Bechtle acquires British software developer, DriveWorks

IT company Bechtle expands UK footprint with Design Automation and CPQ software producer
Bechtle bolsters its international market position around the SOLIDWORKS ecosystem

Neckarsulm, 16 October 2024 – Bechtle AG has further cemented its position in the United Kingdom with its acquisition of DriveWorks Ltd.—a software developer and market leader in Design Automation and Configure Price Quote (CPQ) solutions for companies using SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Thelwall near Manchester, DriveWorks employs 59 staff and achieved revenues of 6.5 million euros in the 2023/24 fiscal year. DriveWorks’ eponymous software is used worldwide as a complimentary product for SOLIDWORKS, automating the design of 3D CAD models, saving time and minimising errors in product development. In addition, it accelerates product customisations and also enables the setup of customer-specific online product configurators. Bechtle has been selling DriveWorks’ add-on software for years as part of its portfolio and knows the company well. The acquisition will see the two founders, Maria Sarkar and Glen Smith, remain with the company, but hand the reins over to their two successors, current Commercial Director, Mark Sarkar, and Philip Stears, who is the company’s Chief Technology Officer. By joining Bechtle, DriveWorks expects to achieve sustainable future growth and benefit from new synergies. DriveWorks is the second British acquisition in the current month following the purchase of Qolcom Ltd announced on 07 October 2024.

DriveWorks underlying IP includes a powerful Rules Engine, Forms Technology, 3D Visualization, CAD Automation, Workflow and Integration Capabilities. DriveWorks packaged solutions are designed to be flexible and scalable to meet the needs of businesses as they embark on and follow their Digital Transformation and Automation journeys. The software scales from DriveWorksXpress Design Automation included in desktop SOLIDWORKS since 2007, all the way to hybrid cloud and online 3D Configurator solutions. DriveWorks are the developers of 3 SOLIDWORKS certified Gold Partner products.

DriveWorks continuing with entrepreneurial independence

DriveWorks will continue to operate as an independent company, exclusively serving SOLIDWORKS resellers in 54 countries. The company also operates two subsidiaries in Australia and the USA, both of which will be retained, together with employees in France and India. DriveWorks software offers web-based product configuration and design automation for manufacturing companies in the B2B and B2C markets. It enables users to unlock enormous efficiencies, effectively helping to compensate the shortage of skilled workers by leveraging pre-defined rules and baseline designs to automate the configuration of custom product models of varying complexity.

Growing software portfolio

“I am particularly pleased with this acquisition as I’ve been a fan of DriveWorks’ fantastic quality for years. For our customers, automating design and custom configurations are key to boosting efficiency and establishing new business models. DriveWorks has developed an outstanding application that will be hugely important in the future and stands for a great addition to the Bechtle portfolio,” says Uwe Burk, Executive Vice President PLM | Engineering & Manufacturing, Bechtle AG.

“We are thrilled to be part of Bechtle. We share the same drive, passion, and commitment to delivering exceptional technology to manufacturers worldwide, while valuing the people who make it all possible,” says Maria Sarkar, Vice President & Co-Founder of DriveWorks. “The demand for Design Automation, 3D Visualization, Product Configuration, and CPQ solutions is growing rapidly. Together with Bechtle, we will extend the benefits of DriveWorks technology to further support our customers’ success.”

Expansion of position in the UK market

Bechtle has been successfully established on the UK market for over 26 years and provides companies and public sector customers with a comprehensive portfolio of hardware, software, solutions and services. With DriveWorks, Bechtle employs some 430 staff across six sites in the country.