Tessolve Secures Landmark $150M TPG Investment for Global AI Chip Growth

TPG's $150M investment propels Tessolve's global expansion and acquisitions, crucial for enabling next-gen AI and advanced chip development.

September 2, 2025

Tessolve Secures Landmark $150M TPG Investment for Global AI Chip Growth
In a significant move poised to bolster the global semiconductor engineering landscape, Tessolve Semiconductor has secured a $150 million funding round from TPG Growth, the middle-market and growth equity platform of the global alternative asset manager TPG.[1][2][3] This substantial injection of capital is earmarked for an ambitious expansion of Tessolve's global delivery centers, the enhancement of its advanced testing laboratories, and the acceleration of strategic acquisitions.[4][5][6] The investment underscores the growing importance of semiconductor services in a world increasingly reliant on high-performance computing, particularly for artificial intelligence, data centers, and the automotive sector.[1][2] For Tessolve, a venture of Hero Electronix, this funding represents a critical milestone in its quest to solidify its position as a key enabler within the worldwide semiconductor value chain.[7][8]
The fresh capital will directly fuel Tessolve's strategic growth initiatives, aimed at enhancing its end-to-end capabilities that span the entire semiconductor lifecycle.[4][9] A primary focus will be the strengthening and expansion of its global delivery footprint to better serve its high-profile clientele, which includes 18 of the world's top 20 semiconductor firms.[1][4] Founded in 2004, the Bengaluru-based company has evolved from a test engineering lab into a comprehensive semiconductor engineering services provider with a workforce of over 3,000 engineers across offices in India, the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia.[1][4][2] The funding will support the addition and upgrading of its 11 test and embedded labs, a critical step in helping chipmakers reduce their time-to-market.[1][4] This expansion builds on a remarkable period of growth for Tessolve, which saw its revenues climb from approximately $25 million in fiscal year 2016 to over $150 million in fiscal year 2025, demonstrating a consistent and aggressive scaling of its operations since being acquired by Hero Electronix in 2016.[2][7][8]
A key component of Tessolve's strategy is growth through strategic acquisitions, and the TPG investment provides significant firepower to pursue this agenda.[10][11] The company has a history of successful acquisitions to bolster its capabilities, such as its 2024 purchase of Dream Chip Technologies, a German firm specializing in high-performance chip design.[12][13] This inorganic growth strategy is crucial for building a full-stack of services, from chip architecture and design to test development, validation, and embedded systems.[1][3][9] Srini Chinamilli, Co-Founder and CEO of Tessolve, emphasized this dual approach, stating, "We are excited to welcome TPG as a partner as we look to accelerate our next phase of organic and inorganic growth, strengthen our R&D efforts, and reach new heights."[1][8] This investment, which is reportedly the largest ever for a semiconductor engineering services firm in India, will enable Tessolve to acquire companies that complement its existing offerings and deepen its expertise in high-growth areas.[10][14]
The decision by a major global investor like TPG to commit $150 million highlights the immense strategic value now placed on the semiconductor services sector.[1] This segment is a critical, though less visible, part of the more than $550 billion global semiconductor market.[1][2] As chip designs become exponentially more complex to meet the demands of AI and other advanced applications, the need for specialized engineering and testing services has surged.[1][15] TPG's investment is a vote of confidence in Tessolve's model and its ability to capture this growing demand. Bhushan Bopardikar, a partner at TPG Growth, noted that Tessolve has "grown from a test engineering lab to a full-scale semiconductor services provider" and that TPG is excited to back its next expansion phase.[1][4] The deal also signals a broader trend of private equity interest in the semiconductor supply chain beyond pure manufacturing, recognizing the high-value services that enable the entire ecosystem.[1] Existing backers, including parent company Hero Electronix and Singapore-based Novo Tellus Capital Partners, which invested $40 million in 2021, remain significant shareholders, indicating continued confidence in the company's trajectory.[1][4][2]
This investment carries significant implications for the artificial intelligence industry and India's burgeoning semiconductor ambitions. The AI revolution is fundamentally a hardware revolution, built upon a foundation of powerful, specialized chips.[5][15] Companies like Tessolve provide the essential engineering services that help bring these complex AI chips from design to reality, making them indispensable partners for the fabless AI chip companies and hyperscalers driving innovation.[1][9] By expanding its advanced testing and validation labs, Tessolve is directly addressing a critical bottleneck in the development of next-generation AI accelerators.[1] Furthermore, the investment serves as a major endorsement of India's role in the global semiconductor value chain.[8] As nations work to diversify and secure their chip supply chains, India is positioning itself as a hub for semiconductor design and engineering talent.[16][17] Ujjwal Munjal, Vice Chairman of Hero Electronix and Chairman of Tessolve, called the investment "a testament to Hero Electronix's vision to build leading technology ventures of global scale from India," adding that it will help Tessolve "play an important role in the development of the Indian semiconductor ecosystem."[8][5][6]
In conclusion, the $150 million funding from TPG marks a transformative moment for Tessolve, equipping it with the resources to scale its operations, pursue strategic acquisitions, and deepen its technical capabilities. It reflects a dynamic shift in the semiconductor industry, where the value of engineering and testing services is escalating in tandem with chip complexity. This partnership not only accelerates Tessolve's journey to becoming a more dominant global player but also reinforces the critical link between the semiconductor services sector and the relentless advancement of the artificial intelligence industry. As the demand for more powerful and efficient chips continues to explode, this investment positions Tessolve to be a pivotal enabler of the technologies that will shape the coming decades.

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