In this episode, we deep dive into Cadence Design Systems, the San Jose-based titan of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) that has quietly powered the semiconductor revolution for over four decades. We trace the company’s origins from the 1988 merger of SDA and ECAD to its current status as a Nasdaq-100 component with a market cap fueled by the explosion of AI and custom silicon.

Key topics covered in this episode:

• The Acquisition Engine: How strategic purchases—from the 1989 acquisition of Gateway (Verilog) and the 1999 purchase of OrCAD to the massive 2025 acquisition of Hexagon’s design business for $3.16 billion—built a comprehensive portfolio.
• Beyond Chips: We analyze Cadence's pivot under CEOs Lip-Bu Tan and Anirudh Devgan toward "systems" companies ...