Burned Out? Why Elsoft’s Test Equipment Business Needs a Reboot

Once upon a time, Elsoft Research Berhad was riding high, churning out test and burn-in systems like nobody's business. These clever contraptions found eager customers in the booming world of smartphones and shiny gadgets. Life was good.

But then came 2019. Demand for LED flash testing started drying up as smartphone makers got a little too comfortable with “good enough,” and product designs moved on. And just when Elsoft was wondering what else could go wrong, along came COVID-19, slamming the brakes on capex and shipping schedules. Revenue took a nosedive.

In 2021 and 2022, things perked up a bit - thanks to delayed orders finally getting delivered and customers emerging from lockdown hibernation. But this was a short lived rebound. The core smart device segment never came back, and Elsoft’s newer bets - like automotive and medical test equipment - were still warming up on the sidelines.

Today, Elsoft sits in what we’d call the “Quicksand quadrant” in the Fundamental Mapper It is not sinking dramatically, but it is definitely stuck. The company is making all the right noises - more R&D, new markets, a pivot to EVs and medical devices - but real growth is still a work in progress. Until those bets pay off, Elsoft’s story is less “comeback kid” and more “patient in rehab.”