France's Altran buys Bengaluru-based semiconductor design company Sicon Design

Altran builds customised solutions for smartphones, medical devices, connected cars and air traffic control systems

French tech automation technology firm Altran Technologies said it has acquired SiCon Design Technologies, a Bengaluru-based semiconductor design services company, for an undisclosed amount.

Altran, which builds customised solutions for smartphones, medical devices, connected cars and air traffic control systems, would build chip design capability with this acquisition in India.

Founded in Bengaluru in 2010, SiCon has a team of 550 experts, specialised in application-specific integrated circuit design, verification, design for test, field-programmable gate array implementation and embedded software development. With the acquisition, Altran India headcount has doubled from 570 to 1,100. According to Sanjay Kumar, chief executive officer and managing director, Altran India, this is Altran’s third and the largest acquisition in India.

In February 2014, Altran had acquired US-based Foliage, a technology consulting and engineering services company, which had acquired India-based Vignani Technologies, an engineering design services company that had presence in California and the Netherlands. Altran also bought Kavya Tech, a Hyderabad-based plant engineering firm, in the second half of 2014.

SiConTech currently works with seven of the top ten global semiconductor companies and was ranked one of the fastest growing ASIC design services companies in India by Deloitte Technology Fast 50 India in 2013 and 2014, according to the company statement. “The acquisition will be EPS enhancing as of the first year. The operation is expected to be finalised in 2015, and is subject to customary conditions precedent.”

“We are in a growth phase in India. Our objective in India is to invest and build the right capabilities keeping in mind the long-term impact,” said Sanjay Kumar, chief executive officer and managing director, Altran India.

Altran will continue its activities in acquiring companies, Kumar said and added that the company will look at energy, equipments and big data space for deals in future.

“The acquisition of SiConTech will enable us to accompany our strategic American clients operating in semi-conductors and embedded software, two major sectors,” said Dominique Cerutti, Chairman and chief executive officer of Altran.

Kumar said, “The acquisition of SiConTech will help us to enhance our embedded software offering and to expand our range of services.

Naveen Chava, chief executive officer, SiConTech, said, “Becoming part of the Altran group will broaden our expertise, as well as enhance both our client portfolio and our research and development capacity, and reinforce our position with our customers.”

The acquisition will result in Altran India merging its embedded practice with that of SiConTech and Chava will head the whole team.

The India technology Centre of Altran is headquartered in Bengaluru and has offices in Noida, Hyderabad and Coimbatore.