Bricsys

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.

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

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

• CAD software
• 2D drafting
• 3D modeling
• Building information modeling
• DWG-compatible CAD

Headquarters

HQ city

Gent

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Maintenance and Support: BricsCAD Maintenance program offers ongoing support, updates, and access to technical resources
3. Add-ons and Extensions: Communicator for BricsCAD and Application Catalog provide additional revenue through add-on products and third-party applications

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core 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

Named customers10 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Hexagon ABcoreOthers · 2 March 2026Hexagon 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.
• ETQcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026ETQ 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.
• ProjectmatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026Projectmates 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/bricsys
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7SDB0FsAnYhBAMNoKCZqWQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/bricsys
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/79620
• Instagraminstagram.com/octave_bricscad

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Bricsys