Pintail Technologies

About Pintail Technologies

Pintail Technologies, founded in 2000, operated in the semiconductor manufacturing sector from its headquarters in Plano, TX. The firm specialized in developing real-time adaptive test technology aimed at improving efficiency and yield for its clients.

The company's target market consisted of fabless and integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) globally, who utilized Pintail's tools to enhance their competitive standing and address testing challenges. The business model centered on providing adaptive test software designed to decrease testing costs while simultaneously boosting production output and quality. This was achieved by using clients' existing test equipment and programs, thereby offering a cost-effective upgrade path.

Pintail Technologies developed two primary software products. The first, SwifTest, consisted of on-line adaptive test modules that operated directly on automated test equipment (ATE) to capture and analyze data in real-time. The second, TestScape, was an optional database system that complemented SwifTest by accepting the real-time data and supporting a variety of data management applications. By early 2011, the company had an installed base of over 1,000 real-time monitors running in production environments.

Over its history, Pintail Technologies successfully raised $14 million in capital over four funding rounds, with its final Series C round in September 2006 bringing in $3 million. The company attracted institutional investors, including Austin Ventures, STARTech Early Ventures, and Duchossois Technology Partners. The company's journey as an independent entity concluded on May 17, 2011, when it was acquired by Salland Engineering and subsequently merged into their operations.