AWV Informatik

What AWV Informatik does

AWV Informatik AG is a Swiss private software company, founded in 1995 and headquartered in St. Gallen, that develops and licenses ClassCAD, a headless, programmable CAD engine, along with a surrounding developer product stack. Its three commercial products are ClassCAD (the geometry engine, also deployable as WebAssembly for browser-native operation), Buerli (a JavaScript/TypeScript client SDK that connects to ClassCAD for building custom browser-based CAD applications), and Buerligons (an interactive parametric, history-based CAD application that runs entirely in the browser). The technology is differentiated by its API-first, procedural-modeling architecture, which exposes feature-based Part and Assembly APIs for programmatic creation, parametric control, and automation of CAD geometry — positioning the product for embedding inside larger software systems rather than as a standalone desktop authoring tool.

The company serves two primary customer groups: software developers and engineering teams who build custom, domain-specific CAD applications on top of ClassCAD/Buerli, and end-user organizations (notably manufacturers) that consume those embedded applications. The largest named customer and 26% strategic owner is TDM Systems (Sandvik), whose tool data management system embeds ClassCAD and accounts for tens of thousands of end users worldwide; other disclosed customers include Glowbuzzer (robotics), FMS Technology (configuration tools), Wemonte (test-adapter configurators), and PT Blink. The revenue model combines a free non-commercial tier, an end-user commercial license at CHF 100/year, a distribution license at CHF 5,000/year for embedding in hosted services or web applications, and a Gold Partner program offering professional services and dedicated support. Go-to-market is product-led and developer-first (self-serve registration, GitHub repositories, Discord community, technical blog), supplemented by direct enterprise invoicing for larger commercial and distribution customers. The company is employee-owned and bootstrapped, with no external funding rounds, and operates primarily across Europe and North America.

Name

AWV Informatik

Legal name

AWV Informatik AG

Website

https://awv-informatik.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AWV Informatik AG is a Swiss, employee-owned software company that develops ClassCAD, a headless programmable CAD engine, plus a JS/TS SDK (Buerli) and a browser-based CAD app (Buerligons), serving software developers and engineering teams who embed CAD functionality into web and cloud applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Developer Portals, SDKs & Documentation Platforms (BPAMADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Developer Experience Platforms for Enterprise (IDEs, CI/CD, Dev Portals) (HDAEAKAI)

Keywords

• CAD software development
• Programmable CAD engine
• Browser-based CAD
• CAD SDK development
• Parametric CAD modeling

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Gallen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commercial Subscriptions (End-User License): Annual subscription for commercial use without distribution. ClassCAD key valid for 12 months, auto-renews unless cancelled 30 days prior.
2. Distribution Licenses: Annual subscription for commercial use with distribution (providing software functionality to third parties via hosted services or web applications). ClassCAD key used to operate service on behalf of end users.
3. Non-Commercial Use: Free tier for educational, research, evaluation, or personal purposes. Free ClassCAD key with 3-month evaluation period.
4. Professional Services (Gold Partners): Development, customization, or consulting services provided to Gold Partners at standard professional service rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AWV Informatik develops and licenses ClassCAD, a headless programmable CAD engine, together with the Buerli JavaScript/TypeScript client SDK and the Buerligons browser-based parametric CAD application. These products enable developers and engineering teams to build custom web-based, cloud, and automated CAD applications, with deployment via native server-side or WebAssembly (WASM) in the browser.

Product overview

AWV Informatik offers a three-product CAD ecosystem: ClassCAD serves as the headless, programmable CAD engine (launched 1995) providing core geometry and licensing; Buerli is the JavaScript/TypeScript client SDK (launched 2015) for building browser-based CAD applications; and Buerligons (launched 2022) is the interactive demo application showcasing parametric, history-based CAD functionality. The products are designed to work together seamlessly, with ClassCAD powering the backend engine, Buerli providing the developer interface, and Buerligons demonstrating end-user capabilities. All solutions emphasize programmable, cloud-based, and flexible CAD accessible via browser without installation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ClassCAD: Headless, programmable CAD engine for building web-based, cloud and automated CAD applications
• Buerli
• Buerligons

Products and services

• ClassCAD A headless, programmable CAD engine that serves as the core geometry kernel and licensing system for building web-based, cloud, and automated CAD applications. Supports native server-side and WASM browser deployment modes. Licensed via ClassCAD Key for non-commercial (free), commercial internal (CHF 100/year), and distribution (CHF 5,000/year) use.
• Buerli A JavaScript/TypeScript client SDK that connects with ClassCAD, allowing developers to build custom browser-based CAD applications with parametric modeling capabilities.
• Buerligons An interactive, browser-based parametric, history-based CAD application that runs entirely in the browser via WASM, demonstrating the combined capabilities of ClassCAD and Buerli.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tens of thousands of users worldwide powered by ClassCAD technology
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Open Design Alliance: Open Design Alliance provides DWG-compatible libraries, SDKs, and developer tools for building CAD applications. Most directly comparable to AWV in the developer-facing CAD platform space.

Broad incumbents

• Autodesk: Autodesk offers AutoCAD, Fusion 360, and AutoCAD APIs/developer tools serving a massive installed base. The dominant CAD incumbent whose pricing and licensing AWV directly undercuts.
• PTC (Onshape): PTC's Onshape is a cloud-native, SaaS-delivered CAD platform with API access. It overlaps with AWV's browser-native, programmable CAD thesis but targets end users directly rather than OEMs and developers.
• Siemens Digital Industries Software: Siemens offers Solid Edge and NX with strong CAD/PLM integration and APIs, serving large manufacturing enterprises. Broad incumbent comparable to AWV's CAD-for-manufacturing use cases.
• Bricsys: Bricsys offers BricsCAD, a DWG-compatible CAD platform with APIs and SDKs. Comparable as a developer-friendly CAD platform, though broader in scope and less focused on headless/embeddable deployment.
• Dassault Systèmes: Dassault's SolidWorks and 3DEXPERIENCE platforms offer CAD APIs and component libraries for enterprise integration, with broader PLM scope than AWV's specialized offering.
• Trimble (SketchUp): Trimble's SketchUp and other CAD/AEC tools offer developer APIs and a global installed base. Broad incumbent with comparable developer-facing CAD API exposure.

Emerging players

• nTopology: nTopology provides programmatic, implicit-modeling engineering CAD tools for advanced manufacturing. Comparable as an emerging player in code-native, generative CAD but focused on higher-end engineering workflows.
• FreeCAD: FreeCAD is an open-source parametric 3D modeler with an active developer community and scripting API. Comparable as a developer-focused, code-native CAD project though open-source and not a commercial product.
• Shapr3D: Shapr3D offers cross-device (iPad/Mac/Windows) parametric CAD. Comparable as an emerging, modern CAD platform though focused on direct end-users rather than developer embeddable CAD.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/buerli_io
• GitHubgithub.com/awv-informatik
• LinkedInch.linkedin.com/company/awv-informatik

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 AWV Informatik