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Who Owns SOLIDWORKS? Dassault Systèmes, the 1997 Deal and What It Means for Your Designs | SolidWorks | Register and Certify IP of CAD design

2026-10-15 17:20 Guides
TL;DR: SOLIDWORKS is owned by Dassault Systèmes

SOLIDWORKS is owned by the French software company Dassault Systèmes, which bought it in 1997 in a stock deal worth about $310 million. Today it is run as Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation, based in Waltham, Massachusetts. It is not owned by Autodesk or PTC. Dassault Systèmes owns the software, but you or your employer own the designs you create with it.

Who Owns SOLIDWORKS?

Dassault Systèmes owns SOLIDWORKS. The French company bought SolidWorks Corporation in 1997, a stock transaction its own announcement valued at $310 million. SOLIDWORKS now operates as Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation, with its headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts. Dassault Systèmes itself is based in Vélizy-Villacoublay near Paris and is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange. Its largest shareholder is the Dassault family holding company, Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault, which holds roughly 40% of the shares.

A Short History of SOLIDWORKS Ownership

  • 1993: Jon Hirschtick, an MIT graduate, founds the company in Massachusetts with a small team, aiming to make 3D CAD easy to use on Windows PCs.
  • 1995: the first product, SolidWorks 95, ships in November after about two years of development.
  • 1997: Dassault Systèmes, the maker of CATIA, acquires SolidWorks in a stock deal and keeps it as a separate brand for mainstream mechanical design.
  • 2012: Hirschtick and other former SolidWorks leaders found Onshape, a cloud CAD system that PTC bought in 2019.
  • Today: SOLIDWORKS is part of the Dassault Systèmes portfolio alongside CATIA and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, and is sold through reseller partners worldwide.

SOLIDWORKS Is Not Owned by Autodesk

This is a common mix-up, because Autodesk makes several well-known CAD programs. Here is who owns the main mechanical CAD tools:
CAD softwareOwnerHeadquarters
SOLIDWORKS, CATIADassault SystèmesFrance
Inventor, Fusion, AutoCADAutodeskUnited States
Creo, OnshapePTCUnited States
Solid Edge, NXSiemens Digital Industries SoftwareGermany (Siemens AG)
If you also work in Autodesk Inventor, our sister site covers IP protection there: see BORIS for Autodesk Inventor.

Who Owns the Files You Create in SOLIDWORKS?

Owning the software and owning the designs are different things. Your SOLIDWORKS licence lets you use the program, but it does not hand your models to Dassault Systèmes.
  • Employees: designs made as part of your job normally belong to your employer.
  • Freelancers and contractors: ownership depends on the contract. Without a clear transfer clause, the designer may keep rights the client expects to have. See CAD file ownership in freelance relationships and creator versus owner in CAD projects.
  • Students: SOLIDWORKS educational licences are for learning, not commercial work, and drawings made with them carry an educational mark.
  • Everyone: keep dated proof of who created which version, because ownership disputes are decided on evidence.

What Dassault Systèmes Ownership Means for SOLIDWORKS Users

Prove you own your SOLIDWORKS designs

Dassault Systèmes owns the tool. BORIS for SOLIDWORKS helps you prove you own what you make with it, by registering your parts and assemblies on a blockchain with a date and author.

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Conclusion

SOLIDWORKS has been owned by Dassault Systèmes since 1997 and runs today as Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation in Waltham, Massachusetts. Autodesk and PTC make competing CAD tools but do not own SOLIDWORKS. Whatever company owns the software, the designs you create belong to you or your employer, so record your authorship and put ownership in your contracts.

FAQ on Who Owns SOLIDWORKS

Who owns SOLIDWORKS?

Dassault Systèmes, a French software company, has owned SOLIDWORKS since 1997. It operates as Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation.

Is SOLIDWORKS owned by Autodesk?

No. Autodesk makes Inventor, Fusion and AutoCAD. SOLIDWORKS belongs to Dassault Systèmes.

When did Dassault Systèmes buy SOLIDWORKS?

In 1997, in a stock deal that Dassault Systèmes valued at $310 million.

Who founded SOLIDWORKS?

Jon Hirschtick founded the company in Massachusetts in 1993 with a small team. The first release, SolidWorks 95, shipped in November 1995.

Where is SOLIDWORKS headquartered?

Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation is based in Waltham, Massachusetts. Its parent company, Dassault Systèmes, is headquartered in Vélizy-Villacoublay, France.

Who owns the designs I create in SOLIDWORKS?

You do, or your employer if you created them as part of your job. The licence gives you the right to use the software, not Dassault Systèmes rights to your models. Freelancers should settle ownership in the contract.

Is SOLIDWORKS the same company as Onshape?

No. Onshape was founded in 2012 by former SOLIDWORKS leaders, including Jon Hirschtick, and is now owned by PTC.