What Shearwater Technology does

Shearwater Technology, Inc. is a privately held Illinois-incorporated small business founded in 2011 that provides Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis (MS&A) engineering consulting services to government and commercial clients. The firm specializes in highly dynamic event simulation — impact, shock, penetration, blast effects, energetic material response, and fragmentation — using first-principles numerical tools including hydrocodes (CTH, ALE3D, LS-DYNA, EPIC, SPHC), finite element analysis, and the Sandia-developed DAKOTA framework for multi-disciplinary optimization, uncertainty quantification, and design-of-experiments analyses. Shearwater also develops custom fast-running physics-based and semi-empirical engineering models that are integrated into client parent codes for system-level effectiveness and vulnerability assessments, and provides engineering software development (C, C++, FORTRAN, Python, MATLAB, SCILAB) and mesh generation services.

The company's technology backbone relies on Penguin Computing's POD (Penguin-on-Demand) HPC cluster for ITAR-compliant, computationally intensive analyses, eliminating the need for in-house HPC capital investment. Its business model is professional services: project-based engineering consulting engagements delivered primarily through direct engagement (email, phone, website contact) and accessed by government clients via contract vehicles including AMCOM Express/Torch and TESTLA/Exelis. With 11-50 employees and no disclosed external funding, Shearwater is a small, founder-owned consultancy competing in a niche defense and commercial engineering simulation market where technical expertise and security-cleared personnel are the primary value drivers.

Customer-facing operations are limited to North America (United States), and the firm maintains no disclosed marketing channels beyond its website, no social media presence, and no documented leadership changes, M&A activity, or funding events. Its revenue model is entirely services-based with no productized software, SaaS offering, or app, and pricing is custom quote-based with no publicly disclosed rates.

Name

Shearwater Technology

Legal name

Shearwater Technology, Inc.

Website

https://shearwater-tech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shearwater Technology is a privately owned Illinois engineering consultancy, founded in 2011, that provides modeling, simulation, and analysis (MS&A) services in impact, shock, blast, and material dynamics to US defense and commercial clients using hydrocodes, FEA, and HPC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Morton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Services and Consulting: Professional engineering consulting services providing Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis (MS&A) support to government and commercial clients. Revenue generated through project-based engagements, likely with government contract vehicles (AMCOM Express, TESTLA) for public sector work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Shearwater Technology is a privately owned small business that delivers modeling, simulation, and analysis (MS&A) engineering consulting services to government and commercial clients. Its core offering spans hydrocode and hydro-structural analysis, finite element and stress analysis, engineering model development, multi-disciplinary optimization, custom engineering software development, and access to High Performance Computing, applied to impact, shock, penetration, blast, energetic materials, and fragmentation problems.

Product overview

Shearwater Technology provides engineering consulting services focused on Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis (MS&A) solutions for government and commercial sectors. The company offers six integrated service capabilities: Hydrocode and Hydro-structural Analysis, Finite Element Analysis, Engineering Model Development, Multi-Disciplinary Optimization using the DAKOTA framework, Software Development, and High Performance Computing services. These services are delivered using specialized numerical tools (LS-DYNA, CTH, ALE3D, EPIC) and are applied to domains including impact, shock, penetration, material dynamics, blast effects, and fragmentation. The company was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hydrocode and Hydro-structural Analysis First-principles numerical simulation services for highly dynamic events including impact, shocks, penetration, blast, and energetic material reactivity, using Lagrangian, Eulerian, and SPH methods across hydrocodes such as CTH, ALE3D, LS-DYNA, EPIC, and SPHC. Delivered for government and commercial clients needing accurate prediction of product and system performance under extreme dynamic conditions.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Penguin ComputingcoreTechnology or IntegrationShearwater utilizes Penguin Computing's POD (Penguin on Demand) high-performance computing cluster to perform large, complex computations for clients. The POD provides cost-effective access to high-value computational assets with ITAR compliance and enhanced security options.
• Sandia National LaboratoriescoreTechnology or IntegrationShearwater utilizes the open-source DAKOTA framework developed by Sandia National Laboratories for Multi-Disciplinary Optimization analyses. DAKOTA performs automated iterative analyses using gradient-based, derivative-free, and global optimizations.
• LSTC (Livermore Software Technology Corporation)coreTechnology or IntegrationShearwater uses LSTC LS-DYNA software for large-scale finite element analyses, stress-strain-failure analyses, and hydro-structural simulations. LS-DYNA is a core tool in their service offerings.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• ANSYS: Dominant general-purpose simulation software vendor (Ansys Mechanical, LS-DYNA, AUTODYN) widely used in the same impact/blast/defense applications as Shearwater's service work. Comparable technology arena but operates as a software and broad consulting incumbent.
• ESI Group: Established simulation software and services provider covering crash, impact, and dynamic response across automotive and aerospace. Comparable in offering FEA/integrated simulation services but at much larger scale and with a commercial heavy footprint.
• Applied Research Associates (ARA): Larger defense R&D firm with a strong MS&A practice delivering simulation-driven solutions across weapons effects, blast, and survivability. Comparable technology stack but much broader scope and substantially larger workforce.
• Dassault Systèmes SIMULIA: Provider of Abaqus and related simulation tools used in FEA and dynamic event analysis. Competes for the same engineering simulation service work in defense and commercial sectors, though anchored on a large software platform.

Direct peers

• Veryst Engineering: Small engineering services firm specializing in FEA, multi-physics simulation, and failure analysis for product design and safety. Closely comparable to Shearwater in size, niche simulation focus, and mixed defense/commercial client base.
• ATA Engineering: Mid-sized engineering services firm specializing in structural dynamics, vibration, and FEA for aerospace and defense. Comparable in providing advanced simulation services leveraging similar commercial codes and HPC infrastructure.
• Computational Engineering International (CEI): Provides engineering software and consulting centered on multi-physics simulation including impact, blast, and structural response. Directly comparable in offering a blend of simulation tools (e.g., EnSight) and engineering services to industrial and defense clients.
• KBSI (Knowledge Based Systems Inc.): Small minority-owned defense contractor providing engineering analysis, simulation, and software development services to DoD and commercial clients. Comparable in size, GTM model (government contract vehicles), and technical MS&A offerings.

Others

• Engineering Sciences Center (Sandia National Laboratories): National lab that developed the DAKOTA optimization framework and CTH hydrocode used by Shearwater. Not a direct competitor but a key technology and credentialing reference point that shapes the company's capabilities and customer network.

Emerging players

• Midé Technology: Small engineering firm offering FEA, structural, and dynamic analysis services alongside sensor and product development. Comparable in being a small-shop multi-disciplinary engineering services provider serving defense-adjacent markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shearwater-technology-inc

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 Shearwater Technology