SASKATOON — Amit Gupta had an ambitious vision two decades ago of revolutionizing how electronic chips are designed and harnessing artificial intelligence as a powerful tool. That is how Solido Design Automation was born, an idea that started at the Innovation Saskatchewan Research and Technology Park office in Saskatoon.
Gupta and a small team, along with local investors, pursued what many considered a bold idea ahead of its time; after all, AI was still in its early stages. After 20 years, Solido became Siemens EDA when the German-based multinational acquired it in 2017. EDA, or electronic design automation, is a portfolio of software and hardware services.
Gupta told SaskToday that before being acquired by Siemens, Investment Saskatchewan was one of Solido's investors. The company’s software is now used by some of the world’s top chip manufacturers, and Solido became one of the fastest-growing technology companies in North America.
Siemens operates in industrial automation, building automation, rail transportation and health technology. Solido, after being acquired in 2017, became part of Siemens’ digital industry software division, which focuses on automating the design of electronic chips that power smartphones, computers and other devices.
“This is proof that you don’t need to be in California to lead globally in tech. We’re not just growing a company; we’re building a technology ecosystem here. We’ve brought people to Saskatchewan rather than seeing them leave. That’s a reversal of the usual trend — and a win for the province,” said Gupta, now Siemens EDA’s vice-president.
“We built AI-powered software before AI was trendy. Our goal from the start was to make chip design faster, more efficient and more cost-effective. There’s a lot of fear around AI, but in our field, it’s helping engineers be more productive and produce higher-quality work. It’s not about replacing people — it’s about empowering them to do more with the same resources.”
Most of the company’s staff are graduates of the University of Saskatchewan with degrees in electrical engineering, computer science and related fields. Gupta said they could have pursued jobs in Silicon Valley or Toronto but stayed in Saskatchewan — a gain for the province. The company has also drawn talent from across Canada and around the world.
The technology created by Gupta and his team leverages machine learning to optimize chip design — for everything from iPhones to electric vehicles. As chips grow more complex, Solido’s AI fills a critical gap by enabling engineers to meet demanding performance standards in less time.
“We’re proud of what we’ve built. But we’re even more excited about what’s ahead — growing Saskatchewan’s role in global technology, developing talent, and keeping this province at the cutting edge of innovation for decades to come. The whole idea behind our AI is empowering the people who make the chips,” said Gupta.
“The engineers within these companies that are making the chips, with our AI-powered software, they’re able to do much more. We developed software using AI to enhance those chips, making them better, faster and less expensive to manufacture. We focused on how we can use AI to automate the design of the chips that go into modern-day electronic devices.”
Solido continues to grow and innovate as part of Siemens’ Digital Industries Software, with its Saskatoon office serving clients in the United States, Europe, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea, China and India. Its economic influence is entirely export-driven, with 100 per cent of revenues generated from global software sales.
