NextFEM

What NextFEM does

NextFEM SRLS is an Italian structural-engineering software company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Oderzo, Treviso. Its flagship product, NextFEM Designer, is a finite element analysis (FEA) program for structural analysis covering static, modal, stability, dynamic, thermal, linear and non-linear analyses, with advanced pre- and post-processing capabilities. The platform is built around a free, no-limit base version that engineers download directly, supplemented by a modular catalog of paid add-ons for verification of steel (Eurocode 3), concrete, aluminum (Eurocode 9), wood (Eurocode 5, NTC), cold-formed sections, masonry, and fire resistance, plus specialized modules for scaffolding/stages (NextFEM Struct, co-developed with MEC CAD), bolted connections (NextJoints), and timber building foundations (TT Foundations). Supporting products include NeXel (Excel add-in), NextFEM Server (cloud computing, REST-based), the Grasshopper plugin, OpenSees pre/post-processing integration, and a Windows Store "Lite" variant.

The company operates a product-led growth model. The free base version with no node or element limits — even for professional use — is the primary acquisition channel, distributed via direct website download and the Microsoft Windows Store, with cloud credits issued on registration to drive cloud uptake. Paid modules are sold as one-time licenses via direct quote requests, and additional revenue is generated through usage-based cloud computing credits and custom software development services offered via NextFEM Server (including REST-based web verification rentals launched in 2025). NextFEM targets primarily structural engineers and small-to-mid design studios, with deeper specialization in Italian (NTC2008/2018) and European (Eurocode) regulatory compliance, and emphasizes interoperability with SAP2000, Midas GEN, Straus7, Abaqus/CalculiX, OpenSees, OOFEM, IFC/BIM and over 20 other structural and CAD formats via its ImportExport module. The firm is privately held with 1–10 employees and has not disclosed external funding.

Name

NextFEM

Legal name

NextFEM SRLS

Website

https://nextfem.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NextFEM is an Italian software company offering NextFEM Designer, a free finite element analysis program for structural engineers, with a modular catalog of paid verification add-ons for steel, concrete, wood, masonry, and scaffolding per Italian and European codes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Structural Engineering Software

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Engineering & Simulation (CFD/FEA, Digital Twins, Model-Based Engineering) (IMAJAGAL)

Keywords

• Structural analysis software
• Finite element analysis
• Structural engineering tools
• Construction verification software
• Engineering simulation software

Headquarters

HQ city

Oderzo

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Freemium Base Software: NextFEM Designer base version is provided free of charge without limitation, including for professional use. This creates a large user base that can be upsold to premium modules.
2. Paid Modules: Optional paid modules including General Design, AluCheck, Concrete, ColdFormed, FireSafe, MasonryCheck, NonLinear, and ImportExport. Also add-on products like NextJoints, NeXel, TT Foundations, and NextFEM Server.
3. Cloud Computing Credits: Cloud computing platform where users purchase credits to run analyses remotely. 10 free credits provided upon registration.
4. Custom Software Development Services: Custom software development services for entities, companies, or businesses seeking tailored solutions including customized programs, online and offline verification tools, internal product design management tools, and construction process management software. Offered via REST web services rental from 2025.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NextFEM develops and sells finite element analysis software for structural engineering, led by the free NextFEM Designer program. The platform is extended with paid verification modules (steel, concrete, aluminum, wood, masonry, cold-formed, fire resistance), an Excel add-in (NeXel), a scaffolding/stage verification module (NextFEM Struct), and a cloud computing service (NextFEM Server) for shared, distributed structural analysis.

Product overview

NextFEM offers a modular platform architecture centered on NextFEM Designer, a free finite element analysis program for structural engineering. The platform provides specialized add-on modules including General Design (load combinations, steel/wood verification), WoodCheck (timber/CLT), Struct (scaffolding, developed with MEC CAD), AluCheck (aluminum), Concrete (reinforced concrete), Section Analyzer (cross-section verification), ColdFormed (thin-walled profiles), ImportExport (format interoperability), NonLinear (nonlinear analysis), FireSafe (fire resistance), and MasonryCheck (masonry structures). Supporting products include NextJoints (bolted connection design), NextFEM TT Foundations (timber building foundations), NeXel (Excel integration), NextFEM Server (cloud computing), and various free tools including Web Tools, Grasshopper plugin, and OpenSees integration. The platform connects with major structural engineering software including SAP2000, Midas GEN, Straus7, Abaqus, OOFEM, IFC/BIM systems, and provides API access for advanced integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NextFEM Designer: Main finite element analysis software program for structural analysis
• NextFEM Struct
• NextJoints
• NextFEM TT Foundations
• NextFEM Server
• NeXel
• Section Analyzer
• General Design Module
• WoodCheck Module
• AluCheck Module
• Concrete Module
• ColdFormed Module
• FireSafe Module
• MasonryCheck Module
• Non-Linear Module
• ImportExport Module

Products and services

• NextFEM Designer Free finite element analysis program for structural engineering with intuitive interface, supporting static, modal, buckling, dynamic, and thermal analysis. Functions as standalone application or pre/post-processor for major FEM programs. Available as desktop app for Windows 64-bit or as NextFEM Designer Lite via Windows Store.
• General Design Module Adds automatic load combination generation according to NTC2018 and Eurocode 3, steel member verification, wood frame and CLT panel verification, DXF export, solid meshing with Netgen technology, parametric analysis, and customizable calculation reports.
• WoodCheck Module Verification of rectangular and circular timber sections for beams and columns according to NTC2008/2018 and Eurocode 5. Includes CLT panel verification from version 1.8.
• NextFEM Struct Specialized solution for scaffolding and grandstand calculation and verification, developed in partnership with MEC CAD. One-click import from PON CAD with automatic structural analysis using OOFEM solver, compliant with UNI EN 12811 and NTC2018.
• AluCheck Module Verification of aluminum members according to Eurocode 9 (EN 1999-1-1) for general structures, scaffolding, or shelving.
• Concrete Module Verification of all reinforced concrete structures with intuitive interface for adding rebar to beams, columns, and walls. Supports any discretization of reinforcement along beams, columns, and walls for both longitudinal bars and stirrups.
• Section Analyzer Verification of sections of any shape and dimension regardless of material for both Ultimate and Serviceability Limit States. Supports reinforced/pre-stressed concrete sections, steel, aluminum, beams, columns, walls and plates, FRP and FRCM reinforcement, and fire resistance verification.
• ColdFormed Module Verification of thin-walled profiles according to Eurocode 3 parts 1-3 and 1-5 (steel) and Eurocode 9 1-4 (aluminum). Section reduction is calculated iteratively.
• ImportExport Module Enables import and/or export of calculation models from and to over 20 proprietary and non-proprietary formats including SAP2000, Midas GEN, Straus7, Abaqus/CalculiX, Sismicad, CDM Dolmen, IFC, DXF, SAF, and more.
• NonLinear Module Adds nonlinear spring elements and plastic hinges suitable for use in static and dynamic analyses. Includes hook/gap, bi- and tri-linear laws, Pivot, Tomazevic-Lutman and ring cycles, and symmetric/asymmetric slip-type laws.
• FireSafe Module Fire resistance verification for reinforced concrete, steel, and aluminum structures. Includes thermal analysis of modeled element sections with verification using the analytical method, compatible with Eurocode requirements.
• MasonryCheck Module Verification of unreinforced masonry buildings and nonlinear monotonic and cyclic analysis in static and dynamic conditions using dedicated macro-elements. From version 2.0, includes reinforced masonry verification.
• NextJoints One-click calculation of bolted shear connections in steel and aluminum structures. Available as standalone application or plugin for NextFEM Designer.
• NextFEM TT Foundations Plugin for fully automatic modeling and verification of reinforced concrete foundations for TimberTech Buildings structures. Imports CSV output from TimberTech Buildings to create complete calculation models for inverted beam and mat foundations.
• NextFEM Server Cloud technology enabling structural engineering studios to have shared support and collaborative distributed approach to projects. Runs on all server systems including Azure, accessible via REST, ASP.NET, Python, JavaScript and more. Features remote analysis management, section resistance calculation, format conversion, BIM support, and custom web verification services.
• NeXel Excel add-in for working with model data and results directly in Excel. Provides formula functions for model access, unit conversion, and Live Link for real-time data transport to/from NextFEM Designer. Requires Excel 2013 or higher.
• NextFEM Designer Lite Lightweight version of NextFEM Designer available through Microsoft Windows Store for easy discovery and installation.
• NextFEM Web Tools Free online tools for structural engineering calculations including NTC spectra generation, online model viewer, and ASCII Equation for Office.
• OpenSees Integration NextFEM Designer acts as pre- and post-processor for OpenSees. Supports TCL model import, fiber section export, load conversion, results import from recorders, and advanced analysis procedures including response spectrum and pushover analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• No node or element limitations in free base version
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration23 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MEC CADcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNextFEM Struct module was developed in partnership with MEC CAD, a company with long experience in scaffolding, stages, and related design software. PON CAD. NextFEM Struct offers one-click import of structures designed in PON CAD with automatic structural analysis and verification according to UNI EN 12811 and NTC2018 standards. The module is distributed by MEC CAD within the NextFEM Struct product.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Dassault Systèmes SIMULIA (Abaqus): SIMULIA's Abaqus FEA suite is the high-end incumbent in structural and nonlinear simulation. NextFEM Designer supports Abaqus/CalculiX import/export, positioning itself as a more accessible pre/post-processor adjacent to this platform.
• ANSYS: ANSYS Mechanical and ANSYS Structural are the broadest commercial FEA platforms, spanning structural, thermal, and multiphysics simulation. NextFEM interoperates with ANSYS-compatible solvers (Abaqus/CalculiX) and competes in the structural subset at a much smaller scale.
• Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis: Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professional is the AEC-giant's structural FEA offering, bundled with Revit/AEC workflows — comparable in scope to NextFEM's structural analysis suite but distributed through Autodesk's massive global AEC channel.
• Computers & Structures, Inc. (CSI): CSI produces SAP2000, ETABS, SAFE, and CSiBridge — the dominant commercial structural analysis suite globally, with NextFEM interoperating with SAP2000 via .S2K import/export. Direct overlap in functionality but vastly larger installed base and resources.

Direct peers

• Dlubal Software: Dlubal offers structural FEA and design software (RFEM, RSTAB) for engineers — closest like-for-like competitor to NextFEM, serving structural engineers across steel, timber, concrete, and aluminum with European standards compliance and a modular paid-product model.
• RISA Technologies: RISA-3D, RISAFloor, RISAFoundation, and RISAConnection are structural engineering FEA/design tools serving a comparable SMB engineer audience with similar material-by-material verification modules and North American/European code compliance.
• Strand7: Strand7 is a general-purpose FEA package with strong adoption in structural engineering, offering linear/non-linear static and dynamic analysis similar to NextFEM Designer, with a perpetual-license model and interoperability-focused workflow.
• IDEA StatiCa: IDEA StatiCa specializes in structural connection and member design (steel, concrete, timber) with strong Eurocode compliance — directly comparable to NextFEM's NextJoints, General Design, and material-specific verification modules.
• MIDAS IT: MIDAS Gen, midas Civil, and midas Structural Design serve structural engineers for buildings, bridges, and civil structures — a comparable commercial FEA platform with deep BIM and international code compliance.
• SCIA Engineer (Trimble): SCIA Engineer is a structural FEA software for buildings, with similar feature scope (steel/concrete/timber verification, BIM integration) and a comparable target engineer persona, now distributed via Trimble's AEC channel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NextFEM_
• Facebookfacebook.com/nextfem
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nextfem
• Instagraminstagram.com/nextfem_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 NextFEM