Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) is a software company that develops design and creation tools for the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), manufacturing, and media and entertainment industries. Headquartered in San Rafael, California, the company was founded in 1982 and is best known for pioneering CAD (computer-aided design) software. Autodesk sells products and services to a global customer base, including architects, engineers, contractors, product designers, and content creators.
The company’s product portfolio includes industry-standard design and modeling applications such as AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, Fusion 360, Maya and 3ds Max, as well as cloud-based collaboration and project management platforms like BIM 360 and Autodesk Construction Cloud. Autodesk also offers the Forge platform, a set of developer APIs and services that enable customers and partners to build custom integrations and cloud workflows. Its offerings span desktop applications, cloud subscriptions, and enterprise solutions aimed at streamlining design, simulation, visualization and project delivery.
Autodesk serves customers worldwide across public- and private-sector projects, from building design and infrastructure to industrial manufacturing and digital content creation. Its tools are used by small firms and large enterprises alike for product development, construction planning, factory automation and visual effects. Over time the company has shifted its commercial model from perpetual licenses toward subscription and cloud-based delivery, emphasizing recurring revenue and connected workflows.
Leadership at Autodesk has focused on enabling digital transformation in design and construction; Andrew Anagnost, who became CEO in 2017, has been a prominent face of that strategic shift. The company continues to invest in cloud collaboration, automation and platform capabilities to support cross-disciplinary workflows and to help customers accelerate product and project delivery. Autodesk is publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker ADSK.