SIMULIA for Startups: how start-ups can access Abaqus, CST Studio and Simpack with a 90% discount

What is SIMULIA for Startups and how much can you save – a brief overview of the programme

SIMULIA for Startups is an official promotional programme from Dassault Systèmes that provides engineering start-ups with access to professional CAE tools – Abaqus, CST Studio Suite and Simpack – with a 90% discount on the cost of full licences. CAE (Computer-Aided Engineering) refers to digital modelling and engineering simulations that enable the testing of designs, electromagnetic processes and mechanical systems before physical prototypes are manufactured. Unlike standard SIMULIA licensing, the start-up programme provides access to the same class of computational technologies on special promotional terms. The programme runs until 31 January 2027.

Package	What’s included	SRU	Discount on full licence price
CST + Abaqus	CST Studio Suite Frontend Extended, SIMULIA Abaqus/CAE Extended	17	90%
CST + Abaqus + Simpack	CST Studio Suite Frontend Extended, SIMULIA Abaqus/CAE Extended, Simpack Pre-processing, Simpack Processing	25	90%

Abaqus – FEA simulation for strength, impact and durability analysis

SIMULIA Abaqus is a tool for digitally testing designs before a physical prototype is manufactured. Using FEA calculations, it is possible to analyse strength, impact, vibration, component contact, large deformations and the effects of temperature. This is particularly relevant for start-ups developing drones, robots, medical devices and automotive components. The package includes several key technologies:

1. Abaqus/Standard. For static, dynamic and thermal analyses, such as checking body deformation.
2. Abaqus/Explicit. For crash analysis, impacts, complex contact and large deformations.
3. Tosca Structure. For optimising the topology, shape and dimensions of components, in particular to reduce mass without compromising stiffness.
4. Fe-safe. For calculating material fatigue and durability, including predicting the number of cycles to failure.

For a hardware start-up, this means fewer physical tests and more validated options right from the development stage. For example, instead of destroying five prototype parts, the team can carry out dozens of digital crash tests in Abaqus and reserve only the most promising versions for physical testing.

CST Studio Suite – electromagnetic simulation for antennas, PCBs and EMC

CST Studio Suite is a programme for modelling electromagnetic phenomena, which shows how radio waves, electric fields and signals will behave even before the product is manufactured. It helps engineers to verify several critical parameters of the electronics whilst still at the digital modelling stage:

1. Antennas. Radiation modelling and verification of the radiation pattern before the first prototype is manufactured.
2. EMC/EMI. Electromagnetic compatibility analysis to determine whether one component of the device causes interference with another.
3. PCB. Verification of signal integrity, power integrity and parasitic electromagnetic effects on the printed circuit board.
4. Microwave components. Design of waveguides, microwave filters, resonators and other high-frequency components.

These capabilities are particularly relevant for start-ups in the fields of IoT, wireless communications, radar, avionics, medical electronics and satellite technologies. For example, before ordering the first batch of antennas, the team can verify the design in CST, identify potential issues with EMC or radiation characteristics, and make changes whilst the design is still a digital model, rather than after a production prototype has been manufactured.

Simpack – dynamics of mechanical systems: from car suspension to industrial robots

Simpack is a tool for multibody dynamics (MBD) that simulates the motion and interaction of joints, levers, actuators, suspensions and gearboxes. Whilst Abaqus answers the question “will the component withstand the load?”, Simpack addresses “how will the entire mechanical system move?”, so within the Simulation Software for Startups programme, these products cover different types of engineering challenges:

1. Transport and suspensions. Analysis of the kinematics, loads and behaviour of automotive systems.
2. Robots and manipulators. Modelling the motion of links, actuators and joints.
3. Transmissions and gearboxes. Calculation of gear trains, forces, torques and vibrations.
4. Railway systems. Modelling the dynamics of rolling stock and wheel-rail interaction.

For example, a start-up developing an exoskeleton can use Simpack to simulate the response of each joint to various human movement scenarios even before the first metal prototype is manufactured. Simpack becomes available from the second package onwards, which includes 25 SRUs, whilst the first package contains only CST Studio Suite and Abaqus. The third package also includes Simpack and comes with 50 SRUs.

What are SRU tokens and how do they unlock simulation capabilities?

SRUs (SimUnits) are SIMULIA’s simulation tokens, used to run solvers and various types of engineering simulations. The simplest way to think of them is as minutes on a mobile phone plan: you have a certain allowance, and how quickly it is used up depends on the technology chosen and the complexity of the task. To understand the difference between the packages, simply look at the base amount of SRUs and the capabilities it unlocks:

1. 17 SRUs in the first package. This is sufficient for one simultaneous calculation using an available technology.
2. 25 SRUs in the second package, 50 SRUs in the third. These offer greater flexibility for more complex tasks and for working with Simpack.
3. A smaller SRU allocation means fewer opportunities to run resource-intensive calculations in parallel.

For a start-up in its early stages, 17 or 25 SRUs is a practical starting point for core CAE tasks. If the team plans to run more parallel or resource-intensive simulations, it is worth choosing a package with a larger SRU pool.

Who is eligible for the SIMULIA for Startups programme – 5 criteria

The SIMULIA for Startups programme is available to young hardware companies that meet Dassault Systèmes’ five basic criteria. To quickly check whether you meet the requirements for Simulation Software for Startups, simply go through this checklist:

1. The company has been in existence for less than 5 years.
2. Total funding is less than €5 million.
3. Annual revenue is less than €5 million.
4. The company is backed by a venture capital fund, accelerator or incubator, or has fewer than 20 employees.
5. The company must design or manufacture its own physical product – service companies without their own hardware development are not eligible.

These restrictions help to ensure the programme is targeted specifically at start-ups that actually create physical products and require engineering simulations. Companies involved in anti-piracy and compliance cases – that is, those with a history of breaching Dassault Systèmes’ licence terms – are also ineligible to participate.

Three packages to choose from: what’s included and how much they cost

Package	What’s included	SRU	Discount on full licence price	Who it’s suitable for
Package 1	CST Studio Suite + Abaqus	17	90%	Start-ups working in electronics and mechanics
Package 2	CST Studio Suite + Abaqus + Simpack	25	90%	Teams requiring dynamic modelling of mechanical systems
Package 3	CST Studio Suite + Abaqus + PowerFLOW + Simpack	50	90%	Start-ups that also require CFD and aerodynamic calculations

A 90% discount on the cost of full licences applies to all three packages. GEO-MENTOR selects the specific configuration after reviewing the start-up and its engineering requirements. If your project requires not only CAE simulations but also tools for design and engineering data management, explore CAD/PLM solutions for your industry – here you can select technologies tailored to your specific field and manufacturing process.

How to apply via GEO-MENTOR as a start-up

Applying for SIMULIA for Startups involves a few simple steps. First, check whether your company meets the programme’s criteria:

1. Check the company’s age, turnover, funding, headcount and product type.
2. Contact our engineering experts GEO-MENTOR by filling in the form on the website.
3. GEO-MENTOR will verify your start-up and help you select the appropriate package.
4. Once approved, your subscription will be set up and your licences activated.

The programme runs until 31 January 2027. If your start-up meets the criteria, now is the best time to get started, whilst the offer is still available.

Conclusion

SIMULIA for Startups gives engineering start-ups access to professional CAE tools on terms that are significantly more affordable than standard licensing. The packages include Abaqus, CST Studio Suite and Simpack, which together cover structural analysis, electromagnetic simulations and the dynamics of mechanical systems. The main advantage of the programme is the ability to replace some of the expensive physical prototypes with digital tests as early as the development stage. If your start-up meets the eligibility criteria, please contact GEO-MENTOR to select a package.

FAQ

1. Can I renew my SIMULIA for Startups subscription after the first year?

Yes, SIMULIA for Startups allows the promotional terms to be extended into the second and third years. For SimUnit tokens, the discount is 75 per cent in the first year, 55 per cent in the second and 35 per cent in the third. This allows the start-up to gradually transition from the initial promotional price to standard licensing terms. The specific renewal price depends on the chosen package, the number of SRUs and Dassault Systèmes’ current commercial offer.

2. What happens if a start-up secures funding in excess of €5 million whilst the subscription is active?

A start-up with funding in excess of €5 million no longer meets one of the SIMULIA for Startups criteria for the next promotional period. The programme is designed for companies up to five years old with less than €5 million in funding and less than €5 million in annual revenue. Therefore, before the subscription is renewed, compliance with these conditions is re-checked, and once the limit is exceeded, the next licence may be issued under a different Dassault Systèmes programme.

3. Is technical support and training included in the package price?

No, the basic promotional price for SIMULIA for Startups covers only software licences and the number of SimUnit tokens included in the package. Training and extended engineering support are selected separately according to the team’s needs. GEO-MENTOR provides training and technical support for Dassault Systèmes solutions, whilst SIMULIA has its own Learning Centre with training materials, including free self-learning modules. Individual instructor-led and corporate courses are also available for teams.

4. Is it possible to replace one product in the package with another, for example, Simpack with PowerFLOW?

No, the standard SIMULIA for Startups offering consists of three fixed packages. The first includes CST Studio Suite and Abaqus with 17 SRUs, the second adds Simpack and 25 SRUs, and the third includes CST, Abaqus, Simpack, PowerFLOW and 50 SRUs. The terms of the promotion do not allow for replacing Simpack with PowerFLOW within a standard package. If a start-up requires a different configuration of CAE tools, this must be quoted separately.

5. How many workstations (licences) are included in a single package?

One package contains one base licence for each software product included in its configuration. For example, the CST + Abaqus package contains 1 CST Studio Suite Frontend Extended, 1 SIMULIA Abaqus/CAE Extended and 17 SRUs. The SRUs function as a shared pool of tokens and determine access to solvers and the number of calculations that can be run simultaneously. Therefore, the number of parallel simulations depends not only on the software licence but also on the available SimUnit pool.