Mathworks
MathWorks, founded in 1984 by Jack Little and Cleve Moler, is a privately held company headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts.
Profile
MathWorks makes MATLAB and Simulink, software used by engineers and scientists for mathematical computing, data analysis, simulation, and designing embedded systems.
MathWorks, founded in 1984 by Jack Little and Cleve Moler, is a privately held company headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts. It develops MATLAB and Simulink, the de facto standard software for numerical computing and model-based design used by engineers and scientists. The company reported $1.5 billion in annual revenue for its most recent fiscal year and has been profitable every year since founding.
It employs over 6,500 people across 34 offices worldwide. MathWorks serves more than 100,000 organizations in over 180 countries, including 92% of the global top 300 universities through Campus-Wide Licenses. The product portfolio includes over 130 specialized toolboxes for fields such as signal processing, control systems, deep learning, and robotics.
Unlike most enterprise software vendors, MathWorks has never taken venture capital or gone public. The company's financial stability and independence allow it to invest heavily in R&D without quarterly earnings pressure. However, its core products face increasing competition from open-source alternatives like Python with NumPy and SciPy, which have gained significant traction in academia and data science.
MathWorks has responded by adding deep learning, reinforcement learning, and cloud deployment capabilities to MATLAB, as well as integrating with popular AI frameworks. The company has not announced any layoffs, acquisitions, or funding rounds in the period covered by this dossier.
Products by Mathworks
Who buys this
- Aerospace and defense contractors (e.g., Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, NASA)
- Automotive manufacturers and suppliers (e.g., BMW, General Motors, Tesla, Toyota)
- Universities and research institutions (over 6,500 institutions, 2,500 with Campus-Wide Licenses)
- Industrial automation, energy, medical devices, and semiconductor companies
- Financial services firms using MATLAB for quantitative analysis and risk modeling
Publicly disclosed clients
- Airbus
- Boeing
- Lockheed Martin
- NASA
- Tesla Motors
- Toyota
- General Motors
Strengths and what to watch
Strengths
- Profitable every year since 1984 with $1.5 billion in revenue and no debt, providing long-term R&D stability.
- Deeply embedded in engineering curricula at over 6,500 universities, creating a pipeline of trained users entering industry.
- Broad product ecosystem with 130+ toolboxes and 500 third-party solutions, making it a one-stop platform for technical computing.
Watch for
- Growing competition from open-source alternatives like Python (NumPy, SciPy, PyTorch) which are free and have large communities, especially in AI/ML.
- Customer concentration in cyclical industries (automotive, aerospace) could expose revenue to downturns in those sectors.
- Privately held structure means no public financial disclosures beyond the company's own fact sheet, limiting external visibility into performance trends.
Key Information
- Industry
- Data Science Platforms
- Founded
- 1984
- Employees
- 6500
- Headquarters
- Natick, Massachusetts
- Country
- United States
Frequently Asked Questions
What does MathWorks do?
MathWorks develops MATLAB and Simulink, software used by engineers and scientists for mathematical computing, data analysis, simulation, and designing embedded systems. It serves over 100,000 organizations in more than 180 countries.
How much revenue does MathWorks make?
MathWorks reported $1.5 billion in annual revenue for its most recent fiscal year. The company has been profitable every year since its founding in 1984 and has never taken venture capital or gone public.
Who are MathWorks' main customers?
MathWorks serves aerospace and defense contractors like Airbus, Boeing, and NASA, automotive manufacturers such as Tesla and Toyota, plus over 6,500 universities. Financial services firms also use MATLAB for quantitative analysis.
What is the difference between MATLAB and Simulink?
MATLAB is a programming platform for numerical computing and data analysis. Simulink is a graphical environment for model-based design and simulation of dynamic systems. Both are developed by MathWorks and often used together.
How does MathWorks compare to Python for engineering?
MathWorks faces growing competition from open-source Python libraries like NumPy and SciPy, which are free and popular in AI and data science. MATLAB remains deeply embedded in engineering curricula and offers over 130 specialized toolboxes.
Does MathWorks have university licenses?
Yes, MathWorks offers Campus-Wide Licenses to over 2,500 universities. More than 6,500 institutions use MATLAB and Simulink, creating a pipeline of trained engineers who continue using the software in their careers.
Sources
- www.mathworks.com — Revenue of $1.5 billion, profitable every year since founding, 6,500+ employees, 34 offices, 100,000+ customers, 5 million MATLAB users, 6,500+ universities, 2,500 Campus-Wide Licenses, partial customer list including Airbus, Boeing, Tesla, Toyota, NASA.
- ir.freshworks.com — This URL was fetched but contains Freshworks earnings, not MathWorks data. It does not support any MathWorks claims.
- investors.skyworksinc.com — This URL was fetched but contains Skyworks earnings, not MathWorks data. It does not support any MathWorks claims.
- ir.nasdaq.com — This URL was fetched but contains Nasdaq earnings, not MathWorks data. It does not support any MathWorks claims.
- news.crunchbase.com — This URL was fetched but contains a general tech layoffs tracker. No MathWorks-specific layoff data found.
- finance.yahoo.com — This URL was fetched but contains a general article on tech layoffs. No MathWorks-specific data found.
- intellizence.com — This URL was fetched but contains a general layoff tracker. No MathWorks-specific data found.