A spin-out company launched six years ago by the University of Glasgow has been bought by California-based software giant Synopsys.

Gold Standard Simulations Ltd (GSS) was set up in 2010 with £720,000 seed funding and support from Scottish Enterprise to commercialise more than 20 years of research in modelling and simulation of advanced transistors and circuits for semiconductor microchips.

 

GSS was created by professor Asen Asenov, James Watt Chair in Electrical Engineering in the College of Science and Engineering, with support from the university and Scottish Enterprise.

Professor Asenov is one of the world’s leading device modelling experts and leader of the acclaimed Glasgow Device Modelling Group (DMG).

Professor Asenov said: “We are delighted that the GSS vision and technology can be brought to the next level by the best and the brightest player on the EDA arena amplifying its impact on the semiconductor industry.

“The GSS team, which will be incorporated into the Synopsys technology CAD (TCAD) group and will remain in Scotland, provides jobs for University of Glasgow PhD students and former Post-Doctoral Research Associates (PDRAs) — all of whom are former members of the DMG.”

David Smith, director of technology and engineering at Scottish Enterprise, said: “Having provided seed funding and commercialisation support from the beginning, we are proud to have been part of GSS’s impressive journey from concept to delivery of its world-renowned and pioneering TCAD technology.”

Professor Neal Juster, senior vice-principal and deputy vice-chancellor at the university, said: “This is a great achievement for professor Asenov and recognition of the commercial significance of his many years of research which GSS has been exploiting.

“We look forward to developing a strategic relationship with Synopsys.”