Hexagon AB

Last updated
Hexagon AB
Company type Public ( Aktiebolag )
Nasdaq Stockholm:  HEXA B
OMX Stockholm 30 component
ISIN SE0015961909 [1]
Industry CAD/CAM Software, Electronics, Enterprise Software, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Software, Technology, Technology Consulting.
Founded1975;50 years ago (1975)
Headquarters Stockholm, Sweden
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Anders Svensson, CEO [2]
RevenueIncrease2.svg 5.2 bn EUR (2022)
Increase2.svg 1,517.8 MEUR (2022)
Total assets Increase2.svg16,477.0 MEUR (2022)
Number of employees
24,000 (2022) [3] [4]
Website Hexagon.com

Hexagon AB is a multinational industrial technology company. [5] Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, [3] and publicly traded on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange, [6] the company since 2000 has had a particular focus on measuring technology [7] and geospatial tools and software. [3] After its founding, between 2000 and 2022, Hexagon completed more than 170 acquisitions, [8] and it is the parent company of Leica Geosystems [9] and Infor EAM, among other subsidiaries. [5] With around 24,000 employees, Hexagon's revenue in 2023 was US$5.5 billion, while assets were $18.1 billion. [3]

Contents

History

1975–2012

Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, the predecessor company of Hexagon AB was founded on August 29, 1975. [3] The company was described as a "sprawling conglomerate" investing in diverse industries, for example seafood imports, vehicle hydraulics, and day-care centers. Financier Melker Schörling bought a controlling stake in the company in 1998, and aimed to focus the company's investments. [10]

In 2000, [11] Ola Rollén,former CEO of Kanthal,was appointed by Schörling to be CEO of Hexagon AB. The company began acquiring companies focused on precision measurement technology and software, and divesting in other areas. [10] In late 2001,Hexagon AB agreed to buy Brown & Sharpe, a US company focused on metrological tools, for around US$180 million. [7] Hexagon AB also acquired Leica Geosystems [10] after counter-bidding against Danaher for the company in 2005. [9] Hexagon AB acquired the Israel-based 3D optics company CogniTens Ltd in 2007. [12] The software company Intergraph was acquired by Hexagon AB in July 2010 for US$2.1 billion. [13]

2013–2021

Hexagon AB acquired Vero Software in 2014. [14] In 2016, the top five shareholders in Hexagon included Schörling, Ramsbury Invest, SSB CI Omnibus, Swedbank Robur Fonder and JPM Chase. Schorling served as chairman, [6] although he stepped down in October 2016 due to health issues. [15] Hexagon purchased MSC Software for US$834 million in 2017, using the acquisition to boost its portfolio of products related to automated manufacturing. [16] In 2018, Hexagon acquired both AGTEK [17] and Spring Technologies SAS. [18]

In 2016, Hexagon's CEO Ola Rollén was detained in Sweden over allegations of insider trading. The transaction did not involve Hexagon and he continued to serve as CEO of Hexagon. Rollén was acquitted in 2018, [19] then again found not guilty by an Oslo appeals court in 2019. [11] Hexagon acquired Infor EAM, a program developed by Infor, from Koch in 2021. Hexagon paid US$800 million in cash and shares worth $1.95 billion for the purchase, giving Koch a 5% stake in Hexagon. [5]

2022–2025

Ola Rollén stepped down as Hexagon CEO at the end of 2022, becoming chairman of the board. Former COO Paolo Guglielmini became president and CEO. [20] Hexagon purchased Hard-Line, a radio system company based in Ontario, in July 2023, [21] and in November 2023, Hexagon led a US$230 million funding round in the industrial AI company Divergent Technologies. [22] Hexagon's revenues in 2023 were US$5.5 billion. Assets were $18.1 billion, profits were $1.1 billion, and the company listed 24,000 employees [3] in 50 countries. [23]

On November 11, 2024, it was announced that Paolo Guglielmini was stepping down as CEO and that Norbert Hanke would be serving as interim CEO. Hexagon also announced its exploration of a possible split of the company into Hexagon AB and a new corporation, which would focus on Enterprise Industrial Software. On the 20th of January the following year Hexagon announced that Anders Svensson would take over the position of President and CEO. [24] He officially took office on July 20. [2]

In September 2025, Cadence Design Systems announced it would acquire the design and engineering business of Hexagon for €2.7 billion (approximately $3.16 billion) in a stock-and-cash deal. [25] The acquisition includes MSC Software business that Hexagon acquired in 2017. [26]

Products and services

Hexagon is a technology and software firm [16] known for specializing in measurement and positioning systems. [3] [19] According to Reuters in 2023, Hexagon's products are used for "measurement and quality inspection in manufacturing processes and engineering plant design, as well as in infrastructure planning, construction, mining, agriculture and energy." [27] With Hexagon developing what it calls "ecosystems" of software programs and technologies for specific purposes, in 2023, the company's official website stated it sold products catered to the following industries: autonomous mobility, buildings, cities and nations, defense, farms, industrial facilitates, infrastructure, manufacturing, and mines. [28] [ non-primary source needed ]

Divisions

Hexagon AB is organized into divisions, listing five internal divisions on its website: Asset Lifecycle Intelligence, Autonomous Solutions, Geosystems, Manufacturing Intelligence, and Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial. [29] [ non-primary source needed ]

List of acquisitions and subsidiaries

Between 2000 and 2022, Hexagon completed more than 170 acquisitions. [8] The following table lists major acquisitions by year, also noting the division of Hexagon AB that the acquisition was made a part of.

YearCompanyCountryHexagon division[ when? ]
2000Cubic-TavleproduktionFlag of Denmark.svg Denmark
2000Wilcox & AssociatesFlag of the United States.svg US Manufacturing Intelligence
2000HTR HydrauliikkaFlag of Finland.svg Finland
2001 Brown & Sharpe [7] Flag of the United States.svg US Manufacturing Intelligence
2002MIRAI S.R.LFlag of Italy.svg Italy
2002Quality LtdaFlag of Brazil.svg Brazil
2002CE JohanssonFlag of Sweden.svg Sweden Manufacturing Intelligence
2002XygentFlag of the United States.svg US Manufacturing Intelligence
2002GFD TechnologyFlag of Germany.svg Germany
2004Korea ErFa Systems Eng – BusinessFlag of South Korea.svg South Korea
2004 Romer Flag of France.svg France Manufacturing Intelligence
2004GPD Sprl – AssetsFlag of Italy.svg Italy
2004Thona GroupFlag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium
2005Trostel SEGFlag of the United States.svg US
2005 Leica Geosystems [9] Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland Geosystems
2006MikrofynFlag of Denmark.svg Denmark Geosystems
2007GessweinFlag of Germany.svg Germany
2007Agatec SASFlag of France.svg France
2007Jingjiang Measuring Tool CompanyFlag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Manufacturing Intelligence
2007TransmetalFlag of Turkey.svg Turkey
2007Allen Precision EquipmentFlag of the United States.svg US Geosystems
2007NovAtelFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Autonomy & Positioning
2007Elcome TechnologiesFlag of India.svg India Geosystems
2007Gold Key ProcessingFlag of the United States.svg US
2007Ionic SoftwareFlag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium
2007Earth Resource MappingFlag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
2007GAMFI InternationalFlag of France.svg France
2007Svensk ByggnadsGeodesiFlag of Sweden.svg Sweden Geosystems
2007 CogniTens Ltd [12] Flag of Israel.svg Israel Manufacturing Intelligence
2008Messtechnik WetzlarFlag of Germany.svg Germany Manufacturing Intelligence
2008Santiago & Cintra IbéricaFlag of Spain.svg Spain
2008m&h GroupFlag of Germany.svg Germany Manufacturing Intelligence
2008ViewserveFlag of Sweden.svg Sweden Geosystems
2008Serein MetrologyFlag of the United States.svg US Manufacturing Intelligence
2009TechnodigitFlag of France.svg France Manufacturing Intelligence
2009Mahr Multisensor GmbHFlag of Germany.svg Germany
2009MYCRONA GmbHFlag of Germany.svg Germany
2010 Intergraph [13] Flag of the United States.svg US Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial/
Asset Lifecycle Intelligence
2012MicrosurveyFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Geosystems
2012myVRFlag of Norway.svg Norway CORP
2012GTA GeoinformatikFlag of Germany.svg Germany
2013PixisFlag of Chile.svg Chile Asset Lifecycle Intelligence
2013Airborne Hydrography ABFlag of Sweden.svg Sweden Geosystems
2013DevexFlag of Brazil.svg Brazil Mining
2013NavgeocomFlag of Russia.svg Russia Geosystems
2013LISTECHFlag of Australia (converted).svg Australia Geosystems
2013New River Kinematics (NRK)Flag of the United States.svg US Manufacturing Intelligence
2013MANFRAFlag of Brazil.svg Brazil Geosystems
2014VeriposFlag of the United Kingdom.svg UK [30] Autonomy & Positioning [31]
2014AibotixFlag of Germany.svg Germany Geosystems
2014HostSureFlag of Ireland.svg Ireland Asset Lifecycle Intelligence
2014iLabFlag of Brazil.svg Brazil VEN
2014MintecFlag of the United States.svg US Mining
2014North West Geomatics Ltd. (North West Group)Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Geosystems
2014SAFEmineFlag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland Mining
2014ArvusFlag of Brazil.svg Brazil iHub
2014 Vero Software [14] Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK Manufacturing Intelligence
2015EcoSysFlag of the United States.svg US Asset Lifecycle Intelligence
2015Q-DASFlag of Germany.svg Germany Manufacturing Intelligence
2015CAMTECH GmbH & Co KGFlag of Germany.svg Germany Manufacturing Intelligence
2016Apodius GmbHFlag of Germany.svg Germany Manufacturing Intelligence
2016Forming Technology, Inc.Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Manufacturing Intelligence
2016MultivistaFlag of the United States.svg US Geosystems
2016SigmaSpace CorporationFlag of the United States.svg US Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial
2016SCCS SurveyFlag of the United Kingdom.svg UK Geosystems
2016AICON 3D SystemsFlag of Germany.svg Germany Manufacturing Intelligence
2016NESTIX OyFlag of Finland.svg Finland Asset Lifecycle Intelligence
2017Catavolt, IncFlag of the United States.svg US VENT
2017 Luciad Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial
2017MiPlanFlag of Australia (converted).svg Australia Mining
2017 MSC Software [16] Flag of the United States.svg US Manufacturing Intelligence
2017VIRES GmbHFlag of Germany.svg Germany Manufacturing Intelligence
2017DST Computer ServicesFlag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland Asset Lifecycle Intelligence
2018 AGTEK [17] Flag of the United States.svg US Geosystems
2018AutonomouStuffFlag of the United States.svg US Autonomy & Positioning
2018 Bricsys Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium Asset Lifecycle Intelligence
2018GuardvantFlag of the United States.svg US Mining
2018NextsenseFlag of Austria.svg Austria Manufacturing Intelligence
2018 Spring Technologies SAS [18] Flag of France.svg France Manufacturing Intelligence
2019J5 InternationalFlag of the Isle of Man.svg Isle of Man Asset Lifecycle Intelligence
2019Etalon AGFlag of Germany.svg Germany Manufacturing Intelligence
2019Thermopylae Sciences & Technology LLCFlag of the United States.svg US GSP
2019Split EngineeringFlag of the United States.svg US Mining
2019AMendateFlag of Germany.svg Germany Manufacturing Intelligence
2019Volume GraphicsFlag of Germany.svg Germany Manufacturing Intelligence
2020Blast Movement Technology (BMT)Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia Mining
2020GeopraeventFlag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland Geosystems
2020RomaxFlag of the United Kingdom.svg UK Manufacturing Intelligence
2020PAS GlobalFlag of the United States.svg US Asset Lifecycle Intelligence
2020TacticawareFlag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic Geosystems
2020ESPRIT CAMFlag of the United States.svg US Manufacturing Intelligence
2020CAEfatigueFlag of the United Kingdom.svg UK Manufacturing Intelligence
2020OxBlueFlag of the United States.svg US Geosystems
2021 Infor EAM [5] Flag of the United States.svg US Asset Lifecycle Intelligence
2021ImmersalFlag of Finland.svg Finland Geosystems
2021CADLMFlag of France.svg France Manufacturing Intelligence
2022ETQFlag of the United States.svg US Manufacturing Intelligence [32] [ better source needed ]
2022Innovatia Accelerator [33] [ better source needed ]Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Asset Lifecycle Intelligence
2022MinnovareFlag of Australia (converted).svg Australia Mining [34] [ better source needed ]
2022iConstruct Pty LtdFlag of Australia (converted).svg Australia Asset Lifecycle Intelligence [35] [ better source needed ]
2022PDSA Company LimitedFlag of Ghana.svg Ghana Geosystems
2023 Qognify [36] Flag of the United States.svg US Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial [37]
2023CADS AdditiveFlag of Austria.svg Austria Manufacturing Intelligence [38] [ better source needed ]
2023ProjectmatesFlag of the United States.svg US Geosystems [39] [ better source needed ]
2023Hard-Line [21] Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Mining [40]
2024XwatchFlag of the United Kingdom.svg UK Geosystems [41]
2024Itus DigitalFlag of the United States.svg US Asset Lifecycle Intelligence [42]
2024VoyansiFlag of the United States.svg US Geosystems [43]
2024induradFlag of Germany.svg Germany Autonomous Solutions [44]
2025 Septentrio Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium Autonomous Solutions [45]
2025CONET Communications GmbHFlag of Germany.svg Germany Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial [46]

See also

References

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  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Hexagon", Forbes, 2023, retrieved December 31, 2023
  4. "Hexagon | Company Overview & News". Forbes .
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  6. 1 2 Johannes Hellstrom, Anna Ringstrom (November 1, 2016), "Hexagon CEO was under arrest during results call, investors unaware", Reuters
  7. 1 2 3 "Hexagon Buys Measuring Instrument Business", The New York Times , November 18, 2000
  8. 1 2 Annual Report 2022, Hexagon
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  10. 1 2 3 Niklas Pollard, Johannes (27 March 2013), "From tuna to tech, Hexagon breaks Swedish mould", Reuters , retrieved December 31, 2023
  11. 1 2 Gwladys Fouche, Terje Solsvik (June 26, 2019), "Hexagon CEO Rollen found not guilty of insider trading in appeals case", Reuters
  12. 1 2 Feldman, Batya (September 4, 2007), "Hexagon buys Israeli 3D optics start-up CogniTens", Globes , retrieved December 31, 2023
  13. 1 2 "Sweden's Hexagon buys Intergraph for $2.1 bln", Reuters , July 7, 2010, retrieved December 31, 2023
  14. 1 2 "Hexagon says to buy Vero Software w FY2013 sales of about EUR 80 mln", Reuters , July 20, 2014, retrieved December 31, 2023
  15. Shanley, Mia (November 4, 2016), "Sweden's clean corporate image dealt blow with insider trading case", Reuters
  16. 1 2 3 "Deals of the day-Mergers and acquisitions", Reuters , February 2, 2017, retrieved December 31, 2023
  17. 1 2 "Hexagon acquires U.S. software firm AGTEK", Reuters , March 15, 2018
  18. 1 2 "Swedish Hexagon acquires Spring Technologies", Les Echos , June 20, 2018, retrieved December 31, 2023
  19. 1 2 Mile, Richard (January 10, 2018), "Hexagon CEO acquitted of insider trading charges", Financial Times , retrieved December 31, 2023
  20. "Hexagon CEO steps down to become chair of the board", Reuters , June 27, 2022, retrieved December 31, 2023
  21. 1 2 Sudbury, Ont.-based Hard-Line sells to Swedish multinational, but local jobs will stay, CBC, July 17, 2023, retrieved December 31, 2023
  22. Harnon, Grace (November 20, 2023), "Modernizing Manufacturing: Divergent Raises $230M to Aid Growth", The Los Angeles Business Journal , retrieved December 31, 2023
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  24. "What was announced today?" (PDF). 2024-11-11. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
  25. Babu, Juby (4 September 2025). "Cadence Design to buy Hexagon's design and engineering unit for $3.16 billion". Reuters. Mexico City. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  26. Ahmad, Majeed (September 5, 2025). "Cadence Bolsters Multiphysics Simulation with $3.16bn Acquisition". EE Times.
  27. "Industrial tech group Hexagon beats Q1 Forecast", Reuters , April 28, 2023, retrieved December 31, 2023
  28. "Solutions by Ecosystem". hexagon.com. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
  29. "Divisions". hexagon.com. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  30. "Hexagon's Acquisition of Veripos: Why Did This Go Down? - GPS World". GPS World – The Business and Technology of Global Navigation and Positioning. 2014-04-16. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  31. "Hexagon | Veripos expands SPAN GNSS+INS portfolio for dynamic positioning – GPS World". GPS World. 2022-03-03. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  32. Hexagon completes the acquisition of ETQ, Hexagon
  33. Hexagon furthers its commitment to innovation in the Operations & Maintenance (O&M) segment with the acquisition of Innovatia Accelerator, Hexagon
  34. Hexagon strengthens its life-of-mine solutions portfolio with the acquisition of Minnovare, Hexagon
  35. Hexagon expands its Smart Digital Reality capabilities across the construction sector with the acquisition of iConstruct, Hexagon
  36. Bosch, Rodney (2015-08-03). "NICE Systems Deal Finalized, Name Changed to Qognify". Security Sales & Integration. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  37. "Qognify becomes part of Hexagon". www.sourcesecurity.com. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  38. Hexagon enhances its additive manufacturing solutions with the acquisition of CADS Additive, Hexagon
  39. Hexagon strengthens its construction software offering for asset owners with the acquisition of Projectmates, Hexagon
  40. Hexagon strengthens its mining automation and safety solutions with acquisition of HARD-LINE, Hexagon
  41. Hexagon acquires Xwatch to strengthen its construction safety portfolio, Hexagon
  42. Hexagon acquires Itus Digital to expand Asset Performance Management capabilities, Hexagon
  43. Hexagon acquires Voyansi to enhance its BIM solutions portfolio, Hexagon
  44. "Hexagon accelerates the shift to fully autonomous mines with acquisition of indurad". hexagon.com. 2024-11-21. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  45. Hexagon to acquire Septentrio, revolutionising positioning in mission-critical navigation and autonomy applications, Hexagon
  46. Hexagon to acquire CONET Communications assets to strengthen public safety capabilities, Hexagon