What’s the best CAD tool for an industrial start-up?

There’s really no single best CAD tool to suit all industrial startups. The choice of CAD tool will depend on the specific needs of each company in terms of functionality, budget and team skills. However, here are a few solutions that are regularly chosen by industrial startups:

• Solidworks It’s very popular in the manufacturing and mechanical design industry, with 3D drawing, simulation and manufacturing tools. The new 3DEXPERIENCE version includes a 3-year support program specially designed for start-ups. You can test your eligibility for the 3DEXPERIENCE Startup program.

At XDI, SolidWorks is of course our preferred solution :)

• Autodesk Inventor Similar to Solidworks, but often used for industrial and mechanical design projects.
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  CATIA
  It is used for the design of “complex” products in the aeronautics, automotive and defense industries, for example. The difference between CATIA and SOLIDWORKS lies mainly in the type of project and the number of people involved.
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  Onshape
  is a cloud-based CAD option that enables real-time collaboration and efficient project management.
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  Fusion 360
  is a complete CAD solution that includes 3D modeling, simulation, manufacturing, collaboration and visualization. With Inventor, it’s a solution developed by Autodesk.

It’s important to note that there are many other CAD tools available on the market, so it’s advisable for industrial startups to do their research to choose the tool that best suits their needs. It is also necessary to take into account the skills of the team to ensure that they are able to use the chosen tool effectively. SolidWorks is widely used in the French education system, so you’ll easily find trainees as well as experienced technicians and engineers who know SOLIDWORKS. This is a real advantage when you’re an industrial startup that needs to grow your teams quickly.

It’s worth noting that a very dynamic collective exists to support industrial startups. Don’t hesitate to contact them for advice:
Collectif des Startups Industrielles.