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Altair Engineering
Altair has been acquired by Siemens, creating the world's most complete AI-powered portfolio of industrial software. For forty years, Altair has explored the...
Altair Engineering
Altair has been acquired by Siemens, creating the world's most complete AI-powered portfolio of industrial software. For forty years, Altair has explored the science of possibility with its customers. Altair's software has been integrated throughout the Siemens software portfolio.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
1985
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Troy
Corporate office
Troy, MI, United States
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Altair?
James Scapa, the founder, has served as chairman and CEO since 1985. Altair does not operate a dedicated investment office with a separate CIO; capital allocation decisions are embedded within the company's corporate strategy. As a publicly traded entity, major strategic moves — including the October 2024 agreement to be acquired by Siemens — require board and shareholder approval.
Is Altair structured as a family office or an operating company?
Altair Engineering is a publicly traded operating company, not a family office. It listed on Nasdaq in 2017 under ticker ALTR. The firm generates revenue through software licensing rather than managing third-party or family capital, and its founder's wealth derives from his ongoing corporate role and equity stake rather than from a segregated family-office vehicle.
How does Altair's licensing model work, and why does it matter for allocators?
Altair uses a patented Units licensing system that provides access to its entire simulation, AI, and HPC portfolio under a consumption-based model rather than per-seat fees. For institutional allocators evaluating the firm's capital efficiency, this structure creates recurring, usage-scaled revenue that functions like a royalty stream on engineering computation. The model has been central to Altair's commercial posture since before its 2017 IPO.
What is the Siemens acquisition, and what does it mean for Altair's governance?
In October 2024, Siemens announced a definitive agreement to acquire Altair for roughly $10.6 billion, or $113 per share. The transaction will fold Altair into Siemens' digital-industry software division, ending its run as an independent public company. Post-close, governance shifts from founder-led stewardship to integration within a multinational conglomerate, though Scapa's ongoing role has not been publicly detailed as of the announcement date.
Does Altair maintain separate philanthropic or investment vehicles?
Altair's public disclosures and the Siemens acquisition announcement do not reference any dedicated philanthropic foundation, family office, or co-investment club associated with James Scapa. The company's capital structure has historically been limited to its operating business and Nasdaq-listed equity, with no separately reported deployment vehicles for private deals or charitable assets.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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