Amit Gupta (BE'99, BSc'99)

Amit Gupta: Global Technology Executive, Serial Entrepreneur, AI Leader

Amit Gupta is a global technology executive, serial entrepreneur, and pioneering innovator who has fundamentally accelerated the pace of technological advancement. Over nearly three decades of leadership in the technology sector, his work sits at the critical intersection of artificial intelligence and semiconductor chip design, and helped build a globally significant technology industry in Saskatchewan. Today, as Senior Vice President of the AI Excellence Group at Synopys Inc., his career demonstrates how talent and innovation rooted in Saskatchewan can help shape the future of technology around the world.

Gupta’s deep connection to engineering began during his childhood in Saskatoon. He frequently accompanied his father, Dr. Madan Gupta, a Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), to the campus where he observed his father conducting research alongside his students. This early exposure, combined with his passion for mathematics and physics, helped shape his academic path. He attended USask, graduating with Great Distinction in 1999 with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, earning several awards for academic excellence.

His entrepreneurial journey was sparked during his time at USask with his capstone project, which won the 1999 Capstone Design Competition. Recognizing the commercial potential of software to automate the design of analog chips, he transformed this academic achievement into his first technology startup, Analog Design Automation. As founder, President, and CEO, he successfully raised $18 million in venture capital. His visionary approach caught the attention of industry giants, culminating in the company's acquisition by Silicon Valley-based Synopsys in 2004.

Following that first venture, Gupta identified a critical, impending bottleneck in the broader technology sector caused by the imprecision of transistor manufacturing at microscopic scales. In 2005, he founded his second company, Solido Design Automation, starting in a 300-square-foot office in Saskatoon's Innovation Saskatchewan Research and Technology Park. As President and CEO, Solido pioneered the application of artificial intelligence to semiconductor chip design. The company's software allowed the world's top semiconductor companies to improve profitability by reducing chip failures caused by manufacturing variations. Backed by venture capital and government investment partners, Solido's software became the definitive industry standard.

Today, it is essential for creating the chips inside virtually every modern electronic device, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers, televisions, and cars. Driving an incredible 50 percent year-over-year revenue growth for six consecutive years, Solido earned coveted spots on the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 and North American Fast 500 lists, and Gupta was recognized as a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award. This undeniable market leadership led to Solido's strategic acquisition by Siemens in 2017.

Following the acquisition, Gupta spent nearly nine years at Siemens EDA, where he led the Solido Custom IC business and AI organization and helped drive the company’s broader AI strategy. Under his leadership, Solido’s AI-enabled products expanded significantly, bringing technologies developed in Saskatchewan to semiconductor chip companies around the world. Gupta holds patents in electronic design automation, has co-authored a technical book, and regularly speaks internationally about AI, semiconductor design and technology entrepreneurship.

In August 2026, Gupta joined Synopsys as Senior Vice President of the AI Excellence Group, where he leads efforts to advance AI across the company’s products and engineering workflows.

Despite the global reach of his career, Gupta remains deeply committed to Saskatchewan and the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. He has built his companies and career from Saskatoon, employing hundreds of people locally while serving customers around the world. Under his leadership at Siemens EDA, the Saskatoon organization grew into a global centre of excellence for artificial intelligence and semiconductor chip design and Saskatchewan's largest technology company. He has also led the efforts establish and fund the Siemens EDA Chair at USask, mentored entrepreneurs and technology leaders, and contributed through industry, government and company advisory and board roles.  

Gupta is a proud alumnus of the University of Saskatchewan, where he serves as an Adjunct Professor and Executive in Residence at USask Engineering. In recognition of his impact on society and the economy, his community involvement and his leadership in growing technology companies, Gupta has received several honours, including USask’s Outstanding Alumni Award and the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.

His career provides an inspiring, tangible blueprint for transforming a local education into world-changing, "made in Saskatchewan" innovation.

Nominate an alum

Do you know a USask Engineering alumnus who has achieved prominence within their profession? Help us recognize their excellence by submitting a nomination for them to be recognized as a C.J. Mackenzie Distinguished Lecturer.

Nominate an alumnus who:

• Graduated from the University of Saskatchewan’s undergraduate and/or graduate engineering program(s).
• Has had a distinguished and impactful career.
• Has achieved prominence within their field and/or the engineering profession.
• Would deliver an engaging and thought-provoking keynote address.

The nomination process

Nominations are accepted year-round and remain on file for future consideration. While the C.J. Mackenzie Gala highlights a graduate from a specific host department each year, we welcome nominations from all disciplines within the College of Engineering.

The 2027 C.J. Mackenzie Gala will be hosted by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the selected Distinguished Lecturer will be a USask Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate. Nominations for alumni from other disciplines will be thoughtfully retained for consideration in future years.

• Nominate an alum

Each year, a discipline within USask Engineering hosts the C.J. Mackenzie Gala to recognize the accomplishments of an alumnus who has achieved prominence in their profession. They are honoured as the evening’s Distinguished Lecturer and are inducted to the USask College of Engineering Alumni Wall of Distinction.

The host department and a panel committee choose a graduate from their program. In 2026, the host department is Chemical Engineering, which celebrated the achievements of Rob Dutton (BE'93).

The 2027 host department is Electrical and Computer Engineering.