Prior to 1985, each electronic OEM on earth would do everything inside the company from market research to design to production to product support. Between 1985 and 1990, however, manufacturing became a function that was outsourced, enabling the EMS sector to grow rapidly into a multi-billion dollar industry. The co-founders of GDA saw a very similar opportunity during their brainstorming sessions throughout the Winter of 1995, as they felt that design and product development would fast become a function, if defined properly, that could similarly be outsourced to optimize R&D dollars.

The co-founders of GDA, AG Karunakaran, Gopa Periyadan, Prakash Bare, and Ravi Thumarakudy, all shared a common dream of contributing something positive to their chosen industry--electronic hardware design and development. They also shared a common vision on how to make this dream into a reality. Translating that vision, GDA was founded with a dedicated mission
to become the leading Electronic Design Services (EDS) partner for Embedded, Networking, and Consumer product companies.

On May 15, 1996, those four aspiring Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, beginning in a modest 1,000 square ft. facility, incorporated the company. The “GDA” name was derived from Global Design Automation, with a foundational belief within the company in automating design by creating and re-using building blocks within the system design and offering Intellectual Property blocks in IC development and Digital Video Software. In fact, the company began then and still retains a global outlook in everything it does. Along with the four founders, a core set of professionals joined the team then to drive its growth. This set of pillars have been driving the company ever since.

Now, after close to 10 years in business, GDA is uniquely positioned to lead the electronics Industry in solving the time to market puzzle with its expertise in Systems, ASIC/FPGA design, and System Software combined with its rich knowledge in tools and methodologies. GDA is one of the very few companies in this sector that has invested in and created the infrastructure necessary for complete turnkey outsourcing in the design arena. The GDA team has shown an extraordinary commitment, vision, and determination to create a genuinely enduring edifice.

In all, GDA has 6 design centers employing a diverse work force from various parts of the world. Engineers at GDA have the unique opportunity to work on cutting edge technologies, that are essential to the full product development life cycle. Ranked as one of Silicon Valley’s fastest growing companies, GDA registered growth rates over 100% for its first four consecutive years. Since it started with a head count of just 5 in 1996, by end of 2005, it will have close to 300 employees worldwide.

To achieve that level of growth and success, the company has gone through three distinct growth phases thus far. From 1996 to 2001, it was moving through a rapid-scale growth phase, doubling revenue every year. Then came the Internet bust and 9/11, bringing with it the related recession in Silicon Valley. During that time, GDA nonetheless held together as united force and maintaining business levels and keeping the business solvent. As the recession faded, the company could feel its momentum returning and focused its efforts on taking advantage of the recovery. For the last two years, with the recovery in full swing, GDA is growing at a healthy rate, with robust growth strategies already in place for the coming years.

As a company that has been built to last from its very inception, GDA is well on its way to creating history in the EDS market.