Insider Brief
- Cadence has agreed to acquire Hexagon AB’s Design & Engineering business, including MSC Software, for €2.7 billion in a cash-and-stock deal, significantly expanding its multiphysics simulation and system design portfolio.
- The acquisition strengthens Cadence’s position in structural analysis and adds industry-standard tools like MSC Nastran and Adams, widely used in aerospace, automotive, robotics, and autonomous systems design.
- With $280M in 2024 revenue and 1,100 employees, Hexagon D&E will broaden Cadence’s reach among top-tier customers including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, BMW, Toyota, and Volkswagen, with closing expected in Q1 2026 pending approvals.
PRESS RELEASE – Cadence (Nasdaq: CDNS) has announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Design & Engineering (“D&E”) business of Hexagon AB, which includes its MSC Software business—a pioneer in engineering simulation and analysis solutions. This acquisition accelerates Cadence’s Intelligent System Design™ strategy, significantly expanding the Cadence® System Design & Analysis portfolio and reinforcing its commitment to delivering comprehensive solutions for the world’s most demanding design challenges. The addition of Hexagon’s proven D&E technology and talent will build upon Cadence’s 2024 Beta CAE acquisition, enabling a meaningfully deeper presence in the multi-billion-dollar structural analysis market.
Under the terms of the agreement, Cadence will pay approximately €2.7 billion for the business, with 70% of the consideration to be paid in cash and 30% to be paid through the issuance of Cadence common stock to Hexagon.
Accelerating electrical-mechanical hyperconvergence is driving the strong need for more multiphysics simulations earlier in the design cycle. Leveraging its computational software expertise, Cadence has steadily built out a compelling system analysis portfolio spanning electromagnetics, electrothermal and CFD, and established a foundational position in structural analysis with Beta CAE. With customers increasingly seeking seamless engineering workflows, adding Hexagon D&E’s renowned mechanical solvers will equip Cadence to deliver a comprehensive, unified, end-to-end multiphysics platform.
Hexagon’s D&E business is renowned for its flagship products, MSC Nastran and Adams, which are widely recognized as industry standards in structural and multibody dynamics simulation. These technologies are integral to the design and validation of complex mechanical systems, particularly in the aerospace and automotive sectors, where performance, precision and reliability are paramount. Additionally, Adams’ multibody dynamics capabilities are poised to play a critical role in the exciting and emerging fields of robotics and physical AI, where accurate simulation of real-world motion and interactions is essential. The acquisition will also bring an impressive portfolio of highly complementary solutions in multiphysics analysis, system dynamics, metal forming and autonomous driving simulation.
“Cadence has long been at the forefront of innovation in computational software for semiconductors and electronic systems,” said Anirudh Devgan, Cadence’s president and chief executive officer. “By adding Hexagon’s D&E world-class simulation capabilities, we will expand our vision of Intelligent System Design to encompass the full spectrum of physical behavior—from electromagnetics and fluids to structures and motion. This will be a pivotal step in enabling our customers to design the complex, converged systems of tomorrow.”
The acquisition will allow Cadence to serve a broader customer base, including leading aerospace and automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers such as Volkswagen Group, BMW, Toyota, Lockheed Martin, BAE and Boeing, among others, who use Hexagon’s D&E solutions for mission-critical simulation workflows. These solutions are essential for optimizing structural integrity, vehicle dynamics and system reliability, especially as industries transition toward electric vehicles, autonomous systems and advanced materials.
The incoming business generated approximately $280 million in revenue in 2024, with over 1,100 employees across multiple global sites. It has world-class R&D, sales and support teams with deep domain expertise and strong ecosystem partnerships.
The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
