Just in: Envenio becomes part of JUUL

Now this is interesting. Envenio, which offered cloud based, on-demand, GPU-powered CFD simulation, just sent out an email saying they’ve been acquired by JUUL and will cease independent operations at the end of December. Envenio’s EXN/Aero, is a hybrid CPU/GPU code used for particle spraying and similar applications across a lot of industries, from automotive and aerospace, to tidal power and ship hydrodynamics. Its CFD-on-demand is seen as fast and affordable, accurate and, for a CFD code, easy to use.

JUUL, as you perhaps know, makes an alternative to cigarettes called a vaping device. JUUL’s device is a small cylinder that uses a heating mechanism to create an aerosol that the user inhales. It’s engineered to minimize combustion, which is probably where CFD comes into play.

Envenio says its engineering expertise will “become an exclusive and integral part of JUUL’s product development division, helping to shape the future of the company’s products.” I believe JUUL was already an Envenio customer and had been featured in a case study or blog (much of the Envenio site isn’t accessible right now, so that can’t be checked for accuracy) but nothing led me to believe this was in the offing.

Envenio’s Scott Walton said in his email, “We look forward to maintaining our close links with the engineering world and will continue to champion innovation and excellence in CFD. We will be building up our engineering team in Canada, and encourage you to reach out if you are interested in career opportunities.”

If you’re an EXN/Aero user, the platform will no longer be available after December 31, 2018.

No details of the transaction are available.

Over the last couple of decades, a lot of manufacturers have divested themselves of in-house software assets –they make planes or cars, after all, and software development and maintenance costs can best be amortized across a wide user base. I’m not aware of anything other acquisitions like this, where a manufacturer buys a software developer, but I wonder if it could be the start of a trend? Hmm.