Xilinx invented the field-programmable gate array and built the programmable logic device industry from the ground up. Founded in 1984 in San Jose, California, the company pioneered the fabless semiconductor manufacturing model that many chipmakers now follow.
For over three decades, Xilinx led the FPGA market with devices used in telecommunications, aerospace, automotive, and data center applications. The company’s chips allowed engineers to reprogram hardware after deployment, a capability that transformed electronics design.
AMD acquired Xilinx in February 2022 for $49 billion, creating an adaptive computing powerhouse. The Xilinx brand was phased out in June 2023, with products now sold under the AMD name.
Xilinx History
Xilinx Co-founders
Xilinx Revenue
Xilinx generated $3.67 billion in revenue during fiscal year 2021, its highest annual figure before the AMD acquisition. The company consistently ranked as the top FPGA vendor by revenue, capturing the majority of the programmable logic device market.
Xilinx Market Cap
Xilinx traded on NASDAQ under the ticker XLNX until the AMD acquisition closed. The company’s market capitalization grew from around $10 billion in 2013 to nearly $50 billion by February 2022. AMD’s rising stock price increased the final acquisition value from the originally announced $35 billion.
Xilinx Acquisitions
Xilinx pursued strategic acquisitions to strengthen its design tools and expand into new markets. The company focused on software companies that could improve the FPGA programming experience for engineers accustomed to higher-level languages.
In January 2011, Xilinx acquired AutoESL Design Technologies, a high-level synthesis firm based in Cupertino, California. AutoESL’s AutoPilot tool allowed designers to create FPGA designs using C, C++, and SystemC instead of traditional hardware description languages. This acquisition opened the FPGA market to software developers who lacked experience with Verilog or VHDL.
The company bought NGCodec in July 2019 to add video encoding technology for cloud gaming and streaming applications. This deal positioned Xilinx in the growing market for FPGA-accelerated video processing.
Xilinx acquired the assets of Falcon Computing Systems in December 2020 to enhance its Vitis software platform. Falcon’s technology helped optimize domain-specific accelerators for data center workloads.
The final acquisition before the AMD deal came in June 2021 when Xilinx purchased Silexica, a German software developer. Silexica specialized in automated multi-core programming tools that simplified the development process for complex chip designs. Intel had acquired Altera, Xilinx’s main rival, back in 2015 for $16.7 billion, intensifying competition in the FPGA market.
Xilinx Competitors
Xilinx dominated the FPGA market for decades, consistently holding the top position by revenue and market share. The company faced competition primarily from Intel‘s Altera division, Lattice Semiconductor, and Microchip’s Microsemi unit.
| Company | Headquarters | Focus Area |
|---|---|---|
| Intel (Altera) | Santa Clara, USA | High-Performance FPGAs, Data Center |
| Lattice Semiconductor | Hillsboro, USA | Low-Power FPGAs, IoT |
| Microchip (Microsemi) | Chandler, USA | Aerospace, Defense, Security |
| Achronix Semiconductor | Santa Clara, USA | High-Performance Computing, AI |
| Texas Instruments | Dallas, USA | Analog, Embedded Processing |
| Renesas Electronics | Tokyo, Japan | Automotive, Industrial |
| QuickLogic | San Jose, USA | Ultra-Low-Power FPGAs |
| Efinix | Santa Clara, USA | Quantum Computing, Edge AI |
| Gowin Semiconductor | Guangzhou, China | Consumer Electronics, IoT |
| Cologne Chip | Cologne, Germany | Low-Cost FPGAs |
FAQs
What happened to Xilinx?
AMD acquired Xilinx in February 2022 for $49 billion. The Xilinx brand was phased out in June 2023, with all products now sold under the AMD name.
Who invented the FPGA?
Ross Freeman invented the FPGA while cofounding Xilinx in 1984. He developed the concept at Zilog before leaving to start Xilinx with Bernard Vonderschmitt and James Barnett.
What does FPGA stand for?
FPGA stands for field-programmable gate array. These chips contain programmable logic blocks that engineers can configure after manufacturing to perform specific functions.
Where was Xilinx headquartered?
Xilinx was headquartered in San Jose, California. The company also operated offices in India, Asia, and Europe before the AMD acquisition.
Is Xilinx still making FPGAs?
Yes, AMD continues to manufacture and sell FPGAs based on Xilinx technology. The products now carry AMD branding, including the Versal, Alveo, and Zynq families.
