What Maison de la Simulation does

Maison de la Simulation (MdLS) is a joint French research laboratory (UAR 3441) founded in 2011 and hosted at CEA Saclay in Gif-sur-Yvette. It is jointly operated by four public research institutions: CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, and Université Versailles Saint-Quentin (UVSQ). The laboratory specializes in high-performance computing (HPC) and numerical simulations, with a remit spanning applied mathematics, computer science, and physics, and operates as a multidisciplinary research center, an engineering service unit, and a training hub for the French intensive-computing community.

The organization's core outputs are open-source HPC software tools and engineering support for major scientific simulation codes. Proprietary tools include DDC (a C++ header-only library for multi-dimensional meshes using Kokkos and mdspan), Deisa (a Dask-based PDI plugin for in-situ analytics on MPI codes), PDI (a data interface for loose coupling of simulation codes), TiledViz (a web-based collaborative visualization tool for video walls), and YML (a workflow middleware). The lab co-leads the Kokkos C++ performance-portability ecosystem, now a Linux Foundation project. It supports and co-develops production simulation codes including ARK2-MHD (magnetohydrodynamics), GYSELA-X++ (gyrokinetic plasma), Smilei (Particle-In-Cell), deMon2k and MDFT (computational chemistry), AMITEX_FFTP (mechanics), and canoeP (CFD). Applications span astrophysics, plasma physics, light/matter interaction, physical chemistry, and energy research.

MdLS operates as a publicly funded entity; it has no commercial pricing model and does not generate private revenue. Its mission is to guide, support, and stimulate scientific communities in extracting maximum value from large-scale computing infrastructure, particularly exascale systems such as Jean-Zay. The lab participates in the NumPEx PEPR national program, collaborates with Inria, IDRIS, RIKEN, and LISN, runs university master's programs (CHPS, HPC-AI, AMS, DFE), and delivers training in parallel IO, in-situ analytics, and Kokkos. Go-to-market is community-led via publications, seminars, training events, open-source distribution on GitHub, and direct co-development partnerships with scientific code teams.

Name

Maison de la Simulation

Legal name

Maison de la Simulation

Website

https://mdls.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Maison de la Simulation is a joint French public research laboratory (UAR 3441) between CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, and UVSQ, developing open-source HPC software (Kokkos, DDC, PDI, Deisa, TiledViz) and supporting simulation codes for scientific communities in astrophysics, plasma physics, chemistry, and energy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Gif-sur-Yvette

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: Funded as a joint laboratory between CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique), CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, and Université Versailles Saint-Quentin. Operates as UAR 3441 under French public research institution classification.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Maison de la Simulation (MdLS) is a joint French public research laboratory (UAR 3441) that develops and maintains open-source high-performance computing (HPC) software tools and supports scientific communities in numerical simulation. It produces software libraries for performance portability, in-situ data analysis, visualization, and workflow management, while providing expertise and engineering support for major simulation codes in fields such as astrophysics, plasma physics, chemistry, and materials science.

Product overview

Maison de la Simulation operates as a joint laboratory between CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, and Université Versailles Saint-Quentin, specializing in high-performance computing and numerical simulations. The organization functions as a multi-disciplinary research center, service unit, and training hub for the French HPC community. Its product portfolio consists primarily of open-source scientific software tools: DDC (discrete domain computation library), Deisa (Dask-enabled in-situ analytics), Kokkos (C++ performance portability ecosystem co-developed), PDI (data interface for simulation codes), TiledViz (collaborative visualization tool), and YML (workflow middleware). Additionally, the organization provides expertise and support for major simulation codes including ARK2-MHD, GYSELA-X++, deMon2k, MDFT, Smilei, AMITEX_FFTP, and canoeP. The tools focus on performance portability, in-situ data analysis, visualization, and workflow management for exascale computing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DDC (Discrete Domain Computation library) A header-only C++ library that implements tools for multi-dimensional meshes, providing multi-dimensional containers, iterators over geometric elements, and type-safe array indexing for CPU/GPU performance-portable computing on HPC systems. It is intended for HPC developers and scientific simulation code authors.
• Deisa (Dask-enabled in situ analytics) A tool to couple MPI simulation codes with Dask analytics for in-situ data analysis, enabling simulation codes to send data directly to worker memory and schedule associated analysis tasks for execution during numerical simulations. It targets HPC researchers running large-scale parallel simulations.
• Kokkos C++ Performance Portability Ecosystem A C++ Performance Portability Ecosystem co-developed by MdLS for writing modern applications in a hardware-agnostic way, enabling performance-portable code across GPUs and CPUs from different vendors on HPC systems.
• PDI (PDI Data Interface) A data interface supporting loose coupling of simulation codes with libraries for parameter reading, data initialization, post-processing, result storage, visualization, fault tolerance, logging, and code-coupling. It is intended for developers of scientific simulation codes.
• TiledViz A web-based tiled visualization tool for face-to-face or remote collaborative scientific analysis, enabling management and display of simulation result sets with metadata-based sorting, selective zooming, and video wall integration. It targets scientific research teams analyzing large simulation outputs.
• YML A research tool for using global computing middleware such as GRID, Peer-to-Peer, and metacomputing environments, enabling the definition of parallel applications independently of the underlying middleware.
• ARK2-MHD

Named customers6 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

Integration10 records

AI capability8 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary host institution and founding partner of the joint laboratory. CEA provides research directors, scientists, and engineers who constitute the main research workforce. The laboratory is located at CEA Saclay campus.
• CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary research partner providing researchers and engineers to the joint laboratory. CNRS researchers contribute to various research themes and software development activities.
• Université Paris-SaclaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding university partner providing academic affiliation, student supervision, and involvement in master's programs including HPC-AI and Computer Science programs.
• Université Versailles Saint-Quentin (UVSQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding university partner contributing researchers and involved in the CHPS (Calcul Haute Performance et Simulation) master program at UVSQ.
• InriamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on joint software development projects including Deisa (Dask-enabled in situ analytics) with Inria Grenoble. Inria researchers co-supervise PhD students and contribute to software projects.
• IDRIS (Institut du Développement et des Ressources en Informatique Scientifique)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational HPC center providing access to supercomputing resources. MDLS engineers participate in user-facing software stack deployment on Jean-Zay supercomputer.
• LISN (Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Sciences du Numérique)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint laboratory partner collaborating on TiledViz development. LISN contributes researchers and development expertise to visualization projects.
• TheoSim Group at ICP OrsayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration for deMon2k code support focusing on debugging, optimization, parallelization, and GPU implementation of density functional theory calculations.
• NumPEx PEPR ProgrammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench national research program on exascale computing. MDLS participates in Exa-DoST project (data management for exascale) and Exa-Soft project. Provides access to cutting-edge HPC infrastructure.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• HLRS (High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart): One of Germany's three national HPC centers. Operates large-scale simulation support and training programs, with significant overlap in numerical methods and HPC user support.
• CINECA: Italian non-profit HPC consortium operating major supercomputing systems. Comparable role in supporting national scientific communities with HPC expertise and software engineering.
• Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC): Spain's national HPC research center, similarly focused on exascale programming models, performance portability, and scientific simulation. Closest European peer in mission, scale, and software ecosystem contribution.
• Argonne National Laboratory: US Department of Energy national laboratory with a major HPC and exascale computing mission. Direct peer in co-developing HPC software ecosystems and supporting scientific simulation communities.
• Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC): Germany's flagship HPC center at Forschungszentrum Jülich. Comparable mission around exascale computing, parallel programming environments, and serving national scientific communities.
• RIKEN R-CCS: Japan's flagship HPC research center, operator of the Fugaku supercomputer. Listed as a direct MdLS collaboration partner, and a peer in exascale programming models and scientific simulation.

Broad incumbents

• Kitware: Commercial R&D software company that develops ParaView, VTK, and other widely adopted HPC visualization tools. Broad incumbent in HPC visualization with overlapping mission in serving scientific simulation communities.
• INRIA: France's national computer science and applied mathematics institute. Direct collaborator with MdLS on Deisa and joint PhD supervision, and a much larger peer with overlapping HPC, programming models, and scientific computing mission.

Regional players

• IDRIS: France's CNRS-operated national HPC computing center. Provides supercomputing resources that MdLS engineers help deploy on (e.g., Jean-Zay) and shares the French intensive computing ecosystem with MdLS.

Others

• GENCI: French national HPC agency that funds and coordinates access to national supercomputers. Ecosystem counterpart to MdLS — not a research lab itself, but a key funding and infrastructure partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQovnCUDeCigoqiZloARuww
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maison-de-la-simulation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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