FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS

What FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS does

FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS AG is a Potsdam-based private software company that develops CAESES, a proprietary geometry modeling and shape optimization platform used by engineers to design and optimize flow-exposed products such as ship hulls, propellers, turbomachinery components, and automotive parts. CAESES enables parametric modeling, RBF (radial basis function) morphing, automated design-space exploration, and direct coupling with leading CFD solvers including STAR-CCM+, ANSYS, CONVERGE, NUMECA, OpenFOAM, SHIPFLOW, FLOW-3D, and Simerics MP/PumpLinx. The platform's distinctive technologies include Meta Surfaces (developed over 15+ years), dimensionality reduction for faster optimization, and an App View interface that simplifies complex project setups. A free suite of Web Apps (propeller, axial fan, drone blade, ship hull, etc.) provides product-led-growth entry points into the licensed product.

The company was originally established in 2003 as a subsidiary of classification society GL, later passing to DNV GL, before being spun off as an independent stock corporation in January 2015. It now operates with a team of 25+ international employees from a Potsdam headquarters and a wholly-owned US subsidiary in New York City (established May 2023), and serves enterprise customers including Siemens, Daimler, Volkswagen, Toyota, MTU, KSB, Rolls-Royce Deutschland, DNV, ABS, Kongsberg Maritime, VARD Design, INEOS Britannia, and Plastic Omnium across maritime, turbomachinery, automotive, and aerospace verticals. Revenue is generated primarily through CAESES software licensing on a subscription basis (time-exact rental and float licenses), supplemented by participation in European R&D consortia and direct enterprise sales supported by a partner network that includes TechNet Alliance and a Chinese distributor (NJTF).

Name

FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS

Legal name

FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS AG

Website

https://friendship-systems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS AG develops CAESES, a proprietary geometry modeling and shape optimization platform that integrates with leading CFD solvers for simulation-driven design of flow-exposed products. The Potsdam-based company serves maritime, turbomachinery, automotive, and aerospace enterprises globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering Simulation Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Production Design & Detailed Engineering (3D CAD, Drawings, BOM, Nesting) (IMAJAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Piping, Valves & Pumps (Deck/Service Systems Components) (IMAJAIAI)

Keywords

• Shape optimization software
• CFD geometry modeling
• Simulation-driven design
• Turbomachinery design tools
• Parametric hull design

Headquarters

HQ city

Potsdam

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CAESES Software Licenses: FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS generates revenue primarily through the licensing of its CAESES software platform. The company offers time-exact rental licenses (pay-as-you-go) and float licenses hosted by FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS. License management includes access management and billing for rental and float license models.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS develops and licenses CAESES, a proprietary geometry modeling and shape optimization platform used by engineering teams to parametrically design and automatically explore flow-exposed products (ship hulls, propellers, pumps, compressors, turbines, automotive components). The company sells software licenses (rental and float) and supports the platform with CFD integrations to leading solvers, training, and R&D services across maritime, turbomachinery, automotive, and aerospace verticals.

Product overview

FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS offers CAESES as its core geometry modeling and shape optimization platform, supplemented by a suite of web-based applications. CAESES enables simulation-driven design and automated design space exploration with CFD across maritime, automotive, turbomachinery, aerospace, and medical device industries. The platform integrates with leading CFD solvers (STAR-CCM+, ANSYS, CONVERGE, NUMECA, OpenFOAM, SHIPFLOW, FLOW-3D, Simerics MP) and supports parametric modeling, RBF morphing, and optimization workflows. The companion Web Apps provide accessible parametric design tools for specific components including propellers, ship hulls, fans, and turbine components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CAESES: Core geometry modeling and shape optimization platform for CFD-driven design of flow-exposed products such as ship hulls, propellers, turbomachinery components, and automotive parts.

Products and services

• CAESES CAESES is a proprietary geometry modeling and shape optimization platform that enables engineers to create parametric CAD-ready geometry, perform automated design space exploration, and morph imported geometries using RBF morphing for CFD-driven design optimization. It integrates with leading CFD solvers (STAR-CCM+, ANSYS, CONVERGE, NUMECA, OpenFOAM, SHIPFLOW, FLOW-3D, Simerics MP/PumpLinx) and is sold under rental (time-based) and float licenses to enterprise engineering teams in shipbuilding, turbomachinery, automotive, aerospace, and medical device industries.
• CAESES Web Apps

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1 million tons of annual CO2 emissions reduced in the maritime industry attributable to CAESES optimization
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NUMECAcoreTechnology or IntegrationNUMECA is a technology partner for CFD simulation integration. FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS CEO Dr. Stefan Harries presented at NUMECA's virtual Marine CFD Workshop 2021 on RBF morphing capabilities of CAESES 5 integrated with FINE/Marine.
• TechNet AlliancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTechNet Alliance is an international network of Computer Aided Engineering experts founded in 1998 by Ansys channel partners. FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS joined the alliance in 2020 to share expertise and participate in the global CAE expert network.
• Werner-von-Siemens Centre for Industry and Science (WvSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS is a founding member of the Werner-von-Siemens Centre for Industry and Science, a network of more than 20 partners from Germany's capital region focused on additive manufacturing and digitization. The initiative is supported by federal and state GRW funding.
• HydroComp, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS and HydroComp collaborated on a study presented at FAST 2025 comparing CFD-based Design Space Exploration and Semi-Empirical Reduced-Order Design Space Exploration approaches for an 11m planing monohull.
• NJTF (Nanjing Technology Transfer Center)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNJTF organized the CAESES Chinese Users Meeting 2018 with over 150 attendees, and jointly organized a CAESES marine seminar in Shanghai with DNVGL, supporting FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS' presence in the Chinese market.
• SINTEF OceancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSINTEF Ocean coordinates the FIT-HORIZONS Horizon Europe project. FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS joined as a partner in 2026 to contribute simulation-based retrofit design solutions for low- and zero-emission shipping, alongside 18 other European partners.
• FIT-HORIZONS ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIT-HORIZONS is a Horizon Europe project with 19 European partners including SINTEF Ocean, Maritime CleanTech, VARD Design, Laskaridis Shipping, bound4blue, ABS, and others, focused on developing an intelligent design environment for ship retrofit solutions.
• RETROFIT55 ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRETROFIT55 is an R&D project combining wind-assisted ship propulsion, air lubrication systems, and hydrodynamic optimization to achieve 35% GHG reduction in retrofitting. Partners include Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Italy), Aalto University (Finland), Atlantec Enterprise Solutions, NTUA, ASTANDER, SimFWD, Rina, Laskaridis Shipping, bound4blue, ICG, LJMU, Armada Technologies, and Oracle Marine.
• MariData Research PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMariData project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Research partners include HSVA, AVL Deutschland, AVL Software & Functions, Carl Büttner Shipmanagement, 52North, DST, TU Berlin, TU Hamburg, University of Lübeck, and Maritime Center of Flensburg University.
• AutoPlan Research PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutoPlan is a MarTERA R&D project coordinated by UZMAR with partners including SVA Potsdam, TU Berlin, OES, Piri Reis University, and CNR. FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS provided simulation-driven design for the optimized hull, achieving 30 knots top speed in sea trials.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• NUMECA: CFD software specialist with strong marine and turbomachinery focus (FINE/Marine, FINE/Turbo). Comparable as a CFD partner and partially overlapping vendor for marine and turbomachinery design optimization workflows, with an active technical partnership with FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS.
• HydroComp: Naval architecture and ship design software (NavCad, PropExpert) used for resistance prediction and propulsion analysis. Comparable as a direct peer in ship hydrodynamic design tooling, and an active technology partner (FAST 2025 co-presentation with FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS).
• Noesis Solutions (Optimus): Developer of Optimus and id8 for process automation and design optimization. Comparable as a direct competitor in optimization workflow software, and notably an active technology partner with a released direct integration to CAESES.
• ESTECO (modeFRONTIER): Provider of modeFRONTIER, a process integration and design optimization platform for engineering. Comparable as a direct competitor in multi-objective design exploration and process automation for engineering workflows.

Broad incumbents

• Dassault Systèmes (3DEXPERIENCE): Provides CATIA and SIMULIA for product engineering, including parametric design and simulation. Comparable as a broad platform incumbent that addresses the same simulation-driven design and shape optimization use cases that CAESES targets.
• Altair: Broad CAE platform including Altair Inspire for concept design and shape optimization. Comparable as a major simulation-driven design competitor; notably the US subsidiary president Dhiren Marjadi is an Altair alumnus, illustrating the talent and capability overlap.
• ANSYS: Global leader in engineering simulation (CFD, FEA, electromagnetics) with broad optimization capabilities across multiple physics. Directly comparable as a CAE platform that overlaps with CAESES in shape optimization workflows, though operating at vastly larger scale and broader scope.
• Siemens Digital Industries Software (Simcenter): Simcenter portfolio includes STAR-CCM+ (a CAESES integration partner) plus broader CAE capabilities. Comparable as a major CAE platform that competes for simulation-driven design budgets, while also being a complementary integration partner for CAESES.

Emerging players

• nTopology: Engineering software combining generative design and simulation-driven optimization for advanced manufacturing. Comparable as an emerging player in design space exploration and engineering optimization, with overlap in additive manufacturing and performance-driven design.
• DATADVANCE (pSeven): Provider of pSeven, a platform for engineering process integration, design space exploration, and surrogate modeling. Comparable as an emerging player in simulation-driven design optimization, particularly in aerospace and automotive use cases that overlap with CAESES.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CAESES
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friendship-systems-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS