Seequent, the subsurface software business of Bentley Systems, has acquired Eliis, a French company that makes software for interpreting seismic data. Bentley announced the deal on November 2, 2026 in a release from its headquarters in Exton, Pennsylvania.
Financial terms were not disclosed. The release describes the purchase as completed. Eliis's team of more than 100 geoscientists, technical specialists and researchers will join Seequent, which will then have more than 950 people in 32 locations.
Eliis was founded in 2007 and is based near Montpellier, in the south of France. Its flagship product, PaleoScan, will become part of Seequent's portfolio alongside Leapfrog, Seequent's implicit geological modelling tool.
What Eliis built
PaleoScan is a seismic interpretation platform: software that helps geoscientists turn seismic survey data into a picture of the rock layers and structures underground. It does this with patented technology Eliis calls Relative Geological Time, combined with interpretation assisted by artificial intelligence, according to the release. Bentley said hundreds of energy companies use it.
Eliis also runs PaleoModel, a co-innovation project that supports downstream reservoir simulation, according to Bentley. Schnitger Corporation described it as a joint industry project.
Before the sale Eliis had a private equity backer. Schnitger Corporation and Dealroom reported that it took an investment from Arlane, formerly known as Vespa Capital, in 2024. The size of that investment was not reported.
The company lists its headquarters at 3 rue Jean Monnet in Clapiers, a small town on the northern edge of Montpellier, and refers on its website to global geoscience and IT teams. Bentley's release did not say whether those teams will stay in their current offices, and gave no headcount by country.
“Lower cost seismic data acquisition and AI are expanding the adoption of seismic methods beyond oil and gas.”
Why Seequent is buying
Seequent, which Bentley calls "The Bentley Subsurface Company", is headquartered in New Zealand and says it operates in more than 150 countries. Bentley said Eliis's seismic interpretation tools complement Seequent's subsurface portfolio, including Leapfrog.
Graham Grant, Seequent's chief executive, tied the deal to energy security, the energy transition and demand for critical minerals. "Lower cost seismic data acquisition and AI are expanding the adoption of seismic methods beyond oil and gas," he said in the release. He named mining, groundwater management, mineral recovery from brines and carbon storage as markets where seismic interpretation is starting to be used, and said Eliis would strengthen Seequent's ability to help users understand the underground and reduce uncertainty.
Benoît Matha, Eliis's chief executive, said the deal gives the company a secure, long-term home in a business that understands its field, and more resources to reach customers beyond the energy industry. "We are excited to join Seequent and by the opportunities ahead," he said.
Reaching new customers
Schnitger Corporation, an industry analysis firm that covers engineering software, argued that the deal solves a distribution problem. In its view Eliis would have struggled to reach mining and geothermal customers on its own, while Seequent's existing sales channel already serves them.
Neither company said what will change for existing PaleoScan customers, which Bentley described as hundreds of energy companies. Bentley did not announce any changes to pricing or licensing, and Matha's comments pointed to growth rather than integration: he said joining Seequent would give Eliis more resources and the chance to expand beyond the energy customers it already serves.
Bentley did not say whether the Eliis brand would be kept. Eliis's website now carries a notice headed "Eliis Joins Seequent to Advance Subsurface Understanding" and links to Seequent's announcement.
Dechert LLP and Simmons & Simmons LLP advised Bentley and Seequent on the transaction. Schnitger noted that Bentley was due to report quarterly results later in the week, which could bring more detail on the purchase.
A wave of subsurface software deals
The purchase came on the same day that Halliburton said it had bought Keystone, a Norwegian well planning software company, for its Landmark digital business. Dealroom noted that Halliburton had bought another Norwegian software firm, InformatiQ, in June, and that rival SLB had recently acquired Tachyus.
For Eliis, founded nearly two decades ago to serve oil and gas geoscientists, the sale brings a larger owner with a wider customer base. For Seequent, it adds a seismic interpretation product to a portfolio built around geological modelling.
