So much news: Synopsys, Bentley, Hexagon & more deals

Hello 2026! Is it too late to wish you a happy, productive new year? I hope not — because I do! Of course, the news continued to flow as December wore on and January began, so let’s do a quick catch-up.

Just today, Synopsys announced that it had sold its Processor IP Solutions business to Global Foundries for an undisclosed amount so that it (Synopsys) can focus on “extending leadership in interface and foundation IP while pursuing highest-value, AI-driven opportunities from cloud to edge.” This is not my area of expertise, but I believe this includes the ARC-V, ARC CPU IP, DSP IP, NPU IP, and the related ARC MetaWare Development Toolkits, ASIP Designer, and ASIP Programmer. (If I’ve got this wrong, please get in touch so I can correct – I get lost in the alphabet soup every time.)

But that’s not the only deal we’ve had over the year-end break. 

Bentley said that it had acquired Talon Aerolytics and “the technology and technical expertise” of Pointivo, both for their asset analytics offerings. Talon makes tools used in site surveys and inspections in the telecom and electric utility verticals. Pointivio makes drone data analytics; the acquisition included Pointivio’s intellectual property, while several employees joined Bentley separately from the acquisition. No financials were disclosed, but these deals are important for Bentley, supporting both its ambitions in the telecom and utility tower space—and its intention to use AI to analyze drone footage to detect which equipment is actually installed on transmission towers, for example. No details were disclosed for either transaction.

Hexagon announced the acquisition of IconPro, makers of the Apollo software that remotely monitors machine operations, conditions, and events. Hexagon plans to integrate these capabilities into its metrology solutions to “offer advanced, AI-driven analytics and insights across its global install base, starting with its Stationary Metrology Division in its Manufacturing Intelligence Business Area.” The purchase price wasn’t announced, but IconPro is expected to generate about €2 million in revenues in 2026. This is clearly a strategic acquisition; Manufacturing Intelligence reported revenue of €445 million in the third quarter, so the added revenue isn’t even a rounding error.

And a reminder: Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division sold MSC Software and other assets to Cadence for €2.7 billion back in September 2025; we’re waiting for the deal to close and for Cadence to share more about its future plans for the acquired assets.

But it’s not just big companies making the news. CONTACT Software Group said last week that it will become the main shareholder in team neusta SE. CONTACT makes CONTACT Elements, a composable set of modules that they’ve commercialized as CIM Database (a PLM solution), IoT (a low-code manufacturing execution system), and other products. neusta one of Germany’s largest service provider,s with over 1000 employees — and the great tagline “we accompany companies to put technology to good use, reduce complexity and build sustainable digital solutions.” neusta will remain independent (which I take to mean continuing to serve as an implementation partner for other OEMS) but will create a dedicated team specializing in the CONTACT Elements implementations. No financial details. 

Sandvik continued to roll up the VAR landscape, announcing that its Mastercam business acquired Advanced Mechanical Engineering AB (AME) in Sweden. AME has been a Mastercam partner for 30 years (!!) and will now be known asMastercam Sverige, “reinforcing Mastercam’s commitment to localized support and service.” I often talk about software providers’ channel strategies and how they’ve shifted over time, but Sandvik’s strategy is clear: it recognizes the importance of local customer support and service, and how it can be a differentiator in an increasingly self-service, online store world. Some technologies aren’t self-serve, and Mastercam wants to offer its customers access to technical experts, specialized training, and other services — and, of course, it owns the customer relationship and can quickly respond to any issues that arise. No financial details. 

And one more, while we’re on channel consolation: Technia, the Addnode Group business that supports Dassault Systèmes’ products, announced that it has acquired the DS-related business of encad consulting GmbH. encad had been a DS partner for years, perhaps as early as 2000. No financial details were announced, though we might find out more when Addnode reports results on February 3.

That’s it for now. PLMish earnings start the week of January 26 so we’ll have a better sense of how these companies see 2026, but I think it’s going to be another unsettled year. But we’ll get through it together, right??!