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Simulation Sciences

Eighteen years of chemical process simulation, then absorbed into the industrial machine.

acquisition gone wrongAcqui-hire

Fatal mistake: Simulation Sciences built a dominant niche product but remained small enough to be absorbed by Invensys, losing its independent identity in the industrial software consolidation wave of the 1990s.

Founded	1979
Closed	1997
Country	USA
Sector	Saas

50%

Key Events Timeline

1979-01

FOUNDING

Simulation Sciences founded in California to develop process simulation software for the chemical engineering industry.

1985-06

PRODUCT LAUNCH

PRO/II process simulation platform established as an industry standard in chemical and petroleum engineering.

1993-01

FUNDING

Last recorded funding activity as company reached maturity in its niche market.

1996-01

ACQUISITION ATTEMPT

Acquired by Simsci as industrial software consolidation accelerated across engineering verticals.

1997-12

SHUTDOWN

Fully absorbed into Invensys, losing independent identity after 18 years as a standalone chemical engineering software firm.

Full Analysis

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Documented cause

Simulation Sciences (SimSci), founded in 1966 as a process simulation software company for oil refineries and chemical plants, completed its IPO in October 1996. The company was acquired by UK engineering congl...

omerate Siebe plc in 1998 for $147 million cash, or approximately $10 per share. According to Tech Monitor and the Orange County Business Journal, SimSci had reported revenues of $61 million in 1997 b

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€50M

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Simulation Sciences collapsed from simulation sciences built a dominant niche product but remained small enough to be absorbed by invensys, losing its independent identity in the industrial software consolidation wave of the 1990s.. Documented cause, verified lesson, all failure signals.

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