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Compugraphics

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Compugraphics - Semiconductor showcase

Year Founded & Workforce

1967

48 Employees

Industry

Semiconductor
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Compugraphics Overview

Compugraphics is one of Europe's oldest independent merchant photomask makers and the only photomask manufacturer of scale headquartered in Scotland. Since 1967 it has produced the quartz, borosilicate and soda-lime masks and reticles that carry device patterns onto wafers in lithography. It does not compete at the leading-edge logic and memory nodes where Photronics, Toppan, DNP and captive fab mask shops dominate. Instead it serves the long tail of specialty microelectronics: MEMS, photonics and optoelectronics, sensors, power and compound semiconductors, biomedical and genomics devices, wafer-level packaging, metrology-tool makers, universities and R&D institutes. Its edge comes from responsiveness, short cycle times, design-data support and unusual formats. These include large-area masks up to 16 inches and 450 mm × 450 mm plates from Jena. Since 2015 it has been part of Element Solutions' electronics platform and has reported within the Semiconductor Solutions business, which grew to USD 351.3 million in FY2025.

What the company does. Compugraphics designs, writes, inspects and finishes photomasks and reticles to each customer's design. A photomask is a fused-silica (quartz) or glass substrate coated with an opaque film, typically chrome. The device designer's pattern is reproduced in that film to tight tolerances for critical dimension (CD), pattern placement (registration) and defects. Customers send layout data. Compugraphics prepares the data, exposes it on laser or electron-beam pattern generators, develops and etches the pattern, inspects and measures it, then cleans and pellicles the finished mask in Class 1 cleanroom conditions before shipping it to the fab.

The company's own description. On its own website and on parent pages, Compugraphics describes itself as a supplier of high-quality photomask and reticle solutions to customers worldwide. It says its reputation rests on technical and service excellence, responsiveness and over 50 years of meeting customer requirements. It also says it adds value by offering a wide range of mask solutions that give customers manufacturing flexibility and help them meet tight cycle times. Element Solutions' FY2023 Form 10-K lists "photomask technologies" alongside copper interconnects, die-attach, sintered silver, adhesives and wafer-bump processes in its Semiconductor Solutions offering for chip fabrication and packaging.

Independent characterisation. Compugraphics is a niche, high-mix, low-volume merchant mask shop. The economics are custom manufacturing: each order is a unique, non-repeatable part built to a customer design, priced per mask by format, technology level, writer time, inspection grade and turnaround. Value comes less from pushing resolution than from three things. The first is breadth of formats and substrates (2-inch copies up to 16-inch, 9 mm thick plates). The second is engineering support at the data-preparation stage, which matters to start-ups, universities and MEMS and photonics designers whose geometries (curves, non-Manhattan shapes) are awkward on writers built for integrated circuits. The third is reliable delivery. The business is capital-intensive relative to its revenue because pattern generators, inspection and metrology tools have long lives and high fixed cost. Revenue is recurring at the customer level: a customer's mask set is archived and reordered as masks wear, get damaged or as designs are revised.

Revenue model.

  • Custom photomasks and reticles (1X masters, step-and-repeat reticles, copy masks, large-area masks) — Nature: Product, made to order; Mix: Core; the largest share

Direct-write wafer patterning: Nature: Product/service hybrid; Mix: Smaller, prototyping-led

  • Mask services: cleaning, pellicle replacement, repair and recertification, MPT protective coating — Nature: Service; Mix: Complementary, recurring

Data preparation, archiving and mask storage: Nature: Service; Mix: Low-value but sticky

Licensing / subscription: Nature: None; Mix: —

The product/service split is not publicly disclosed.

Value-chain position. Compugraphics sits between mask-blank suppliers upstream (mostly Japanese makers of quartz and soda-lime blanks, plus pellicle and chrome-film suppliers) and wafer fabs, MEMS foundries, photonics fabs and packaging houses downstream. It is a merchant shop: it sells to independent device makers, unlike the captive mask shops that leading-edge foundries and IDMs run in-house.

Customer types. Integrated device manufacturers and specialty foundries; MEMS and sensor makers; optoelectronics and photonics companies; biomedical, microfluidics and genomics device developers; makers of metrology and lithography tools that need calibration and test artefacts; universities, research institutes and start-ups. Historical supplier awards came from Freescale Semiconductor (twice), NXP, Analog Devices, Atmel and Intel.

End-markets. Semiconductor and integrated circuits (mature and specialty nodes), optoelectronics and photonics, MEMS, microfluidics, sensors, genomics, biomedical, wafer-level packaging, aerospace and defence electronics, optical metrology.

Strategy

Compugraphics' strategic positioning. Its stated aim is to be the mask partner customers can rely on, with the whole operation built around reliable, on-time delivery. Four themes recur in its materials:

  1. Specialty-market focus. It serves the established semiconductor, IC, optoelectronics and photonics markets plus growth markets such as genomics and sensors, rather than chasing leading-edge logic nodes.

  2. Flexibility and cycle time. A wide range of formats and services lets customers keep manufacturing flexible and hit tight cycle times.

  3. Long-term technical partnerships. It commits to long, sometimes lengthy R&D collaborations with metrology and lithography tool makers, sharing know-how to enable next-generation tools.

  4. Lifecycle services. MPT coating, cleaning, re-pellicling, repair, recertification and archiving extend mask life and lock in repeat business.

Parent strategy (Element Solutions, FY2025 10-K, earnings releases and the April 2026 virtual investor day). Management frames the strategy around operational excellence, prudent capital allocation and building "the best, most entrepreneurial team" in the industry (August 2026). Specific initiatives over the last 24 months:

  • Sale of MacDermid Graphics Solutions (flexographic plates) for USD 320 million net of cash — Date: Closed 28 Feb 2025; Relevance to Compugraphics: Shifts the portfolio towards electronics; confirms photomasks as core rather than non-core

  • Segment renaming to MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions and Element Specialties — Date: Q4 2025; Relevance to Compugraphics: Compugraphics consolidated under the MacDermid Alpha brand

  • Acquisition of EFC Gases & Advanced Materials (high-purity specialty gases) for about USD 369 million — Date: Closed 2 Jan 2026; Relevance to Compugraphics: Adds semiconductor-fab gases; cross-selling opportunities into fab customers

  • Acquisition of Micromax (advanced electronics inks and pastes) for about USD 500 million — Date: Closed 2 Feb 2026; Relevance to Compugraphics: Broadens advanced-electronics materials; more weight in high-reliability end-markets

2026 virtual investor day: Date: Apr 2026; Relevance to Compugraphics: Reaffirmed electronics growth and capital deployment framework

  • Proposed merger with Solstice Advanced Materials (USD 14.5 billion) — Date: Announced 6 Jul 2026; terminated 27 Aug 2026; Relevance to Compugraphics: Would have moved Compugraphics into a larger advanced-materials group; termination keeps the status quo

  • Raised 2026 guidance to about USD 720 million adjusted EBITDA, with adjusted EPS growth above 20% — Date: Oct 2026; Relevance to Compugraphics: Strong group cash generation supports reinvestment

Medium-term targets. Element Solutions guides on a full-year adjusted EBITDA basis only. For 2026 that is about USD 720 million, with adjusted EPS growth "in excess of 20%" (Q3 2026 call). No Compugraphics-specific targets are published.

Products & Services

All products sit within Semiconductor Solutions (MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions).

Substrates offered: soda-lime glass, borosilicate (Borofloat) and synthetic fused silica (quartz), from 2 inches up to 16 inches and 450 mm square, in thicknesses up to 9 mm.

Flagship differentiators: large-area and thick-plate masks (Jena); fast turnaround on specialty masks; MPT coating; a one-stop service ecosystem (cleaning, re-pellicling, repair, archiving).

Product Portfolio

Product / serviceDescription and key capabilitiesTarget customerManufacturing sitePricing model

1X master photomasks

Full-field masks carrying the complete wafer image for contact, proximity or 1:1 projection exposure in a single shot or scan. Quartz, soda-lime and borosilicate substrates

MEMS, sensors, photonics, power and compound semiconductors, packaging

Glenrothes, Jena, Fremont

Per mask, quoted by format, CD and grade

Reticles

Reduction reticles for steppers and scanners, with step-and-repeat patterning, built to tight CD, registration and defect specifications

Fabs running mature and specialty nodes; tool makers

Glenrothes, Jena, Fremont

Per reticle, quoted

Copy masks

Contact-printed duplicates of masters, 2–7 inch formats at Jena; lower-cost consumables for aligner fabs

High-volume MEMS and discretes; academic fabs

Jena, Glenrothes

Per copy

OPC and phase-shift masks

Masks with optical proximity correction features and phase-shift structures for better resolution and depth of focus on older exposure tools

Specialty IC and photonics designers

Glenrothes, Fremont

Quoted

Large-area masks

Laser-written masks from 3 to 16 inches, up to 9 mm thick. Many hundreds of 9-inch-plus masks produced for wafer-level packaging and metrology. 450 mm × 450 mm format in soda-lime, Borofloat or quartz since February 2019

Wafer-level and panel-level packaging, optical metrology, large sensors

Jena

Quoted

E-beam lithography

Electron-beam writing for fine-feature and curvilinear patterns, historically on MEBES 5500 and Varian VLS-40 systems

Photonics, gratings, nano-structures, R&D

Jena; historically Los Gatos and Glenrothes

Quoted

Laser lithography

Heidelberg Instruments laser pattern generators for 3–16 inch formats

Broad specialty base

Jena, Glenrothes

Quoted

Direct-write wafers

Patterns written straight onto customer wafers, skipping the mask and aligner step; suited to prototyping, short runs and fast design iteration

Start-ups, universities, R&D groups

Network

Per wafer

MPT protective coating

Chemically resistant coating that lengthens mask life and allows more exposures between cleanings with no loss of resolution, cutting cycle time and improving wafer yield

High-use contact and proximity aligner fabs

Network

Per coating

Photomask cleaning

Contamination removal and re-qualification of in-service masks

All mask users

Network; Jena historically known for it

Per clean

Pellicle replacement / re-pellicling

Removing a damaged, aged or compromised pellicle, cleaning the reticle and fitting a new pellicle

Fabs with reticles in service

Austin, Glenrothes, Jena

Per reticle

Reticle repair and recertification

Repair and re-qualification of reticles damaged in the fab

US fabs

Austin, Texas

Per job

Data preparation support

Converting, fracturing and checking customer layout data before writing, with help defining specifications

Designers new to masks; MEMS and photonics with non-Manhattan geometry

Glenrothes, Jena, Fremont

Generally bundled

Secure data archiving and mask storage

Long-term archiving of customer data for reorders and fast remakes after in-fab damage; extended terms by agreement

Repeat customers

Network

Bundled or contract

Education centre / resource centre

Technical guidance on photomask basics and data preparation

New customers

Online

Free

Financial Narrative

Compugraphics does not publish consolidated brand-level accounts. The UK operating company files full statutory accounts with Companies House. Element Solutions reports Compugraphics within Semiconductor Solutions. Figures below are given on both bases.

Compugraphics International Limited (UK statutory accounts, GBP)

Sources: Companies House full accounts FY2023 and FY2024; FY2022 turnover as recorded from the FY2022 accounts. Turnover CAGR FY2022–FY2024 was 2.9%. The FY2025 accounts were filed on 21 August 2026.

Commentary. The UK entity is a small, conservatively financed manufacturer. Turnover rose 11% in FY2023, helped by a strong demand cycle for mature-node and specialty semiconductors after the 2021–2022 shortage. It then fell 4.6% in FY2024 to GBP 12.39 million as European industrial, automotive and MEMS demand softened, the same weakness Element Solutions described in its own European volumes. Net assets grew GBP 0.56 million in FY2024 to GBP 8.92 million, which shows the entity was profitable on a retained basis because no new equity was injected. Liabilities fell 12% to GBP 2.05 million. The balance sheet is about 81% equity-funded. Cash in the UK entity was minimal (about GBP 2 thousand at December 2024) because cash is pooled at group level, a common feature of Element Solutions subsidiaries. Most current assets therefore sit as trade debtors, intercompany receivables and inventory. Turnover per employee of about GBP 258 thousand is typical of a specialty mask shop with heavily depreciated but productive capital equipment.

Gross profit, operating profit, EBITDA, pre-tax profit, net income, capex and operating cash flow for the UK entity appear in its filed statutory accounts and are not published elsewhere. Compugraphics Jena GmbH is classed as a small company (under 50 employees or under EUR 10 million turnover). Compugraphics USA Inc's results are not publicly disclosed.

Parent context — Element Solutions Inc (USD, US GAAP)

Sources: Element Solutions Form 10-K FY2021–FY2025 (net sales and net income as tagged in XBRL). Net sales CAGR FY2021–FY2025 was 1.5%.

Source: Element Solutions Q4/FY2024 earnings release.

FY2025 and 2026 run-rate. FY2025 net sales were USD 2.55 billion, up 4% reported and 6% organic. Element Solutions returned about USD 77.8 million in dividends in FY2025 and declared a USD 0.08 quarterly dividend in February 2026. In 2026 the EFC (USD 369 million) and Micromax (USD 500 million) acquisitions, plus pass-through metals pricing in Assembly Solutions, drove a step change in reported revenue:

Sources: Element Solutions Q1 2026 and Q3 2026 earnings releases. Q1 2025 and Q3 2025 net sales are derived from the reported 41% and 52% growth rates.

Q3 2026 adjusted EBITDA margin, excluding pass-through metals, was 28.2%, up 50 basis points. Operating cash flow was USD 159 million and free cash flow USD 135 million. GAAP diluted EPS was USD 0.27 against USD 0.16, and adjusted EPS USD 0.50 against USD 0.41. Full-year 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance went from USD 650–670 million (February 2026) to about USD 720 million (October 2026).

What this means for Compugraphics. As a small unit inside a group earning more than USD 2.5 billion, Compugraphics gets its capital, treasury, insurance, IT, procurement and compliance from the parent. Its budget for capex on new pattern generators and inspection tools is set by group return thresholds rather than by its own balance sheet. Strong Semiconductor Solutions growth (13% organic in FY2025, 24% in Q3 2026) shows the business line is a priority for investment. Most of that growth comes from wafer-level packaging chemistries and power-electronics sintering materials, not from photomasks.

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Financial Detail

Group Structure

LevelNameContents

Ultimate parent

Element Solutions Inc (NYSE: ESI)

Specialty chemicals and materials group; about 5,200 employees; 63 manufacturing and R&D sites in 18 countries

Reportable segment

Electronics, renamed MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions in Q4 2025

Assembly Solutions, Circuitry Solutions, Semiconductor Solutions; Micromax from Q1 2026

Business line

Semiconductor Solutions

Advanced copper interconnects, die attach, sintered silver (Argomax), adhesives, wafer-bump processes, photomask technologies (Compugraphics)

Brand / division

Compugraphics, organised in the "Integrated Electronics" business unit

Photomasks, reticles and related services

Legal entities

Compugraphics International Ltd (UK); Compugraphics Jena GmbH (DE); Compugraphics USA Inc (US)

Manufacturing and service sites

Revenue by Segment and Segment Margins & Growth (%)

MetricFY2023FY2024FY2025

Electronics segment net sales (USD Mn)

1,414.71,561.41,786.2

Semiconductor Solutions net sales (USD Mn)

264.3307.9351.3

Semiconductor Solutions reported growth (%)

—1714

Semiconductor Solutions organic growth (%)

—1413

Semiconductor Solutions share of Electronics (%)

18.719.719.7

Element Solutions total net sales (USD Mn)

2,3332,4572,551

Semiconductor Solutions share of group sales (%)

11.312.513.8

Revenue by Segment

MetricQ3 2025Q3 2026

Semiconductor Solutions net sales (USD Mn)

89.6111.0

Electronics segment net sales (USD Mn)

465.2779.6

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Balance Sheet and Margin Analysis (%)

MetricFY2022FY2023FY2024

Turnover (GBP Mn)

11.7012.9912.39

Turnover growth (%)

—11.0-4.6

Total assets (GBP Mn)

—10.6910.96

Total liabilities (GBP Mn)

—2.342.05

Net assets / equity (GBP Mn)

—8.368.92

Employees (average)

—4748

Turnover per employee (GBP K)

—276258

Liabilities / total assets (%)

—21.918.7

Equity / total assets (%)

—78.281.4

Asset turnover (x)

—1.221.13

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Income Statement and Margin Analysis (%)

MetricFY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025

Net sales (USD Mn)

2,4002,5492,3332,4572,551

Net sales growth (%)

—6.2-8.55.33.8

Net income (USD Mn)

204188118245191

Net margin (%)

8.57.45.110.07.5

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Per-Share Data

MetricFY2023FY2024

GAAP diluted EPS (USD)

0.481.00

Adjusted EPS (USD)

1.291.44

Income Statement

MetricQ1 2025Q1 2026Q3 2025Q3 2026

Net sales (USD Mn)

596840655995

Net income (USD Mn)

98563966

Adjusted EBITDA (USD Mn)

128162147191

Region Overview

RegionFacilitiesRolePrincipal demand

United Kingdom and Ireland

Glenrothes (manufacturing and service)

Original and largest European mask shop

UK compound semiconductor, photonics and MEMS clusters (Scotland, South Wales, Cambridge), universities, Irish fabs

Continental Europe

Jena (manufacturing)

Large-area, e-beam and copy masks

German sensor, optics and metrology cluster (Jena, Dresden/Silicon Saxony), automotive and industrial semiconductors

North America

Fremont, California (manufacturing); Austin, Texas (reticle repair and recertification); Waterbury, Connecticut (MacDermid Alpha office)

US manufacturing and service

Silicon Valley start-ups, photonics, defence and aerospace, biomedical, Texas fabs

Asia

Singapore office (14 Joo Koon Crescent)

Sales and customer support

Southeast Asian packaging and MEMS fabs

Rest of world

Served by export

—

More than 500 customers across 55 countries

Capital Markets

ItemDetail

Listing

NYSE: ESI; added to the S&P SmallCap 600 in March 2025

Recent share price

USD 35.05 (close, 16 Oct 2026)

Sell-side reference

Barclays price target USD 53.00 (October 2026)

Latest quarter vs consensus

Q3 2026 adjusted EPS USD 0.50 vs USD 0.48 consensus; revenue USD 995.3 million vs USD 968.0 million consensus

Dividend

USD 0.08 per share quarterly; about USD 77.8 million paid in FY2025

Corporate events

USD 14.5 billion Solstice merger announced 6 Jul 2026 and terminated 27 Aug 2026, no break fees

Leverage

Debt-funded EFC and Micromax acquisitions in Q1 2026; Q3 2026 free cash flow of USD 135 million supports reducing it

Per-Share Data — GAAP diluted EPS

MetricFY2023FY2024

GAAP diluted EPS (USD)

0.481.00

Adjusted EPS (USD)

1.291.44

Analyst Conclusions

Management guidance. Element Solutions expects about USD 720 million of adjusted EBITDA in 2026, with adjusted EPS growth above 20%. It cites AI and data-centre electronics demand, recent acquisitions and new product introductions. No Compugraphics-specific guidance is published.

Bull case.

  1. Strong business line. Semiconductor Solutions has grown double digits organically (13% in FY2025, 24% in Q3 2026), and group demand for fab and packaging inputs gives Compugraphics a strong channel.

  2. Packaging demand. Advanced and wafer-level packaging creates demand for large-area masks that only a handful of merchant shops, Jena among them, can make at 16 inches and 450 mm.

  3. Stable ownership. With the Solstice deal terminated, Element Solutions has committed to an independent, operationally focused strategy and has the cash flow to fund targeted capex at Glenrothes, Jena and Fremont.

Bear case.

  1. Shrinking addressable value. Captive shops and leading-edge masks keep taking value from the merchant market Compugraphics serves.

  2. Flat UK revenue. UK turnover fell 4.6% in FY2024 to GBP 12.39 million, close to where it was in FY2022, a sign that European specialty demand is not growing.

  3. Capital competition. As a small, unreported unit in a group spending heavily on acquisitions (USD 869 million on EFC and Micromax in early 2026), Compugraphics may struggle for capital to renew its tools, or could be divested.

Key catalysts and monitorables (next 12 months):

Element Solutions Q4/FY2026 results: Timing: February 2027; What to watch: Semiconductor Solutions growth rate; 2027 guidance

Compugraphics International Ltd FY2026 accounts: Timing: By 30 September 2027; What to watch: Turnover trend from GBP 12.39 million (FY2024); headcount; net assets

Capex and tool announcements: Timing: Ongoing; What to watch: New laser or e-beam writers, inspection upgrades, large-area capacity at Jena

European demand recovery: Timing: 2027; What to watch: Automotive, industrial and MEMS order trends

Parent portfolio actions: Timing: Ongoing; What to watch: Any revival of combination talks or carve-outs at Element Solutions

Export-control developments: Timing: Ongoing; What to watch: Rules affecting shipments of semiconductor materials to China

UK board changes: Timing: Ongoing; What to watch: Further Element Solutions nominee turnover

Analyst verdict. Compugraphics is a durable specialist rather than a growth leader. Its value lies in a franchise that photomask giants find hard to serve profitably: hundreds of low-volume, high-mix customers in MEMS, photonics, sensors, biomedical devices, research and advanced packaging. For them, a quick turnaround, help with data preparation and an unusual mask format matter more than nanometre resolution. The UK operating company's accounts show what that franchise looks like financially: around GBP 12–13 million of turnover, a near-flat three-year trend (2.9% CAGR FY2022–FY2024), about 48 employees and a balance sheet that is roughly four-fifths equity. It is a stable, cash-generative, modestly profitable business that is far too small to matter much in a group with more than USD 2.5 billion of sales.

Its strategic value is greater than its financial weight. Inside Element Solutions it sits in Semiconductor Solutions, the group's fastest-growing business line, which reached USD 351.3 million in FY2025 and grew 24% in Q3 2026. It gives MacDermid Alpha a physical lithography capability and a direct line into fabs and packaging houses alongside the group's plating, sintering and specialty-gas offerings. The terminated Solstice transaction removes near-term ownership uncertainty. Management's renewed focus on standalone execution should support continued, if selective, investment.

The main long-term questions are capital intensity and relevance. If the parent funds tool renewal and leans into large-area and packaging masks, Compugraphics can grow mid-single digits within a structurally growing specialty niche. If not, it risks slow erosion from Asian merchant competition and captive shops, and possible future divestiture. On balance, the franchise is resilient, the parent is supportive and the risk is moderate. Investors should treat Compugraphics as a small, steady contributor to Element Solutions' semiconductor materials platform, not as an independent value driver.

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Executive Leadership

Executive Leadership Team

NameRoleBackground

Brian Young

General Manager, Compugraphics International (Glenrothes)

Led Glenrothes through the 2011 ML&C integration, the 2012 NMI award and the 2017 TechWorks award

Brian Gibson

Managing Director / Chief Operating Officer, Glenrothes (company directory listing); previously Operations Manager

Long-serving operations leader at Glenrothes

Laura Sackmann

Marketing and Sales contact, Compugraphics Jena GmbH

Commercial lead for German customers

Carey James Dorman

15 Jun 2023

Chief Financial Officer, Element Solutions Inc

Caroline Simonne Lind

1 Dec 2024

General Counsel and Secretary, Element Solutions Inc

Richard Louis Fricke

1 Dec 2024

Element Solutions group director; also on other MacDermid UK boards (MacDermid Autotype Ltd)

Kevin Legassey

1 May 2026

Element Solutions group appointee

Major Shareholders

HolderStake (%)Basis

MacDermid Continental Investments Limited

100

Companies House register of persons with significant control; confirmation statement dated 10 August 2026 (no changes)

Competitive Landscape

Key Competitors

CompetitorHeadquartersOverlap with CompugraphicsRelative positioning

Photronics Inc (NASDAQ: PLAB)

Brookfield, Connecticut, USA

Mature-node reticles in the US and Europe (Bridgend, Wales; Dresden, Germany)

Global leading merchant; far larger; leading-edge and flat-panel display capability

Toppan Photomask group

Tokyo, Japan

European and US mature-node masks

Global top-three merchant; broad node coverage

Dai Nippon Printing (DNP)

Tokyo, Japan

Specialty and large-area masks

Global top-three merchant; strong in displays and EUV

Hoya Corporation

Tokyo, Japan

Mask blanks (supplier) and some masks

Dominant blank supplier; upstream of Compugraphics

Taiwan Mask Corporation

Hsinchu, Taiwan

Mature-node masks for Asian fabs

Regional merchant

Infinite Graphics Inc

Minneapolis, USA

Specialty and large-format masks

Small US specialty peer

Photo Sciences Inc

Torrance, USA

Quick-turn specialty and MEMS masks

Small US peer

Front Range Photomask

USA

Specialty and R&D masks

Small US peer

HTA Photomask

San Jose, USA

Quick-turn and R&D masks

Small US peer

Advance Reproductions

USA

Specialty photomasks

Small US peer

JD Photo Data

UK

Film and low-end chrome masks

UK low-end peer

Delta Mask

Netherlands

Specialty and MEMS masks

European niche peer

Nippon Filcon

Japan

Specialty masks

Niche peer

Captive mask shops (TSMC, Samsung, Intel and others)

Various

Displace merchant demand at advanced nodes

About two-thirds of the photomask market by value

Peer Comparison FY2025

MetricCompugraphics International Ltd (UK, FY2024)Photronics (FY2025, Oct year-end)

Revenue

GBP 12.39 M

USD 849.3 M

Revenue growth (%)

-4.6-2.0

Gross margin (%)

—35.3

Net income

—

USD 136.4 M

Employees

48—

Company Snapshot

$2,551M

Revenue

48

Employees

1967

Founded

Glenrothes, United Kingdom

Headquarters

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

  • Heritage and reputation. Founded in 1967, with more than 50 years in photomasks; NMI Supplier of the Year in 2010 and 2012; TechWorks Manufacturing Supplier of 2017.
  • Diverse customer base. More than 500 customers in 55 countries limits dependence on any single customer.
  • Multi-region manufacturing. Plants in Glenrothes, Jena and Fremont, with repair and recertification in Austin, give local supply on two continents.
  • Large-area capability. Jena writes 3–16 inch masks up to 9 mm thick and has offered 450 mm × 450 mm plates since February 2019.
  • Conservative balance sheet. The UK entity was about 81% equity-funded in FY2024 (net assets GBP 8.92 million on total assets of GBP 10.96 million).
  • Strong parent. Element Solutions generated USD 135 million of free cash flow in Q3 2026 alone and raised 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance to about USD 720 million.

Weaknesses

  • Sub-scale. UK turnover of GBP 12.39 million (FY2024) against USD 849.3 million at Photronics (FY2025).
  • Revenue volatility. UK turnover rose 11.0% in FY2023 and fell 4.6% in FY2024.
  • No leading-edge offering. No EUV or advanced DUV masks, so it is shut out of the fastest-growing part of the market by value.
  • Little visibility. Revenue and margins are not disclosed within Semiconductor Solutions, which makes it harder to win group capital.
  • Board turnover. Six directors were appointed or left between February 2023 and May 2026.
  • Small workforce. 48 UK employees (FY2024) means engineering capacity depends on a few key people.

Opportunities

  • Momentum in the business line. Semiconductor Solutions grew organically 13% in FY2025 and 24% in Q3 2026.
  • Advanced packaging. Wafer- and panel-level packaging needs large-area masks, where Jena is differentiated.
  • Group cross-selling. EFC (fab gases) and Micromax (electronics pastes) bring new fab and packaging relationships to cross-sell into.
  • Photonics and compound semiconductors. These clusters are growing in the UK and Germany near Glenrothes and Jena.
  • Supply-chain localisation. US and EU programmes favour local mask supply for defence, aerospace and medical customers.
  • Service growth. Recurring MPT, cleaning, re-pellicling and repair revenue can scale with the installed base of masks.

Threats

  • Captive shops. Captive mask shops held 64% of the market by 2018, up from 31% in 2013.
  • Asian price competition. Asian merchant shops compete hard on price for mature-node masks.
  • Blank supply concentration. Supply of quartz and specialty blanks is concentrated in Japan.
  • Portfolio actions. Element Solutions sold MacDermid Graphics Solutions in 2025 and agreed (then cancelled) a sale of the whole company in 2026, so further portfolio moves cannot be ruled out.
  • Weak European demand. Element Solutions reported European volume declines in automotive and industrial markets in FY2025.
  • Macro and geopolitical risk. Element Solutions' 2026 releases flag the war in Ukraine, the Iran conflict and other Middle East hostilities.

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Key Developments

DateEventSignificance
14 Aug 2025UK entity files confirmation statement (10 Aug 2025), no changesOwnership unchanged
3 Sep 2025UK entity files FY2024 full accounts: turnover GBP 12.39 million, 48 employees, net assets GBP 8.92 millionConfirms a modest revenue fall and stronger equity
Oct 2025Element Solutions Q3 2025: Semiconductor Solutions net sales USD 89.6 millionBaseline for 2026 growth
1 Nov 2025John Edward Capps leaves the UK board; details updated for Carey Dorman and Caroline LindBoard refresh
Q4 2025Electronics segment renamed MacDermid Alpha Electronics SolutionsCompugraphics consolidated under the MacDermid Alpha brand
11 Dec 2025Walt Laskow leaves the UK boardDeparture of a long-standing director
2 Jan 2026Element Solutions closes the EFC Gases & Advanced Materials acquisition (about USD 369 million)Expands the group's semiconductor-fab materials exposure
2 Feb 2026Element Solutions closes the Micromax acquisition (about USD 500 million)Electronics segment grows
10 Feb 2026USD 0.08 quarterly dividend declaredSteady capital return
17 Feb 2026FY2025 results: net sales USD 2.55 billion; Semiconductor Solutions USD 351.3 million (+14%); 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance USD 650–670 millionSemiconductor Solutions confirmed as a growth engine
Feb 2026Element Solutions files its FY2025 Form 10-K and annual reportPrimary disclosure of the segment structure that includes Compugraphics
2026Compugraphics Jena takes part in the "Thüringen ist Zukunft" recruitment fair in JenaHiring for lithography operators and data-prep technicians
28 Apr 2026Q1 2026: net sales USD 840 million (+41% reported, +10% organic); guidance raisedStrong start to 2026
29 Apr 2026Element Solutions 2026 virtual investor dayStrategy reaffirmed
1 May 2026Kevin Legassey appointed to the UK boardBoard change
6 Jul 2026Solstice Advanced Materials agrees to acquire Element Solutions for USD 14.5 billionPotential change of ultimate owner
20 Aug 2026UK entity files confirmation statement (10 Aug 2026), no changesOwnership unchanged
21 Aug 2026UK entity files FY2025 full accountsAnnual statutory disclosure
27 Aug 2026Solstice–Element Solutions merger terminated by mutual agreement after shareholder feedback; no fees payableCompugraphics stays within an independent Element Solutions
31 Aug 2026Solstice confirms termination and announces a USD 500 million buybackCloses the episode
21 Oct 2026Q3 2026: net sales USD 995 million (+52%); Semiconductor Solutions USD 111.0 million (+24% organic); full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance raised to about USD 720 millionFastest Semiconductor Solutions growth in the period
22 Oct 2026Q3 earnings call: China business up 30%; two customer qualification milestones on a new semiconductor offeringPositive demand backdrop in semiconductor materials
Oct–Nov 2026Element Solutions files its Q3 2026 Form 10-QLatest primary disclosure

Financial Performance

Explore key financial metrics, segmented revenue, balance sheet health, and performance trends.

Revenue

3 charts
Revenue by Segment (FY2023–FY2025): Electronics segment net sales rose from USD 1,414.7 Mn in FY2023 to USD 1,786.2 Mn in FY2025.
Compugraphics — Revenue by Segment (FY2023–FY2025)
Series (USD Mn)FY2023FY2024FY2025
Electronics segment net sales1,414.71,561.41,786.2
Semiconductor Solutions net sales264.3307.9351.3
Element Solutions total net sales2,3332,4572,551

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Sources

  1. Companies House, Compugraphics International Limited (00895170): company overview, filing history, officers register, full accounts FY2021–FY2025, confirmation statements 2023–2026
  2. Element Solutions Inc: Form 10-K FY2023, FY2024, FY2025; Form ARS FY2025; Form 10-Q Q2 2026 and Q3 2026; Form 8-K and earnings releases dated 17 Feb 2026, 28 Apr 2026, 27 Aug 2026 and 21 Oct 2026; Q3 2026 earnings call
  3. Compugraphics website: history ("The Story So Far"), locations, product pages, news (11 Feb 2019; 14 Dec 2017)
  4. MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions: Compugraphics brand, product and location pages
  5. Silicon Saxony e.V.: member profile of Compugraphics Jena GmbH
  6. Evertiq (14 Oct 2011): SUSS MicroTec Precision Photomask divestiture
  7. Solid State Technology / Semiconductor Digest (19 Aug 2011): Compugraphics large-area photomasks and the ML&C acquisition
  8. I-Connect007 (Dec 2017): TechWorks Manufacturing Supplier of 2017
  9. Silicon Semiconductor (2012): NMI Supplier of the Year 2012
  10. EE World Online: Compugraphics history and MEMS capability (OM Group era)
  11. Photronics Inc: Form 8-K full-year fiscal 2025 results (10 Dec 2025)
  12. SEMI photomask market releases (2013, 2017, 2018, 2019); IMARC, Stratview Research, LP Information and Global Info Research photomask market estimates (2025–2026)
  13. Bloomberg Law, MLex and SpecialChem coverage of the Solstice–Element Solutions termination (27–31 Aug 2026)
  14. Agentur für Arbeit Jena, "Thüringen ist Zukunft" exhibitor directories 2024 and 2026

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