AutoForm, which develops software that helps carmakers to fashion sheet metal into new vehicles, was valued at about 19 times the expected earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), the people said. AutoForm was founded in 1995 as a spinoff from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. It operates in a specialized niche - manufacturing simulation within CAE - of the broader field of industrial design known as "product lifecycle management" (PLM) led by names such as Autodesk, Dassault, PTC and Siemens.

More Information: reuters.com/autoform