers foundry PDK access, graphical layout and schematic editors, DRC/LVS verification, circuit simulation, and an AI design agent in a single integrated environment.
Is GDSFactory a public or private company?
GDSFactory is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was GDSFactory founded?
GDSFactory was founded in -1.
How does GDSFactory make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. GDSFactory+ Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are academic Licensing.
Who are GDSFactory's main competitors?
KLayout is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Keysight Technologies, Synopsys, Ansys, Cadence Design Systems and Siemens EDA. Direct peers are Flexcompute and Luceda Photonics. Others are COMSOL and XFDTD (Remcom).
Does GDSFactory have an API?
Yes. GDSFactory+ uses an API-key-based license system where each user generates their own API key in the customer portal and pastes it into the VSCode extension. The extension authenticates with a license server on startup. The platform includes a Python SDK (gdsfactoryplus) with modules for component management, simulation, DRC/LVS verification, schematic editing, and project management. The SDK supports custom PDK registration, SPICE netlist export, simulation management, and server communication. MCP (Model Context Protocol) server integration is available, enabling AI assistants to interact with GDSFactory+ tools. Developer documentation is at gdsfactory.com/plus/api.
What industry is GDSFactory in?
GDSFactory's product category is Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHACAJ, Foundry Platform & Design Enablement Services (PDK/DFM/Process Qualification), with a secondary code of HDAGACAF, Quantum Compilation Toolkits (Frontend SDK Layer). Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7373.