Vuala: Revolutionizing food recycling with SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE
At a time when innovation meets sustainability, bioengineering company Vuala has risen to the top by cutting its development time by six months, thanks to SOLIDWORKS and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Let’s immerse ourselves in the captivating story of this London-based start-up, which has transformed food waste into a valuable resource.
The global challenge of food waste
With nearly a million tonnes of food waste generated every year in the UK hospitality sector alone, Vuala has embarked on an ambitious mission. The aim? To transform food waste into a valuable resource, contributing to the UK’s economy and productivity.
Vuala’s innovative solution :
With discounted licenses from the 3DEXPERIENCE Works for Startups offering, Vuala was able to leverage roles such as 3D Creator, 3DSculptor, Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS, Collaborative Industry Innovator, SOLIDWORKS Premium and 3DSwymer. These tools have enabled the company to streamline product development, create customized designs in real time, and achieve its sustainability goals.
Tangible results :
Founder Anthony Ma, Ph.D., and his son, CEO Abiel Ma, used the technology to design the Vuala X1. This revolutionary prototype, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, transforms food waste into “liquid gold”. Vuala has succeeded in automating the separation of food waste, transforming it into raw material for energy production in a matter of hours.
Positive environmental impact :
Vuala’s results speak for themselves: preventing 100% of food waste from ending up in landfill, reducing carbon emissions by 75% per tonne of food waste, and targeting a reduction of 100 million tonnes of CO2 in 10 years. Vuala aims to make the UK a global pioneer in food waste recycling, while boosting the country’s economy and productivity.
The crucial role of SOLIDWORKS :
Benefiting from Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE® for Startups program, Vuala received a one-year license to use SOLIDWORKS. With over 30 iterations in SOLIDWORKS, the company built a prototype of the Vuala X1 quickly and cost-effectively. This technology enabled Vuala to speed up its design process and considerably reduce development time.
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform at the heart of innovation :
Anthony Ma emphasizes the crucial role of the cloud in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. It enables the Vuala team to personalize customer designs in real time, facilitating instant communication and adjustments to prototypes via mobile devices.
Ohmycad’s commitment to ecology:
At a time when sustainability is paramount, Ohmycad is aligning itself with this mission by taking ecological initiatives. Its partnership with Reforest Action underlines its commitment to reforestation, contributing to the fight against climate change. To explore this initiative further, Ohmycad interviewed subscribers involved in green technologies, highlighting collective efforts in favor of the environment.
Vuala managed to turn a global challenge into an innovative opportunity thanks to SOLIDWORKS and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. This inspiring story shows how technology can play an important role in solving environmental problems. Like Vuala, Ohmycad is actively involved in ecological actions, strengthening the community of companies working for a sustainable future.
For more information on the Vuala story, read their SOLIDWORKS testimonial.
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CATIA V5 is the legacy version, installed locally. CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE is the cloud version, integrated into a collaborative platform that centralizes data, roles, and business processes. It enables digital continuity and greater agility.
Self-learning modules, a resource center & technical knowledge base, certified training, and online courses are available via Dassault Systèmes and its partners such as Ohmycad.
Yes! Contrary to popular belief, CATIA is accessible to small structures, thanks to flexible cloud offers and targeted business roles. Ohmycad supports startups in their adoption of CATIA with training, support and tailored offers.
The CATIA solution enables you to design parts and products with great precision, thanks to advanced parametric and surface modeling, perfectly suited to complex mechanical design projects. It also facilitates the creation and management of complex assemblies, offering powerful tools for structuring, verifying and evolving multi-component assemblies. Kinematic and dynamic simulation functionalities enable the behavior of mechanisms to be analyzed, movements to be validated and performance to be anticipated right from the design phase. The design of sheet metal parts, plastics and industrial molds is supported by dedicated tools designed for industrialization and manufacturing. Native integration with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform connects design, simulation and data management in a single environment. Finally, cloud collaboration combined with centralized product data management (PDM) ensures efficient, secure, real-time collaboration between all teams. Ohmycad experts recommend upgrading from CATIA V5 to CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE to benefit from the full power of the cloud-based tool.
CATIA is designed for engineers, designers, project managers and manufacturers who need a robust, collaborative and scalable design environment. It is used by large corporations as well as SMEs and innovative start-ups. Ohmycad offers a startup program to make industrial software accessible even to cash-poor companies, and provides free access to CATIA for 1 year (with no commitment). Users are often former users of software such as Solidworks who find themselves technically limited when it comes to technical design.
CATIA (Computer-Aided Three-dimensional Interactive Application) is a 3D CAD software developed by Dassault Systèmes. It is used to design, model and simulate complex products in a wide range of sectors, including aerospace, automotive, energy and architecture. It is renowned for its geometric precision and modeling power. CATIA is the CAD software of choice when your design assemblies are getting too heavy for tools such as Solidworks or Autocad, Fusion or Solidedge.
After theSolidWorks trial, depending on your needs (number of users, modules, offline/cloud constraints, PDM flow) we align a SolidWorks 2026 pricing offer adapted to your structure and usage (subscription vs. perpetual). The aim: to reduce your total cost of ownership and secure your time-to-production.
With Ohmycad, you can install locally, work with older Solidworks versions, multiply workstations (depending on licenses), collaborate via links to share your 3Ds, and add Simulation/PDM/Render as needed. Best practices in the Knowledge Base and blog. Test Solidworks free of charge!
If your company has an active license, you are entitled to certification vouchers (CSWA/CSWP…) twice a year. The Ohmycad tutorial explains how to create accounts, collect vouchers and prepare for exams.
With Ohmycad, you can install locally, work with older versions, multiply workstations (depending on licenses), collaborate via links to share your 3D, and add Simulation/PDM/Render as needed. Best practices in the KB and blog.
Avoid cracks and dubious sites: beyond the legal risks, they expose you to malware, data loss and lack of support. Prefer legal channels: free trial, Solidworks for Startup program, education versions if eligible – you stay compliant and productive. (Reinforce E-E-A-T in the article with this warning).
Start with the 24-hour online test to validate environment and performance, then request an evaluation key if required (longer scenarios, real files, import/export tests, Simulation). Ohmycad offers a quick audit to set objectives and metrics before purchase.
Yes, for individuals/students and corporate customers. For companies (startups, SMEs),solidworks are purchased via certified partners (such as Ohmycad), who provide guidance, configuration and support (licenses, modules, deployment).
Download the official installer from SOLIDWORKS, connect the 3DEXPERIENCE ID, accept the contract, choose the appropriate Service Pack, then follow the wizard (check disk space, serial number(s)). For multiple deployments: admin images via the manager. Step-by-step guide in the Ohmycad Knowledge Base.
Yes, current licenses integrate Dassault Systèmes’ Outscale cloud infrastructure (SecNumCloud/ISO 27001), but you can install locally, work offline, and remain compatible with earlier versions as required. With Ohmycad, you can test Solidworks free of charge for a few days!
Yes, SOLIDWORKS Student (via schools or individual offers) is offered by Dassault Systèmes. For professional or startup use, opt for the free trial and/or the Solidworks for Startup program piloted by Ohmycad. (Please note the target audience on the page to avoid licensing confusion).
Yes: year 1 on SOLIDWORKS free of charge (and -90% on apps), then -70% year 2, -50% year 3, subject to eligibility (start-ups, admission criteria, etc.). The program includes support (CAD/PDM project manager, support, training) and is non-binding. This is the recommended route for early-stage startups.
Yes, in specific cases: via thefree trial (24-hour online access, followed by a temporary key), and via the Solidworks for Startup program (year 1 free under certain conditions), in official partnership with Dassault Systèmes. In all other cases, “free” access does not comply with licensing requirements and may expose you to legal and security risks. To test in good standing: free trial, then personalized evaluation according to your use.
Ohmycad offers a 24-houronline solidworks test (full functionality). Depending on returns, a temporary ~15-day key can be issued. All you have to do is enter your pro details, then access the test environment. It’s the official, fast way to evaluate performance, with no obligation.
All data is stored in Dassault Systèmes datacenters in Yvelines, France.
