Autodesk Acquires Delcam, VSR Technology

Autodesk announced its intent to acquire Delcam for £20.75 per share, or approximately £172.5 million. The transaction will be structured as a cash offer for all the outstanding shares of Delcam, is subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in Autodesk’s first quarter of fiscal 2015. The company expects to use its non-U.S.-based cash for the transaction.

“Today we are taking an important step on our path toward delivering a better manufacturing experience,” said Carl Bass, Autodesk president and CEO. “Together Autodesk and Delcam will help further the development and implementation of technology for digital manufacturing.”

Delcam has more than 30 offices worldwide, approximately 600 employees, and reported revenues for its fiscal 2012 of £47.1 million.

“I am very excited by the opportunities from combining Delcam with Autodesk to create a compelling platform from which to service both companies’ manufacturing clients,” said Clive Martell, Delcam CEO. “The offer is at a level which recognizes the potential of Delcam and provides an attractive opportunity for shareholders to realize value for their current holdings in cash, while at the same time opening up new opportunities for our staff and partners operating within the wider platform of the Autodesk group.”

Autodesk also completed the acquisition of certain technology assets from Virtual Shape Research (VSR), a developer of surface modeling and conceptual design software for the automotive industry. As part of the deal, 10 VSR employees will join Autodesk. According to the company, the acquisition of the VSR team and technology will help Autodesk expand its offerings for the automotive industry, including enhancement of the Alias product line. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“Autodesk continues to invest in developing and acquiring technology to support our customers in the automotive industry,” said Buzz Kross, senior vice president of design, lifecycle and simulation products at Autodesk. “The addition of the VSR technology to Autodesk will help our customers achieve a more efficient development process with production-ready, high-quality technical surfaces. We are excited to welcome VSR employees, customers and partners to the Autodesk community.”

Autodesk intends to continue offering for the existing VSR plug-in for Rhino, and to make this product available for purchase exclusively via the Autodesk e-store. The company plans to incorporate the VSR technology into its existing product lines, including Alias products, and to apply the team and technology toward the development of next-generation design/styling and technical surfacing solutions.

For more information, visit Autodesk.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.