By Leo Marchandon
July 23 (Reuters) – French software maker Dassault Systèmes confirmed its full-year outlook on Thursday after reporting second-quarter revenue in line with expectations and announced the acquisition of U.S.-based life sciences software company ArisGlobal to deepen its push into artificial intelligence.
The company, whose software is used by automakers, aircraft manufacturers, industrial companies and drugmakers, reported second-quarter revenue of 1.56 billion euros ($1.80 billion), up 4% at constant currencies, driven by growth in subscription and cloud software sales.
In a separate statement, Dassault said it would buy ArisGlobal for about $1.8 billion in cash, with up to $200 million in additional payments tied to multi-year AI-related revenue targets. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.
The acquisition expands Dassault’s presence in life sciences software as drugmakers increasingly use AI to speed up clinical development, regulatory submissions and patient safety monitoring.
The deal should be accretive to revenue growth and earnings per share in the first year after closing, it added.
The acquisition also comes as Dassault’s Life Sciences business, which includes clinical trials software firm Medidata, remains under pressure. Revenue from the segment fell 4% in the second quarter, while Medidata revenue declined 3%.
By contrast, its core industrial software business remained strong, with cloud software revenue rising 14%, driven mainly by manufacturing customers.
Europe was flat in the quarter, weighed down by weakness in the region’s automotive sector, while revenue rose 5% in the Americas and 8% in Asia.
Dassault also reaffirmed its 2026 targets.
($1 = 0.8748 euros)
(Reporting by Leo Marchandon in Gdansk; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Nivedita Bhattacharjee)
