Shaping the Future of Startups with Ansys and AWS

ANSYS BLOG

March 28, 2024

Shaping the Future of Startups with Ansys and AWS

In a world where ideas shape the future, emerging technologies are key to tackling the world's most complex challenges. The competitive landscape often demands rapid innovation, and startups must balance the need for speed with the risk of compromising product quality. Rapid development cycles are crucial for startups to stay competitive, but this urgency can lead to compromises in the product development process.

Startups often operate in dynamic and fast-paced environments, requiring them to iterate quickly on product designs and prototypes. Simulation tools enable rapid prototyping and faster product development cycles. This speed is crucial in gaining a competitive edge and responding swiftly to market demands.

Affording and accessing state-of-the-art simulation tools is often beyond the financial reach of startups. From all kinds of physics, including structural analysis to computation fluid dynamics (CFD) and electronics, Ansys aims to empower startups to innovate, streamline their product development processes, and overcome hurdles that could otherwise impede their evolution.

Ansys and AWS: Two Tailored Programs for Emerging Companies

Ansys recognizes the transformative potential of simulation in shaping the future of engineering and technology. The Ansys Startup Program extends a helping hand to startups, providing access to simulation solutions that are typically only affordable for more mature companies. This initiative breaks down barriers, empowering startups to harness the power of simulation to refine designs, optimize performance, and accelerate their path to market.

Startups can benefit from the AWS startup program AWS Activate, which helps companies gain access to cloud credits, technical support, and personalized guidance.

"Startups are often taking on very innovative challenges that move industries forward, but are operating within the constraints of small teams, short deadlines, and limited funding," says Susan Coleman, director of academic and startup programs at Ansys. "The Ansys Startup Program aims to help break down some of these barriers for early- to mid-stage startups. The program provides affordable, industry-leading software and support priced for companies where they are. Ansys software can help move product development and testing forward with quicker timelines while considering so many real-world conditions. This not only helps startups meet their goals faster, but also helps to ensure a better product when they are making their first impression in the market."

Startups can also benefit from the AWS startup program AWS Activate. AWS Activate helps companies gain access to a wealth of resources - including cloud credits, technical support, and personalized guidance - that is all tailored to accelerate their growth and success. With AWS's scalable and secure cloud platform at their disposal, startups can innovate faster, scale rapidly, and bring their ideas to market with confidence, positioning themselves for long-term success in today's dynamic business landscape.

"The combination of the AWS startup program with the Ansys Startup Program is invaluable in springboarding you to be able to run all the physics you need to accelerate and enhance your workflows and really explore the potential that the cloud can give you to improve your product design," says Dr. John Baker, business development manager for Ansys Cloud.

From early-stage prototypes to scaling operations, startups can leverage Ansys expertise and AWS resources. Both programs' flexibility ensures that startups receive the support they need to overcome engineering challenges.

Ansys Gateway powered by AWS enables companies to leverage state-of-the-art hardware and 50+ available Ansys applications.

Get the Cloud Computing Capacity and Capabilities you Need to Collaborate

In many ways, cloud technology was a disruptor. The cloud broke the traditional ways of running computational and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads, and startups are often disruptors in their markets in the same ways. So, the cloud and startups go together well.

Startups and Ansys Gateway powered by AWS go together well because these companies often push the boundaries. They want to disrupt, and to disrupt you need power. This is where Ansys Gateway powered by AWS comes in.

HPC in the cloud offers scalable and on-demand computational power, enabling startups to access the resources they need precisely when required. This scalability enhances their ability to handle computationally intensive tasks without the need for significant upfront investments in infrastructure.

"Every day we are seeing companies move toward the cloud for their engineering software because of the flexibility and freedom it can provide their engineering teams," says Coleman. "Startups are no different, and, in many cases, it may be an easier decision for a startup who either doesn't already have expensive hardware on-site or doesn't have the funding to make that investment. Startups and larger companies alike can take advantage of more compute when they need it without huge investments up front with the pay-as-you-go flexibility that cloud provides."

In addition to both Ansys and AWS Startup programs, Ansys Gateway powered by AWS is a great option to support these companies in their development. As acquiring and maintaining an on-premises HPC infrastructure can be financially onerous for startups, Ansys Gateway powered by AWS enables these companies to leverage state-of-the-art hardware and 50+ available Ansys applications without the upfront costs. They can pay for the computing resources they use, making it a cost-effective solution that aligns with their budget constraints. The Ansys Cloud team also works closely with various Ansys solver teams to ensure that we can provide recommended instances, benchmarking data and white papers along with providing recommended hardware for HPC workflows.

Another aspect in which Ansys Gateway powered by AWS can be beneficial for startup companies is collaboration. In fact, this cloud platform facilitates collaboration among teams, which enables their engineers to work from anywhere in the world with any device. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for team members working collaboratively on complex projects. The cost is another great advantage for startups. Ansys Gateway powered by AWS has a very small uplift of only $0.25 per running virtual machine per hour in addition to the bring your own (BYO) Ansys licenses plus AWS agreement. This means that if you already have a startup package with Ansys and AWS, the cost of running on Ansys Gateway powered by AWS is very small.

"There are three powerful features of the cloud for engineering workflows: capacity, capability, and collaboration. And the collaboration tools we have inside Ansys Gateway powered by AWS enable teams to work efficiently and productively together, whether that's from using a central file system so that they are all working on the same data source or from effective budget controls," says Baker.

Take Your Startup to the Next Level

HPC and virtual desktops in the cloud with Ansys Gateway powered by AWS bring CAD and CAE to the next level, leading to reduced time to market. Startups can bring innovative products to market faster, seizing opportunities and staying ahead of competitors.

Contact us to learn more about joining the Ansys Startup Program and powering your simulations in the cloud with Ansys and AWS.

Learn more about Ansys Gateway powered by AWS.