PRESS RELEASE
DATE: 13/10/2020
Ansys Startup Program Gains Global Momentum with Triple-Digit Growth
Program grows by 100% in just two years, 1000 startups across multiple industries digitally transforming with Ansys
PITTSBURGH, PA, October 13, 2020 – From 3D printing rockets to building electric motorcycles to reinventing how produce is grown, more than 1000 startup companies from around the world are employing Ansys (NASDAQ: ANSS) simulation solutions to design next-generation products and processes. Launched in 2016, the rapidly expanding Ansys Startup Program has doubled in size over the last two years, supporting startups from 44 countries across a range of industries including aerospace and defense, high tech, energy, automotive and many more.
Faced with limited funding and revenue, many startups must rely on building and testing physical prototypes to verify product performance, which often requires considerable financial and human resources. The physical prototyping process is also notoriously time-consuming, which increases barriers for winning the race to market against potential competitors. To overcome these challenges, entrepreneurs are using Ansys engineering simulation solutions to design and validate product performance with a minimum investment of time and cost.
The Ansys Startup Program equips the startup ecosystem with access to Ansys' broad portfolio of simulation solutions, bundled and affordably priced to help early-stage entrepreneurs grow their businesses quickly while stretching their funding further. This enables engineers to validate product performance and reliability within virtual environments — significantly reducing physical prototype tests.
The Onward Project, a recent addition to the Ansys Startup Program, leverages Ansys® Discovery™ to optimize the design of AdvenChair, a first-of-its-kind, all-terrain, human-powered wheelchair that blends an adjustable sit-ski seat with mountain bike technology to help riders traverse challenging wilderness trails.
Structural analysis of AdvenChair assembly within Ansys Discovery. Courtesy of Onward Project LLC.
"We created the AdvenChair so that people with mobility issues can continue enjoying the great outdoors, beyond where the pavement ends," said Geoff Babb, AdvenChairman of The Onward Project. "Upfront simulation is a necessity for us to make that vision a reality. We're implementing Ansys Discovery into our design process to reduce weight, maintain structural integrity and ultimately cut costs, resulting in a better, more budget-friendly product."
Firefly Aerospace joined the Ansys Startup Program in 2017, using a combination of Ansys solutions to design launch vehicles capable of taking small payloads to space. The company became a commercial Ansys customer in 2019 and still relies heavily on Ansys for everything from fluid dynamics to heat transfer to metallic propulsion hardware.
Firefly conducts acceptance testing.
"At Firefly, our work is quite literally rocket science," said Tom Markusic, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. "It takes an enormous amount of simulation and modeling to design components that withstand the tremendous liftoff, flight and space environments. Leveraging the suite of Ansys tools allows us to ensure a design works with limited test iterations, providing up to $5 million in cost savings in engine cooling design, $10 million in increasing engine thrust and up to $500,000 in mass optimizations."
"Ansys views simulation as a superpower and, in many cases, startups are the true superheroes," said Prith Banerjee, chief technology officer at Ansys. "The Ansys Startup Program champions the next era of startup companies, equipping them with cutting-edge, cost-effective simulation solutions to pioneer new products that push the envelope of what's possible and quickly scale their businesses."
About Ansys
If you've ever seen a rocket launch, flown on an airplane, driven a car, used a computer, touched a mobile device, crossed a bridge or put on wearable technology, chances are you've used a product where Ansys software played a critical role in its creation. Ansys is the global leader in engineering simulation. Through our strategy of Pervasive Engineering Simulation, we help the world's most innovative companies deliver radically better products to their customers. By offering the best and broadest portfolio of engineering simulation software, we help them solve the most complex design challenges and create products limited only by imagination. Founded in 1970, Ansys is headquartered south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Visit www.ansys.com for more information.
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