Autodesk Research

Name

Autodesk Research

Legal name

Autodesk Inc.

Website

https://autodeskresearch.com

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Autodesk Research conducts industrial research exploring how technology can be applied to emerging design and make challenges across AEC, manufacturing, media/entertainment, and automotive sectors. The division develops advanced computational tools, AI/ML systems, robotics research, and simulation platforms, releasing outputs as open-source software (e.g., XLB CFD solver), prototypes (e.g., StoryArc), and collaborative research initiatives delivered through Technology Centers and the Residency Program.

Product overview

Autodesk Research is an industrial research division that explores how technology can be applied to emerging design and make challenges across multiple industry verticals. Rather than a single product, Autodesk Research operates as a research organization offering open-source software libraries (XLB for CFD), prototypes (StoryArc), and collaborative research capabilities (AI Lab, Generative Design, Media and Entertainment Research) that serve customers in Architecture/Engineering/Construction, Manufacturing, Construction, and Media/Entertainment sectors. Their work spans computational fluid dynamics, robotics, AI-driven design, and additive construction, delivered through Technology Centers and a Residency Program that connect digital design with physical fabrication and validation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accelerated Lattice Boltzmann (XLB) Library
• Autodesk Technology Centers

Quantifiable outcome

• AI-driven robotic assembly system achieved over 90% user preference in studies compared to alternative approaches
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability11 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Hyundai (New Horizons Studio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership where Autodesk Research worked with Hyundai's New Horizons Studio to evaluate UMV (Urban Mobility Vehicle) prototypes using generative design. This collaboration helped inform mechanical design direction for autonomous vehicles. John Suh, Founding Director of New Horizons Studio, described Autodesk Research as an important partner since the early days of the studio.
• Additive TectonicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to develop 3D-printed floor systems using Selective Cement Activation (SCA) technology. The partnership combines Autodesk Research's computational expertise with Additive Tectonics' additive construction capabilities to create sustainable building solutions with reduced embodied carbon.
• University of NottinghamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with University of Nottingham's Centre for Additive Manufacturing on multi-material laser powder bed fusion research. The partnership analyzed interface orientation effects on defect formation in IN718 and GRCop-42 bimetallic structures for aerospace applications, with findings published in Additive Manufacturing Letters.
• Manufacturing Technology CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner alongside University of Nottingham on multi-material LPBF research for aerospace applications. The Manufacturing Technology Centre contributes manufacturing technology expertise to the joint research effort analyzing defect formation in bimetallic structures.
• MIT (Researchers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative development of AI-driven robotic assembly systems enabling non-experts to build physical objects through text prompts. MIT researchers and Autodesk Research developed generative AI systems for creating 3D representations and robotic assembly of furniture from prefabricated parts.
• NVIDIAcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership leveraging NVIDIA Warp framework and GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip for the Accelerated Lattice Boltzmann (XLB) computational fluid dynamics library. NVIDIA's hardware and software ecosystem enabled ~8x speedup in CFD simulations compared to previous GPU-accelerated solutions.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dassault Systèmes: Dassault Systèmes competes with Autodesk across CAD, CAM and PLM and runs an industrial research program (e.g., 3DEXPERIENCE Lab) covering generative design, additive manufacturing and robotics — the same pillars Autodesk Research pursues. Both organizations invest in next-generation design-to-make workflows.
• ANSYS: ANSYS is the leading commercial CAE/simulation software vendor and the closest product-level competitor to Autodesk's simulation research. Like Autodesk Research, it invests heavily in computational fluid dynamics and AI-augmented simulation workflows that bridge traditional CAE with machine learning.
• Adobe Research: Adobe Research is the industrial research arm of Adobe, focused on AI, computer graphics, HCI and content creation — directly paralleling Autodesk Research's HCI/Visualization and Media & Entertainment programs. Both divisions feed innovation back into widely-used creative software platforms.
• PTC: PTC competes with Autodesk in CAD and PLM (Creo, Onshape) and invests in generative design, IoT and AR/VR research for manufacturing. Its applied research focus on design-to-manufacturing digital threads overlaps with Autodesk Research's Manufacturing and AEC verticals.
• Siemens Technology (Siemens Research): Siemens is both a CAD/PLM competitor (Solid Edge, NX) and an industrial conglomerate with a major corporate research arm covering simulation, robotics, additive manufacturing and digital twins — a near-direct functional analogue of Autodesk Research within a competing industrial software parent.

Others

• Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence: Hexagon's manufacturing intelligence division invests in simulation, metrology, CAD/CAM and additive-manufacturing software — overlapping with Autodesk Research's Manufacturing and aerospace additive-manufacturing research. It is an adjacent industrial software peer rather than a direct competitor.
• GE Research: GE Research is a long-standing industrial research division of a diversified industrial conglomerate, working on additive manufacturing, materials science, robotics and digital twins — closely mirroring Autodesk Research's Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing programs within a similar parent-company model.
• Google Research (incl. Google DeepMind): Google Research and Google DeepMind conduct foundational AI, robotics and simulation research that intersects with multiple Autodesk Research programs (AI Lab, robotics, AI-physics modeling). It is a talent competitor and a frontier technical peer rather than a product peer.
• NVIDIA Research: NVIDIA Research develops the Warp framework and Grace Hopper hardware that powers Autodesk Research's XLB CFD library. While not a direct competitor, NVIDIA's parallel work on GPU-accelerated simulation, differentiable physics and AI agents makes it both a critical partner and a frontier peer in the same technical space.
• Microsoft Research: Microsoft Research is a large industrial research division covering AI, robotics, HCI and systems — all areas that overlap with Autodesk Research's portfolio. While not a product competitor, it competes for the same research talent and publishes in the same venues.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Autodesk Research