DFM Startup Garners Intel, KLA Backing

Staff Reporter -- Electronic News, 6/9/2005

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based design for manufacturing (DFM) startup Clear Shape Technologies Inc. today reported it has raised more than $5 million in its second round of venture financing led by Intel Capital, Intel Corp.’s strategic investment program, with participation from KT Venture Group, the investment partner of KLA-Tencor.

An earlier round of funding was completed last year bringing total funding to more than $10 million.

The company said the funding would be used to help accelerate the development and deployment of Clear Shape’s DFM software and technologies.

“Our mission is to deliver our patented technology to every design team in the world, so they can design confidently for sub-90nm with high yield, maximize the utilization of process technology, and accelerate time to market," Atul Sharan, Clear Shape president and CEO, said in a statement.

Robert Lee, general partner at KT Venture Group said he believes Clear Shape has a substantial value proposition for their customers and its approach is in alignment with KLA-Tencor’s strategy in addressing the increasingly urgent manufacturing and yield issues that are now extremely design-dependent.

Clear Shape was founded in 2003 and develops DFM software tools aimed at detecting potentially catastrophic manufacturing failures during design along with improving yield.