Autodesk considering taking over competitor PTC.

Published: 2025-07-10 05:23:12 ET ADSK

Published on 07/10/2025 at 05:23

By Eloi Suinot

There industrial software sector continues to concentrate. According to Bloomberg, Autodesk is considering the acquisition of its competitor PTC, which, like Autodesk, specializes in 3D design and modeling software for industrial use.

No decision has yet been made, and no price has been disclosed. But the announcement was enough to send PTC's market capitalization up nearly $4bn, bringing its valuation to $25.2bn, compared to $21.4bn before the rumor.

After years of proliferation of specialized players, the time has now come for the heavyweights of the sector to consolidate, against the backdrop of a revolution driven by artificial intelligence.

At the end of 2024, Siemens AG signed its largest acquisition to date, taking over Altair Engineering for $10bn. The German industrial group is continuing to divest itself of its traditional businesses in order to focus on higher-margin, software-driven products, with the aim of catching up with its automation peers such as Rockwell Automation Inc. and Schneider Electric SE in terms of profitability.

Another major deal in the works: software publisher Synopsys is finalizing the acquisition of Ansys for $34bn.

PTC, meanwhile, is attracting interest. According to Bloomberg, other industrial groups have also approached the company. Autodesk is currently evaluating the terms of a possible offer.

The PTC case is also being closely monitored by Starboard Value. The activist fund acquired less than 1% of the company's shares last summer, but quickly became very active. A week after its arrival, it published a letter to shareholders denouncing financial irregularities. This move sparked discussions about the company's governance.

Since then, the board of directors has been reshuffled following exchanges of letters to shareholders from Starboard and press releases from Autodesk.

Eloi Suinot