The supplier of equipment and services to optimize semiconductor manufacturing, Cohu, Inc. (NASDAQ: COHU) enters into a definitive agreement to acquire Tignis, Inc. Tignis is a provider of AI process control and analytics-based monitoring software.
With this acquisition, Cohu will muscle up its analytics offerings to the estimated $2.6 billion semiconductor process control market targeted by Tignis’ PAICe Monitor and PAICe Maker solutions. These innovative products leverage the insights of physical phenomena with cutting-edge AI, machine learning (ML), and data science to deliver advanced predictive and prescriptive automation solutions for semiconductor manufacturing. Tignis is also expected to deepen Cohu’s expertise in data science while adding advanced analytics to its DI-Core software.
Industry 4.0 is transforming the semiconductor market as IDMs, foundries, and OEMs adopt AI/ML for greater manufacturing efficiency. PAICe Monitor offers AI-driven anomaly detection and predictive maintenance, enabling deep analysis beyond traditional methods. PAICe Maker, an advanced process control solution, reduces process drift, maintenance costs, and variability. Tignis’ patented Digital Twin Query Language (DTQL) simplifies complex data analytics tasks, empowering users without data science expertise to manage data cleaning and analysis, driving significant operational improvements across manufacturing and test operations.
Headquartered in Seattle, WA, and with development teams in the U.S. and Canada, Tignis was founded in 2017 to bring true AI capabilities to process control, enabling optimization of complex semiconductor and industrial manufacturing processes.
“We look forward to the very talented Tignis team joining the Cohu family. This acquisition represents a significant opportunity to accelerate our growth in semiconductor manufacturing, broaden our product portfolio, and deepen our customer presence,” said Cohu President and CEO Luis Müller. “Together, our combined expertise and complementary capabilities will drive artificial intelligence process predictability, empowering semiconductor manufacturers to achieve higher yield, improved quality, and greater productivity.”
“This is a very exciting time for Tignis and our customers,” said Tignis President, CEO and Co-founder Jon Herlocker. “Cohu has a long and successful history in the semiconductor equipment market, and their vision for accelerating the adoption of AI/ML in semiconductor manufacturing and test is well-aligned with the goals Tignis has had since our founding. We are looking forward to creating epic solutions for our customers together as a team.”
The terms of the transaction, which are not material to Cohu’s financials, are not being disclosed. The acquisition will be funded with cash on hand and is expected to close in January 2025.
