Virtusa Acquires SmartSoC Solutions, Adds 1,400 Engineers for Chip Design and AI Push

Virtusa Acquires SmartSoC Solutions, Supplements Cloud Services with Semiconductor Chip Design | AIM

The deal puts Virtusa at the forefront of AI and chip design as demand for advanced silicon chips accelerates. Virtusa Corporation, an IT services company specialising in AI, cloud, and data analytics, has acquired Bengaluru-based SmartSoC Solutions, a leader in semiconductor engineering and integrated circuit (IC) design services. It marks Virtusa's expansion into the semiconductor design industry by completing its full-stack, end-to-end service capabilities, spanning the entire digital technology ecosystem from the chip to the network, cloud, and application layer, the company said in a statement. The deal gives Virtusa full-stack capabilities in silicon design, verification and embedded systems engineering, at a time when demand for advanced silicon is rising sharply due to the growth of AI and large-scale data centres. Virtusa CEO Nitesh Banga described the acquisition as "transformational," saying it immediately positions the company as a meaningful player in high-growth semiconductor services. "It completes our vision for a full-stack offering that can serve clients from the foundational silicon layer all the way to the customer application," he said in the statement. Banga added that as AI models become more complex and data centre expansion accelerates globally, in-house chip design capability will be crucial for engineering partners. SmartSoC, founded in 2016 and headquartered in Bengaluru, is a fast-growing semiconductor engineering and IC design services firm with capabilities across silicon design, verification, and embedded systems. With this acquisition, Virtusa will onboard more than 1,400 engineers specialised in VLSI, physical design, and embedded software. The deal also significantly expands Virtusa's India delivery footprint through SmartSoC's centres in Bengaluru, Hubli, and Hyderabad, including a large tier 2 delivery centre in Hubli that strengthens the company's cost-effective engineering capacity. SmartSoC's leadership team, led by founder and CEO Bharath Desareddy, will stay on and continue managing delivery operations and client engagements. All existing project structures, service contracts and commitments will continue as they are. Desareddy said the combination creates a "unique market proposition" by bringing together SmartSoC's specialised semiconductor engineering expertise with Virtusa's global scale and enterprise client base. "This allows us to accelerate our growth, broaden our services and deliver immediate value to global semiconductor and technology companies," he added. The acquisition comes during a period of rapid expansion in the semiconductor and systems engineering market, fuelled by the proliferation of smart devices and soaring investments in AI and edge computing infrastructure. Virtusa's entry into this segment strengthens its ability to help clients reduce time-to-market for next-generation, power-efficient products and positions the company at the centre of emerging chip innovation.

Virtusa acquires Bengaluru based SmartSoC Solutions

Virtusa has bought SmartSoC to strengthen its semiconductor and AI engineering capabilities. The deal adds deep silicon design expertise and more than 1,400 engineers, boosting Virtusa's chip-to-cloud offerings. The existing leadership team of SmartSoc Solutions, led by chief executive officer Bharath Desareddy, will remain unchanged and continue to oversee all delivery programs and client engagements. Product and platform engineering services company Virtusa on Wednesday announced the acquisition of Bengaluru-based SmartSoC Solutions, a semiconductor engineering and integrated circuit design services company. It did not disclose the size of the deal. The Massachusetts-headquartered company said this strategic acquisition positions it at the forefront of AI and chip design innovation to meet surging demand for advanced silicon. Virtusa said the integration of SmartSoC, with its expertise in silicon design, verification, and embedded systems engineering, positions it to capitalize on demand for advanced silicon. "The acquisition of SmartSoC is transformational for Virtusa," Nitesh Banga, chief executive officer of Virtusa, said in a statement. "It immediately establishes us as a key player in the high-growth semiconductor engineering space, completing our vision for a full-stack offering that can serve clients from the foundational silicon layer all the way through to the customer application." Banga added that as AI models become more complex and data centre investment surges globally, having in-house chip design capabilities will be crucial. The acquisition also establishes Virtusa's semiconductor engineering footprint in India and strengthens its global delivery capabilities by integrating SmartSoC's engineering presence across Bengaluru, Hubli and Hyderabad. Additionally, the acquisition brings more than 1,400 highly skilled engineers with depth in VLSI, physical design and embedded software. The existing leadership team of SmartSoc Solutions, led by chief executive officer Bharath Desareddy, will remain unchanged and continue to oversee all delivery programs and client engagements. All current project structures, contractual commitments and service agreements will continue as they are. "Our combined strengths create a unique market proposition: a comprehensive, end-to-end digital engineering partner with chip-to-cloud capabilities," Desareddy said. He added that Virtusa's global scale, deep relationships with Fortune 100 clients, and digital engineering heritage would allow the company to accelerate its growth, expand service offerings, and bring value to the world's leading semiconductor and technology companies. The semiconductor and systems engineering market is experiencing unprecedented growth, fuelled by the massive increase in the building of smarter devices and exponentially increasing investments in data centres and AI infrastructure.