Insider Brief
- Cadence (Nasdaq: CDNS) has completed its €2.7 billion acquisition of Hexagon AB’s Design and Engineering business, expanding its System Design and Analysis portfolio to strengthen its position in the emerging Physical AI market.
- The deal integrates Hexagon D&E’s MSC Software assets, including structural, acoustics and multibody dynamics tools, with Cadence’s multiphysics, CFD and structural processing technologies to create a broader end-to-end simulation and digital twin platform.
- Cadence expects the transaction to add approximately $160 million in 2026 revenue, be about $0.28 dilutive to non-GAAP EPS in 2026 and turn accretive in 2027, with the purchase structured as 70% cash and 30% stock.
PRESS RELEASE — Cadence (Nasdaq: CDNS) today announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Hexagon AB’s Design and Engineering (“D&E”) business, significantly expanding its System Design and Analysis (SDA) portfolio and strategically positioning the company to capitalize on the Physical AI opportunity.
The acquisition accelerates Cadence’s Intelligent System Design strategy by combining its compelling multiphysics portfolio with Hexagon D&E’s leadership in structural analysis, acoustics and multibody dynamics. The integration of Hexagon D&E’s flagship MSC Software solutions—including MSC Nastran™ and Adams™—with Cadence’s leading multiphysics portfolio spanning electronics, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and BETA CAE’s structural pre and post processing technologies, will enable Cadence to deliver a comprehensive end-to-end multiphysics simulation platform —elevating the industry standard for integrated design and analysis solutions and enabling more seamless system level innovation.
“This acquisition marks a major milestone in advancing our vision for intelligent system design,” said Anirudh Devgan, president and CEO of Cadence. “By combining our industry-leading computational software and AI-driven design expertise with MSC Software’s world-class structural and physics-based analysis technologies, we’re empowering customers to push the boundaries of what’s possible—from autonomous systems and advanced robotics to the future of transportation.”
The combined portfolio further positions Cadence at the forefront of the emerging Physical AI era by tightly coupling high-fidelity, physics-based simulation with AI-driven design exploration. This will enable customers to create virtual representations of real-world systems that accurately predict system behavior under complex operating conditions. With advanced capabilities spanning motion, vibration, structural response and fluid-structure interactions, engineers can generate richer, physically grounded data to train and validate AI models, improving the performance and reliability of intelligent vehicles and industrial systems.
The purchase price of approximately €2.7 billion, which includes an estimated €150 million of transaction-related taxes owed by the acquired entities, is structured as 70% in cash and 30% in Cadence common stock.
Under its financial model, Cadence expects the incoming business to add an incremental $160 million to its 2026 revenue. On a non-GAAP basis, Cadence expects the transaction to be approximately 28 cents dilutive to its 2026 earnings per share, becoming accretive in 2027.
Please visit Cadence’s website for more information on this acquisition.
