About
A new approach to an old engineering problem
Sembyl is an early-stage engineering technology company focused on a persistent challenge in product development: enabling engineers to collaborate intelligently across different CAD systems. CAD interoperability has improved considerably over the years. Engineering teams can exchange increasingly accurate representations of complex products between software environments. But exchanging geometry and collaborating on an intelligent engineering design are not the same thing. Sembyl was created to explore what comes next.
From research to a larger opportunity
The ideas behind Sembyl are informed by years of academic research into parametric CAD interoperability and the possibility of representing engineering designs independently of the systems in which they were originally authored.
That research demonstrated an important idea: more of the intelligence behind an engineering design can potentially cross software boundaries than conventional geometry exchange typically preserves.
We believe that idea points toward a much larger opportunity. Rather than treating interoperability primarily as a file-conversion problem, we are exploring how it can become a foundation for engineering collaboration.
Preserve the intelligence, not just the shape
A CAD model represents more than geometry. Features, parameters, constraints, relationships, references, and design decisions collectively describe not only what a product looks like, but how the design works and how it can evolve.
Sembyl is focused on preserving more of that engineering intelligence when designs need to cross CAD boundaries. The objective is straightforward to describe, even if the underlying problem is difficult.
Complement the engineering tools that already exist
We don't believe the answer is another CAD platform that requires engineering organizations to replace the systems they already depend on. Today's CAD environments represent enormous investments in technology, processes, automation, expertise, and engineering knowledge.
Sembyl's vision is to complement those environments. Let manufacturers use the tools that work for them. Let suppliers use theirs. Let engineering partners use theirs.
Starting with mechanical CAD
Our initial focus is mechanical CAD, where sophisticated parametric models frequently need to move among manufacturers, suppliers, customers, and engineering partners using different software environments.
We're beginning deliberately: validating the underlying technology, working with engineering organizations to understand their cross-CAD workflows, and identifying where preserving design intelligence can create the greatest practical value.
What we learn there will shape what Sembyl becomes.
Why Sembyl?
The name Sembyl is inspired by an old form of semble — to bring or gather together. That captures the idea at the center of the company.
Different engineering organizations. Different software environments. Different representations of a design. Brought together through a shared understanding of the engineering information behind them.
Interested in what we're building?
If cross-CAD collaboration is a real challenge in your organization, we'd like to hear from you.
Get in touch
Working across CAD systems?
We're talking with engineers and engineering leaders who encounter cross-CAD collaboration challenges.
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