In EDA domain, the trio power is getting bigger. In this trio Synopsys and Cadence have done smart acquisitions recently, now Mentor getting better in acquisitions. Mentor Graphics has acquired Berkeley Design Automation. Berkeley's Analog FastSPICE unified verification platform is a famous product. Mentor now gains some advantage over Cadence in the Analog/Mixed-Signal (AMS) verification.
EDA domain is a unique area for innovation for electronics design experts. There is still good scope for startups, however it looks the longer trend is not to compete with these trios but to merge with them after reaching a stage. It a tough game to emerge as fourth biggest player in this area.
