ANSYS, the global leader and innovator of engineering simulation software, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Granta Design, the premier provider of materials information technology. The acquisition expands ANSYS' portfolio into this important area, giving ANSYS customers access to material intelligence, including data that is critical to successful simulations. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019. Management will provide further details regarding the transaction and its impact on the 2019 financial outlook after the closing.

With advances in the performance of metals, plastics and other materials, including innovations in areas such as composites and additive manufacturing, manufacturers have a wealth of material choices when developing products. At the same time, they require accurate, traceable and reliable materials information to make smart materials choices and to ensure simulation accuracy. With this acquisition, ANSYS customers can benefit from access to the world's premier system for managing corporate material intelligence and the market-leading solution for materials sources, selection and management. Granta customers can expect even easier access to ANSYS' gold-standard simulation technology. Granta will continue its open ecosystem, integrating with a wide range of leading product lifecycle management, CAD and computer-aided engineering solutions.

Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, Granta Design has over 180 employees. Its products include GRANTA MI, the leading system for enterprise materials information management and CES Selector, which enables users to explore the impact that different materials have on the behavior of their products. Granta also develops CES EduPack, the world's leading teaching resource for materials topics in engineering, science, processing and design which is used by more than 1,000 universities worldwide. Granta's customers include Airbus, General Motors, Emerson Electric, Lockheed Martin, NASA, Saudi Aramco and Rolls-Royce.

"Granta Design has pioneered the field of materials information technology," said Shane Emswiler, ANSYS vice president and general manager. "With materials engineering becoming an increasingly important aspect of product development, our customers require high-quality and comprehensive materials information for accurate simulation results. Integrating Granta's solutions into the ANSYS portfolio will provide a seamless user experience – and enable our customers to innovate like never before."

"For nearly 50 years, ANSYS has been the leader in engineering simulation," said David Cebon, co-founder and managing director of Granta Design. "Combining that expertise with Granta's decades of experience in material intelligence will help our customers make smarter decisions when developing their next-generation products."