Siemens (Munich, Germany) announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Culgi, a computational chemistry software company with a focus on multiscale simulations in the process industries. Culgi will join Siemens Digital Industries Software, where its solutions will expand simulation capabilities of the Xcelerator portfolio with quantum and molecular chemistry models that seamlessly couple with the continuum approach in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ software. This unique engineering workflow can deliver significant cost savings and accelerate innovation in the materials and process industries, increasing the potential for product and process transformations.
"Innovations in soft materials engineering begin at the quantum and molecular levels," said Jan Leuridan, Senior Vice President, Simulation and Test Solutions, Siemens Digital Industries Software. "With Culgi technology as part of the Simcenter portfolio, process engineers will gain access to a comprehensive digital twin that combines micro-scale, meso-scale and macro-scale modeling. This tightly integrated workflow enables the design exploration of advanced materials in the context of product performance objectives, and we welcome the team to Siemens."
The acquisition of Culgi builds on Siemens' November 2019 acquisition of MultiMechanics, which added efficient prediction of solid material properties and behavior to the Simcenter portfolio. Through the addition of Culgi's soft materials simulation, Simcenter can now offer a unique integrated CAE solution that enables performance-driven optimization of advanced materials.
"We are excited to join Siemens and help create the future of simulation software," said Johannes Fraaije, Professor at Leiden University and CEO of Culgi. "Virtual screening of novel materials in an early stage of development is a key enabler of digitalization in the chemical industries. With the integration of Culgi molecular simulation software and services within the Simcenter portfolio, engineers have an extra handle to design materials efficiently and effectively, with desired properties all along the value chain from inception, to process development, to logistics and market analysis."
Founded in 1999 in Leiden, The Netherlands, Culgi provides expertise and develops software solutions for multiscale chemistry simulation, from quantum chemistry to molecular dynamics. Its products are used by companies to design and analyze new materials in domains such as specialty chemicals, batteries, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. The transaction is expected to close in calendar year 2020. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.