Bricsys
Bricsys, headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, develops BricsCAD — a DWG-native 2D/3D drafting, mechanical, and BIM CAD platform sold via subscription across five tiers to enterprise customers (e.g., Mazda, Volvo, SNCF, Fluor), SMBs, and individuals through online store, resellers, and direct enterprise sales. It is a Hexagon AB subsidiary being spun off into the Octave software entity.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersGent, Belgium
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Bricsys does
Bricsys is a Belgium-headquartered (Ghent) CAD software vendor founded in 2002, best known for its BricsCAD platform — a DWG-native alternative to Autodesk AutoCAD spanning 2D drafting, 3D direct modeling, mechanical design, and Building Information Modeling (BIM). The product is sold in five tiers (Lite, Pro, Mechanical, BIM, Ultimate) with annual subscriptions, supported by add-ons (Communicator for BricsCAD, Application Catalog of third-party extensions) and an API/Developer Portal for customization. Recent versions (V26 in 2024 and V26.2 in 2026) introduced AI-driven productivity tools covering predictive commands, drawing cleanup, and guided editing.
The company serves a broad customer base including named enterprises across automotive (Mazda, Volvo), rail (SNCF), oil & gas (Subsea 7), electronics (Mitsubishi Electric), and engineering construction (Fluor, PERI, Willemen Construct, Jan De Nul), as well as surveying (Realserve) and individual/SMB users via an online store and global reseller network. Distribution is multichannel: self-serve e-commerce, authorized reseller recruitment, and a direct enterprise sales team. Free licensing for students and schools functions as a long-term pipeline tool.
Bricsys is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swedish industrial-technology conglomerate Hexagon AB. In 2025, Hexagon announced plans to spin off its software businesses — Bricsys, ETQ, and Projectmates, together with the Asset Lifecycle Intelligence and Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial divisions — into a standalone pure-play software/SaaS entity named 'Octave,' targeting completion in the first half of 2026. The new entity would encompass approximately 7,200 employees across 45 countries and combined revenues of approximately EUR 1,448 million as of end-2024.
Bricsys firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bricsys
- Legal name
- Bricsys
- Website
- https://bricsys.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Bricsys, headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, develops BricsCAD — a DWG-native 2D/3D drafting, mechanical, and BIM CAD platform sold via subscription across five tiers to enterprise customers (e.g., Mazda, Volvo, SNCF, Fluor), SMBs, and individuals through online store, resellers, and direct enterprise sales. It is a Hexagon AB subsidiary being spun off into the Octave software entity.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bricsys industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- 3D Design & CAD for Additive Manufacturing (IMAAACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)
Keywords
Where Bricsys is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gent
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Bricsys business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software Licenses: BricsCAD sells software licenses across multiple product tiers (Lite, Pro, Mechanical, BIM, Ultimate) with perpetual and subscription options. Pricing tiers provide different feature sets targeting various user segments from individual professionals to enterprise teams.
- Maintenance and Support: BricsCAD Maintenance program offers ongoing support, updates, and access to technical resources
- Add-ons and Extensions: Communicator for BricsCAD and Application Catalog provide additional revenue through add-on products and third-party applications
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | BricsCAD Lite - Essential 2D CAD for basic drafting needs |
| Subscription | Annual | BricsCAD Pro - Professional 2D & 3D CAD |
| Subscription | Annual | BricsCAD Mechanical - Mechanical CAD for manufacturing |
| Subscription | Annual | BricsCAD BIM - Building Information Modeling |
| Subscription | Annual | BricsCAD Ultimate - Integrated CAD for multiple disciplines |
| Freemium | Annual | Students & Schools |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Bricsys product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bricsys develops and sells BricsCAD, a DWG-compatible computer-aided design (CAD) platform offering 2D drafting, 3D direct modeling, mechanical CAD, building information modeling (BIM), and land surveying tools. The software is delivered in tiered product levels (Lite, Pro, Mechanical, BIM, Ultimate) on annual subscriptions, with add-ons such as Communicator for BricsCAD, and is positioned as a cost-effective alternative to AutoCAD for engineering, architecture, manufacturing, surveying, and construction professionals.
Product overview
Bricsys offers BricsCAD as a platform-plus-modules product line of CAD software with five product levels (Lite, Pro, Mechanical, BIM, Ultimate) and multiple specialized toolsets. The portfolio provides 2D drafting, 3D modeling, AI-driven productivity tools, and industry-specific solutions for engineering, architecture, civil engineering, manufacturing, surveying, and general contracting. BricsCAD is positioned as a cost-effective alternative to AutoCAD with DWG compatibility. The company has rebranded to Octave as part of a Hexagon spin-off.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BricsCAD Lite Essential 2D CAD software providing a familiar, fast, and affordable drafting tool for designers and basic CAD users.
- BricsCAD Pro Professional 2D and 3D CAD software offering powerful and flexible design capabilities for advanced users.
- BricsCAD Mechanical 2D and 3D mechanical CAD solution designed to document manufacturing processes efficiently.
- BricsCAD BIM 2D and 3D CAD software for building information modeling (BIM) and documentation in DWG format.
- BricsCAD Ultimate Integrated 2D and 3D CAD platform combining Mechanical, Building, and Surveying capabilities in a single solution.
- Communicator for BricsCAD Add-on for BricsCAD that provides enhanced interoperability and communication with other CAD file formats and systems.
- BricsCAD Developer Portal Developer Portal providing API access and documentation to extend and customize BricsCAD through third-party and partner applications.
- BricsCAD V26 Major version release of the BricsCAD product line introducing AI-driven productivity tools for CAD workflows.
- BricsCAD V26.2 Update release of BricsCAD (V26.2) with new features and improvements to the product line.
Quantifiable outcome
- Licenses at reasonable price with same functionality and stability as previous CAD software
Companies that use Bricsys
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Bricsys technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature6 records
Bricsys partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Hexagon ABcoreHexagon AB is the parent company of Bricsys. In March 2026, Hexagon announced the spin-off of its software businesses (including Bricsys, ETQ, and Projectmates) into a new entity called Octave. This represents a major corporate restructuring where Bricsys transitions to become part of a standalone pureplay software and SaaS company.
- ETQcoreETQ is being combined with Bricsys as part of the Octave spin-off from Hexagon. Both ETQ and Bricsys will operate under the unified Octave brand, consolidating industrial software portfolios including engineering design, construction management, and quality systems.
- ProjectmatescoreProjectmates is being combined with Bricsys and ETQ as part of the Octave spin-off from Hexagon AB. The consolidation brings together engineering design, construction management, and public safety software under one umbrella.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bricsys competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Graphisoft: Maker of Archicad, an architectural BIM platform under the Nemetschek Group. Direct competitor to BricsCAD BIM in the architecture segment, with a stronger brand among pure architectural practices.
- Autodesk: Maker of AutoCAD — the dominant 2D/3D DWG-based CAD platform that BricsCAD is explicitly positioned against. Both sell DWG-native CAD with subscription licensing to architecture, engineering, and construction professionals worldwide.
- Bentley Systems: Provider of MicroStation (DGN-based infrastructure CAD) and OpenBuildings/OpenRoads. Competes with BricsCAD in civil/infrastructure and surveying workflows, with overlapping transportation and AEC enterprise customers.
- ZWSOFT: Vendor of ZWCAD and ZW3D, offering DWG-compatible 2D/3D CAD at significantly lower price points. Direct head-to-head competitor in the affordable AutoCAD-alternative segment that BricsCAD targets.
Emerging players
- Trimble: Provider of SketchUp and Trimble Connect, with surveying/civil workflow tools. Adjacent competitor in architecture (SketchUp) and surveying, where BricsCAD's Civil Survey capabilities overlap with Trimble's geospatial portfolio.
- progeCAD: Provider of progeCAD, a low-cost DWG-compatible 2D/3D CAD alternative. Smaller-scale competitor to BricsCAD in the affordable AutoCAD-replacement niche, often targeting SMBs and individual professionals.
Broad incumbents
- PTC: Vendor of Creo (formerly Pro/ENGINEER) for mechanical CAD and Onshape for cloud-native CAD. Direct competitor in mechanical/AEC-adjacent design, with a stronger PLM and SaaS footprint than Bricsys.
- Dassault Systèmes: Provider of SOLIDWORKS (mechanical CAD) and CATIA, plus the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Competes with BricsCAD Mechanical in manufacturing design and serves overlapping AEC/manufacturing customers with broader PLM offerings.
- Siemens Digital Industries Software: Maker of Solid Edge and NX for mechanical CAD/CAM/CAE. Competes with BricsCAD Mechanical in manufacturing documentation and shares enterprise customers in automotive, aerospace, and industrial machinery.
- Nemetschek Group: Parent of Graphisoft (Archicad), Vectorworks, Solibri, Bluebeam, and dRofus. Competes broadly in AEC software and is a likely competitor to BricsCAD BIM in architecture practices and construction project workflows.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights8 records
Customer concentration
Bricsys social profiles
Digital presenceBricsys financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bricsys leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Bricsys subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Bricsys funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bricsys M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bricsys
What does Bricsys do?
Bricsys develops and sells BricsCAD, a DWG-compatible computer-aided design (CAD) platform offering 2D drafting, 3D direct modeling, mechanical CAD, building information modeling (BIM), and land surveying tools. The software is delivered in tiered product levels (Lite, Pro, Mechanical, BIM, Ultimate) on annual subscriptions, with add-ons such as Communicator for BricsCAD, and is positioned as a cost-effective alternative to AutoCAD for engineering, architecture, manufacturing, surveying, and construction professionals.
Is Bricsys a public or private company?
Bricsys is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Bricsys founded?
Bricsys was founded in 2002. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Bricsys based?
Bricsys is headquartered in Gent, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Bricsys make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Software Licenses are the primary driver. The others are maintenance and Support and add-ons and Extensions.
Who are Bricsys's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Graphisoft, Autodesk, Bentley Systems and ZWSOFT. Emerging players are Trimble and progeCAD. Broad incumbents are PTC, Dassault Systèmes, Siemens Digital Industries Software and Nemetschek Group.
Does Bricsys have an API?
Yes. Developer Portal providing API access to develop and customize on top of BricsCAD. Documentation available at developer.bricsys.com with developer references and release notes. Developer documentation is at developer.bricsys.com/bricscad/help/en_US/CurVer/DevRef.
What industry is Bricsys in?
Bricsys's product category is Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAAACAA, 3D Design & CAD for Additive Manufacturing, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAK, Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.