PDF Solutions to Acquire Cimetrix

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PDF Solutions, Inc. announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Cimetrix Incorporated. The combination of Cimetrix^® connectivity products and platforms with PDF Solutions’ Exensio^® analytics platform powered by machine learning, is intended to enable IC, assembly, and electronics manufacturer customers to extract more intelligence – not just data – from their factory floor, to build more reliable ICs and systems at lower manufacturing costs.

Cimetrix is a leading global provider of equipment connectivity products for smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 that enable factory equipment to communicate to increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve quality. Cimetrix products are used by over 150 capital equipment companies to provide factory automation connectivity for hundreds of equipment types. These software products are shipped with the equipment so that factories can easily get data from the equipment to improve manufacturing. In addition, the Cimetrix Sapience^® mobile and cloud-based platform empowers factories worldwide to easily connect to factory floor equipment to enable advanced analytics. PDF Solutions’ recent partnership with Advantest Corporation, which was announced on July 30, 2020, validates that equipment companies are being asked to provide intelligence from their equipment.

"PDF Solutions’ Exensio Analytics Platform provides the semiconductor industry with the most robust big data analytics and machine learning capabilities," said Dr. John Kibarian, President, CEO and co-founder of PDF Solutions. "Combining PDF Exensio with Cimetrix’s standards-based, leading connectivity products will provide a higher level of intelligence from the factory floor to realize the benefits of Industry 4.0."

“Cimetrix is excited to join the PDF Solutions team. Our two companies share the vision and commitment to provide a smart manufacturing platform that seamlessly connects high quality data from the factory floor to cloud based analytics platforms,” said Bob Reback, Chairman, President, and CEO at Cimetrix. “We believe this combination will provide tremendous opportunities for Cimetrix customers to benefit from the cloud, AI/ML, and analytics capabilities from PDF Solutions, and PDF customers will benefit from higher quality data originating from the factory floor using Cimetrix’s connectivity products and platforms.”

Under the terms of the definitive agreement, PDF Solutions will pay a cash amount of $35.0 million, net of cash on Cimetrix’s balance sheet as of closing, and subject to other closing adjustments, for all of the outstanding equity of Cimetrix. The acquisition is subject to standard closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth calendar quarter of 2020.