What Xbim does

Xbim is a UK-based Building Information Modelling (BIM) software company founded in 2007 from academic research at Northumbria University and incorporated as Xbim Ltd in England and Wales. The company develops cloud-native OpenBIM technology built on open standards including IFC (published as ISO 16739), BCF, IDS and OData, deployed on Microsoft Azure infrastructure with regional data centres in the UK and West Europe. Its product portfolio comprises three core assets: the Flex Platform (an OpenBIM and Asset Information Management service exposing REST APIs for BIM and Digital Twin application development), Flex Flow (a cloud platform for automated IFC model validation, quality assurance, IDS-based requirements checking and reporting), and the xBIM Toolkit (an open-source C# library providing pure IFC2x3, IFC4 and IFC 4.3 implementations that also serves as a developer funnel and is embedded in partner products including the NBS National BIM Library).

Xbim serves two distinct customer segments. The first is the AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) sector — main contractors, consultancies and asset owner/operators — that require automated BIM model assurance, validation of information exchanges against IDS specifications, and lifecycle asset data management. The second is software vendors and developers who consume the Flex REST APIs to embed BIM and Digital Twin functionality into their own products, with co-marketed flagship relationships including Fexillon (Digital Plan of Works for asset management) and Benchmark Estimating (Digital Take-Off for cost estimation).

Xbim generates revenue primarily through subscription-based platform access for the Flex Platform and Flex Flow products, with Flex Flow offering a freemium trial via Stripe-based self-serve sign-up, supplemented by professional services including a free IDS Creation Service that converts PDF/Excel project requirements into Information Delivery Specification files. The company employs fewer than ten people, is headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne, and raised approximately £500,000 in funding in July 2022 led by Northstar Ventures with participation from the North East Innovation Fund (ERDF).

Name

Xbim

Legal name

Xbim Ltd

Website

https://xbim.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Xbim is a Newcastle-based BIM software provider offering the cloud-native Flex Platform and Flex Flow products alongside the open-source xBIM Toolkit, serving AEC firms and software vendors with OpenBIM APIs built on IFC standards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Information Modeling Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs) (HDAEANAJ), XR/AR/VR/MR Development Frameworks & Toolchains (MPAFAFAF)

Keywords

• Building information modeling
• OpenBIM software
• BIM automation
• Digital twin platform
• BIM API services

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle Upon Tyne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Flex Platform Subscriptions: Cloud-native OpenBIM platform providing data hosting, APIs, and module access for BIM and Digital Twin applications. Revenue generated through platform access and usage.
2. Flex Flow Subscriptions: BIM workflow automation platform for model validation and reporting. Offers free trial with paid subscription for continued usage.
3. Professional Services: Includes free IDS creation service for converting project requirements to Information Delivery Specification format. Additional implementation and customization services likely offered.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Xbim builds cloud applications on open BIM standards (IFC, BCF, IDS) to improve the ROI of Building Information Modelling. Its commercial offerings are Flex Platform — a cloud-native OpenBIM and Asset Information Management (AIM) platform with scalable APIs for building BIM and Digital Twin applications — and Flex Flow, a workflow automation tool for IFC model validation and reporting. The offering is supported by the open-source xBIM Toolkit and a free IDS Creation Service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Flex Platform: Cloud-native OpenBIM and AIM platform providing scalable APIs for building BIM and Digital Twin applications
• Flex Flow
• xbim Toolkit

Products and services

• Flex Platform Cloud-native OpenBIM and Asset Information Management (AIM) platform providing scalable APIs (AIM, 3D visualisation, Automation, IoT, Comms, Identity, Notifications) for software vendors and AEC teams to build BIM and Digital Twin applications. Includes full control over data ownership and integration with Power Apps and native design tools.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• FexillonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for creating a next-generation Asset Management Platform. Fexillon integrated their platform with Flex, xbim's enterprise cloud-based BIM platform, enabling creation of a Digital Plan of Works platform for project lifecycle management. Partnership leverages Microsoft and GS1 integrations.
• Benchmark EstimatingflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership to develop Digital Take-Off functionality powered by xbim Flex platform. Enables BIM-enhanced cost estimation and quantity take-off for civil engineering and infrastructure projects, allowing efficient extraction of quantities from BIM models.
• Microsoft AzurecoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary cloud infrastructure provider. Microsoft Azure (Ireland) hosts Customer Data submitted to services; Microsoft Azure (UK) hosts central records of users and customers with access to the Flex Service. Regional data centers in UK and West Europe.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bimsync: OpenBIM collaboration and model coordination platform built on IFC, with IDS support. Direct competitor to Flex Platform/Flex Comms for BCF/IDS-driven information management.
• BIMcollab: BCF-based issue and model coordination platform for BIM projects. Closely comparable to Xbim Flex Comms in its BCF-centric model collaboration workflow for multi-disciplinary AEC teams.
• Simplebim: Standalone BIM model validation, data extraction and quantity take-off tool. Overlaps directly with Xbim's Flex Flow model-assurance and quantity take-off use cases for AEC firms.
• Solibri (Nemetschek Group): Market-leading BIM model checking, QA/QC and code-compliance platform, now owned by Nemetschek. Directly comparable to Xbim's Flex Flow model-assurance/IDS validation capability, serving the same AEC information-manager buyer.
• Revizto: Real-time 3D BIM collaboration, issue tracking and clash-detection platform. Comparable to Xbim Flex Comms and Viewer modules for AEC project coordination.

Broad incumbents

• Trimble Connect: Broad cloud collaboration and BIM workflow platform from Trimble (which acquired Andy Ward's former company 4Projects). Competes with Flex Platform across AEC and infrastructure, with much larger commercial scale.
• Autodesk Construction Cloud (BIM 360 / ACC): Industry-leading suite of BIM, collaboration, and project-management tools. Provides overlapping capability to Flex Platform via IFC/BCF support, with vastly greater scale and bundled sales motion.
• Bentley Systems (OpenBuildings / iTwin): Enterprise infrastructure and facilities BIM/digital-twin platform (iTwin). Comparable to Xbim Flex Platform's digital-twin and AIM positioning, particularly for owner/operator use cases.

Regional players

• Catenda (Causeway): OpenBIM collaboration platform headquartered in Norway serving Nordic and European markets. Comparable product overlap (BCF/IDS, model collaboration), primarily competing in geographies where Xbim has limited presence.

Others

• NBS (Source Group): UK specification and BIM object library platform that uses xbim Toolkit for parts of its National BIM Library. Functions as both a customer and an adjacent ecosystem participant to Xbim's openBIM stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/xBimTeam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/19845659

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Xbim