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Cadence Design Systems

Provides design software for chips, electronic systems and digital twins.

EnablerChip equipment

C012 · Public · NASDAQ: CDNS · Profile evidence reviewed

What it does

Provides design software for chips, electronic systems and digital twins.

Why it matters

Alongside Synopsys, it is one of the two largest suppliers of the design software used to create advanced AI and computing chips.

How it makes money

Licenses EDA software and IP used to design chips and electronic systems.

Geography

United States

AI stack position

Semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The highly specialized machines and design software used to create advanced chips in the first place. Without these tools, no chip maker in the world — including the ones building NVIDIA's chips — could produce anything.

Competitors
Synopsys

Connections (8)

Every connection below is tied to a readable source, date, classification and statement of its limits. A company source establishes what that company stated; it does not necessarily provide independent confirmation.

Current relationships (6)

Samsung Electronics co-develops 2nm and 3D-IC design technology with Cadence Design Systems
Co-develops withCurrent
Cadence and Samsung Foundry deepened their collaboration on 2-nanometer and 3D-IC design technology to address surging AI-infrastructure and physical-AI demand.

Source: 2026-05-28 · reviewed 2026-09-22

Evidence: Primary-source statement · Reported operating

Limits: Describes an expanded design-technology collaboration; page content was accessed via search indexing of Cadence's own press release title rather than a direct fetch (cadence.com blocked live fetches in this session), and no financial terms or specific customer tape-outs are disclosed.

Cadence and Samsung Foundry Deepen 2nm and 3D-IC Collaboration to Meet Surging AI Infrastructure and Physical AI Demand ↗
Micron integrates memory controller IP from Cadence Design Systems
Uses technology fromCurrent
Micron and Cadence Design Systems collaborated to integrate Direct Link ECC Protocol (DLEP) functionality into Cadence's LPDDR5/5X memory controller, PHY and verification IP, targeting AI, automotive and data-center memory systems.

Source: 2026-01-30 · reviewed 2026-09-22

Evidence: Primary-source statement · Reported operating

Limits: Describes a technical IP-integration collaboration; does not disclose commercial terms or which shipping Micron products use this Cadence IP.

Advancing DLEP verification and compliance with Cadence Design Systems ↗
Cadence Design Systems acquired the Artisan foundation IP business from Arm Holdings
AcquiredCurrent
Cadence completed its acquisition of Arm's Artisan foundation IP business, including standard cell libraries, memory compilers, general-purpose I/Os and the associated engineering team.

Source: 2025-08-27 · reviewed 2026-09-20

Evidence: Primary-source statement · Acquisition completed August 27, 2025

Limits: This acquisition covers only Arm's Artisan foundation IP business (standard cell libraries, memory compilers, general-purpose I/Os and its engineering team) -- confirmed complete August 27, 2025. It is NOT an acquisition of Arm Holdings as a company, a controlling stake in Arm Holdings, or any equity position in Arm Holdings; Arm Holdings continues to operate independently. The controlled relationship-type field 'Acquired' should be read together with this record's own verb and claim, not in isolation.

Cadence Completes Acquisition of Arm Artisan Foundation IP Business ↗
Samsung Electronics uses certified design tools and IP from Cadence Design Systems
Uses technology fromCurrent
Samsung Foundry and Cadence expanded a multi-year IP agreement covering memory/interface IP (LPDDR6/5x, GDDR7, DDR5, PCIe, UCIe, USB3.x) and digital/analog design tools certified for Samsung's SF4X, SF5A and SF2P process nodes.

Source: 2025-06-17 · reviewed 2026-09-20

Evidence: Primary-source statement · Active, multi-year IP and tool-certification agreement

Limits: Confirms tool/IP certification and joint optimization work described in the release; does not disclose license fees or which specific Samsung Foundry customers use these certified flows.

Cadence Accelerates SoC, 3D-IC and Chiplet Design for AI Data Centers, Automotive and Connectivity in Collaboration with Samsung Foundry ↗
TSMC certifies its process technology for design tools from Cadence Design Systems
Uses technology fromCurrent
Cadence's design solutions were certified for TSMC's A16 and N2P advanced process technologies, enabling AI and 3D-IC chip design on those nodes.

Source: Source undated · reviewed 2026-09-22

Evidence: Primary-source statement · Reported operating

Limits: Certification does not indicate specific customer tape-outs, revenue, or exclusivity between Cadence and TSMC; page content was accessed via search indexing rather than a direct fetch because cadence.com's robots rules blocked a live fetch in this session.

Cadence and TSMC Advance AI and 3D-IC Chip Design with Certified Design Solutions for TSMC's A16 and N2P Process Technologies ↗
SK hynix uses IP and verification tools from Cadence Design Systems
Uses technology fromCurrent
Cadence demonstrated interoperability of its IP with SK hynix's highest-speed LPDDR5T mobile DRAM, running at 9,600 Mbps.

Source: Source undated · reviewed 2026-09-22

Evidence: Primary-source statement · Reported operating

Limits: Interoperability demonstration; does not establish production deployment or an ongoing commercial relationship. Page content was accessed via search indexing of Cadence's own press release title rather than a direct fetch, because cadence.com blocked live fetches in this session.

Cadence Demonstrates Interoperability with SK hynix's Highest Speed LPDDR5T Mobile DRAM at 9600Mbps ↗

Dated or announced (1)

Cadence Design Systems plans software acceleration using NVIDIA
Uses technology fromDated / announced
Plans to accelerate engineering software with Blackwell.

Source: 2024-03-18 · reviewed 2026-09-17

Evidence: Primary-source statement · Announced plan

Limits: Does not prove this vendor designed NVIDIA chips.

NVIDIA Blackwell platform announcement ↗

Comparisons (1)

Synopsys competes with Cadence Design Systems
Competes withComparison only
Synopsys and Cadence are the two dominant electronic design automation (EDA) vendors and compete directly for advanced-node chip-design tool share; industry analysis describes Cadence gaining share against Synopsys through 2026 in areas it historically trailed, such as digital full-flow design.

Source: 2026-05-21 · reviewed 2026-09-22

Evidence: Analytical comparison · Reported operating

Limits: Market-share figures are this analyst's estimates, not disclosed by either company, and describe a shifting competitive position rather than a fixed, verified share.

EDA Market Primer ↗
Evidence for this profile

Cadence company overview ↗
Reviewed

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