News

Renesas Electronics has successfully acquired Australian design tool developer Altium, marking a significant advancement in the electronic components industry. This transaction, valued at AUD 9.1 billion (JPY 887.9 billion, USD 5.9 billion), was first announced in February 2024. Integrating Altium’s expertise in electronic system design and lifecycle management into Renesas' development tools aims to streamline and standardize electronic design data and functions, enhancing component lifecycle management through digital iteration and boosting overall productivity.

Altium previously declined a USD 4 billion acquisition offer from Autodesk in 2021 and entered into a strategic agreement with Renesas in June 2023.

Renesas CEO Hidetoshi Shibata stated, “This acquisition represents a historic milestone for both Renesas and Altium. We are taking a significant step forward in enhancing the user experience for electronic system designers.”

Shibata added, “Our goal is to jointly build an integrated and open platform for electronic system design and lifecycle management, broadening market access for electronic products across various industries and business sizes. We remain committed to ensuring the security and compliance of Altium’s customers’ data. With Altium's design software and cloud platform capabilities now part of our portfolio, we look forward to collaborating with Aram Mirkazemi and his talented software engineering team to shape the future of electronic system design.”

Following the acquisition, Altium becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of Renesas. Aram Mirkazemi will continue as CEO of Altium and also take on the role of Senior Vice President and Head of Software and Digitalization at Renesas.

The acquisition was finalized in accordance with Australian law under an arrangement plan. Renesas Electronics NSW Pty Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Renesas, acquired all of Altium’s outstanding shares at AUD 68.50 per share, bringing the total equity value to approximately AUD 9.1 billion. Funding for the acquisition was secured through bank loans. As part of the plan's execution, trading of Altium’s common stock on the Australian Securities Exchange was suspended at the end of trading on July 19, 2024, and Altium was officially delisted from the ASX on August 2, 2024.

Founded in Australia in 1985 and now headquartered in San Diego, California, Altium has been a leader in accelerating innovation in electronic products for over 30 years, providing software that significantly enhances the productivity of PCB designers and electrical engineers.