Granta Design Celebrates 10 years and moves to Larger Premises

Granta Design, the Cambridge-based materials information software company, marked its first ten years with a move to larger offices.

Granta's Managing Director, Dr David Cebon, sees this move as a significant milestone. "The recent economic downturn has seen many software companies cut back or even disappear. We have not only survived without any cuts but we have seen Granta grow. This move will enable us to continue this trend as we expand our business and our staff."

Originally located in the Cambridge University Engineering Department, the company now has its headquarters in Rustat House, right. The company has moved three times in ten years to accommodate growth, the latest move being to larger offices in Rustat House.

Granta Design originates from the collaboration begun in 1986 between Professor Mike Ashby, now company Chairman, and Dr David Cebon on computer-aided teaching of materials selection at Cambridge University. The company was formally incorporated in 1994 and initially focused on selling its materials selection software, called the Cambridge Materials Selector (CMS), into university education.

In 1999, software entrepreneur, Dr Patrick Coulter, invested in the company and was appointed Chief Operating Officer. The same year, the Cambridge Engineering Selector (CES) was launched as the basis for materials data management solutions for commercial organizations. The latest version of the software, CES4, provides a linked suite of solutions to all aspects of materials data management.

In 2000, Granta formed a cornerstone partnership with the world's largest professional society for materials, US-based ASM International who invested $1.6 million and joined the Granta founders and Cambridge University as shareholders.

In 2002, together with ASM and NASA, Granta was a founding member of the Material Data Management Consortium, a group of 10 US aerospace corporations and government agencies. Now in its second year, the Consortium has funded Granta to build an optimal system for aerospace needs.

Markets served by Granta include, aerospace and defence, motorsports, automotive, high-tech equipment, engineering education and materials information publishers. Corporate customers include leaders such as Applied Materials, Emerson Electric, Ferrari, Lockheed Martin, NASA and Rolls Royce. Its education product is used in over 400 universities world-wide. Granta recently won a contract to supply the Open University with its education product until 2013.

Dr Cebon views the future with confidence "We have made progress throughout the technology recession and we have put in place a team of people who will keep us at the forefront of material information technology. Our growth is testimony to the quality of our product and our staff. I am confident that we will have to move again in the next five years to accommodate our growth."