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Dive Brief:
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Siemens AG said it acquired DownStream Technologies, a Massachusetts-based provider of manufacturing data preparation software for printed circuit board design.
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The deal, which closed April 7, strengthens Siemens’ software design portfolio and expands its footprint in the electronics market for small and medium-sized businesses, according to a news release. Financial terms were not disclosed.
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DownStream’s digital tools — such as the CAM350, BluePrint-PCB and DFMStream — are used for data analysis and processing and documenting the designs of printed circuit boards, which hold together the components of an electronic circuit.
Dive Insight:
The DownStream deal is the latest acquisition by Siemens as the German multinational group looks to advance its automation and AI capabilities. Last month, the company purchased Michigan-based Altair Engineering for $10 billion, its largest acquisition to date. Siemens can now leverage Altair’s technology for its digital twin tool Xcelerator.
Mike Ellow, CEO of Siemens EDA, a business unit within Siemens Digital Industries Software that is focused on electronic design automation, said the DownStream deal is a significant step for the business in the printed circuit boards market.
"Integrating DownStream Technologies enables Siemens EDA to provide the most comprehensive and advanced manufacturing data preparation solution, helping to ensure a smooth transition from design to production within a fully digitalized and scalable electronic systems design process,” Ellow said in a statement.
Customers use DownStream’s tools to visualize, verify and automatically prepare printed circuit board design data for fabrication, according to a release. The BluePrint-PCB tool, for example, automates the creation of highly detailed manufacturing documents, reducing the process by as much as 80%, according to DownStream’s website.
“We’re excited to join forces with Siemens and bring our decades of expertise into their world-class ecosystem,” Rick Almeida, founder of DownStream Technologies, said in a statement.
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