Synopsys Acquires Ansys for $35 Billion, Bolstering Its Simulation Prowess

Synopsys, a leader in Electronic Design Automation (EDA), recently announced its acquisition of Ansys, which specializes in AI-augmented 3D simulation software.

 

Synopsys is the world's second-largest design IP vendor. Image used under Adobe Stock license

 

Through this acquisition, Synopsys will combine its expertise in computer-aided electronics design with Ansys' 3D simulation and analysis tools. This could bring a new wave of innovation to EDA, broadening the range of design tools available to electronics engineers worldwide. 

 

Strengthening a Seven-Year Strategic Partnership

Synopsys’ recent acquisition of Ansys builds on a seven-year partnership between the two companies. Ansys, known for its artificial intelligence (AI) and physics-driven simulation software, could help the EDA company keep up with the rising demands placed on systems designers.

Ansys software was already incorporated in most Synopsys Fusion Complier tools. The development teams at the two companies thus already know each other well, as they previously collaborated to create various design suites. 

 

Ansys offers an electronics desktop platform that hits on the key verification points of electronics system design. Image used courtesy of Ansys

 

The rapid development of AI-powered electronics, including autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles, smart home technologies, and devices controlled via conversational agents, have complicated testing and design processes. By acquiring a company that develops intuitive, advanced AI-powered 3D simulation tools, Synopsys hopes to better support engineers in creating complex systems.

 

Broadening Design Resources for Engineers

While Synopsys and Ansys have operated in a similar landscape for some time, the tools they develop are in many ways complementary, with the former focusing more on tools to design chips and semiconductor-based electronics, and the latter leveraging the significant advances in AI observed over the past few years to produce realistic smart system simulations.

Together, they could soon become a prominent company in the EDA sector, offering new solutions based on their joint product portfolio. Ansys has already introduced a wide range of software solutions to simulate the physics, speed, and performance of various systems, including autonomous vehicles, robots, and smart appliances. Meanwhile, Synopsys leads the charge in bringing 3nm/2nm across EDA stacks and transitioning the industry to multiple dies. It's also known for pioneering AI- and cloud-based EDA and bringing this IP to all of the leading foundries. 

 

The new acquisition aims to support the fundamental changes in silicon and systems design. Image used courtesy of Synopsys

 

Synopsys and Ansys have always shared a mission of helping engineers intuitively plan and evaluate their systems. Together, they hope to compile a suite of software tools that could help designers perform model-based analyses and reliably simulate system performance.

 

Meeting the Complex Needs of the Intelligence Era

Today, there is a growing need for ICs and electronic components that reach beyond the boundaries of conventional semiconductor designs. These electronics are now increasingly deployed in AI-powered systems and edge computing devices, which typically have extensive computational demands.

Powerful and user-friendly tools to create these electronics and reliably simulate their real-world applications are thus of utmost importance. This recent acquisition will allow Synopsys and Ansys to introduce new platforms based on their tools so that they can best support systems designers.