BRUSSELS – Synopsys (NASDAQ: SNPS), the chip design software company, has offered remedies to address EU antitrust concerns about its $35 billion cash-and-stock acquisition of engineering software maker Ansys (NASDAQ: ANSS), according to a European Commission filing on Tuesday.
The deal, announced in January, is the biggest in the technology sector since chipmaker Broadcom’s (NASDAQ: AVGO) $69 billion swoop on software maker VMware in November 2023.
The EU competition enforcer, which did not disclose details of the proposed remedies in line with its policy, set a January 10 deadline for its decision. It may seek feedback from rivals and customers on the concessions before deciding whether to accept them or demand more.
It could also open a four-month investigation after its preliminary review if it has serious concerns.
In September, Synopsys (NASDAQ: SNPS) said it would sell its optical design tool maker Optical Solutions Group to design and emulation company Keysight Technologies (NYSE: KEYS), subject to the closing of the Ansys deal.
Last month, the Commission sought feedback from rivals and customers on the deal, with a focus on electronic design automation (EDA) software, services, and hardware used to design chips and whether such tools are able to interoperate with rivals, according to a Commission document seen by Reuters.
The EU watchdog also asked whether EDA vendors bundle their products for sale.
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