Neilsoft and engineering services company, is conducting a second round to collect funds for global strategic investments and for gaining access and having presence in the chosen markets. Ketan Bakshi, CMD, Neilsoft, said that the company would be looking at around $7 million and was keen on engaging international investors. Neilsoft has had venture investments from Siicom Venture Capital Fund and Gujarat Venture Finance Limited. Neilsoft's acquisition in Germany, ITandFactory, was made with a purchase of a 60% stake in the company through a JV with German engineering services company, Triplan AG. Bakshi said that the company planned to make more such acquisitions. The acquisition of the German company has given Neilsoft access to IP products in industrial plant design and digital factory design.

The first round of funding was used to grow the business and Neilsoft is set to become a Rs.100 crore business in 2007-08, he said. "It is a challenge to scale up an engineering services business and its not the same as the IT services business as this industry has to evolve is own methodology to bring in scalability," Bakshi said. The plan is to make Neilsoft a multi-location, multi-cultural company for which it would require more investment.

With its background in engineering services and German acquisition, Neilsoft is also now entering domestic building system and industrial projects' services market. Neilsoft had been focused on the international markets but with the boom in the real estate and transportation business in India, the company considers that it is right time to enter the business in the domestic market.

Bakshi said that the level of outsourcing in the real estate space in India was higher and companies were willing to make the investments. He was looking at garnering 10% of the company's revenues from India in 2006-07 and increasing this to about 25% headquartered in Pune and has development centres in Chicago, USA, Dalian, China and Bad Soden in Germany and builds systems, sets up industrial, auto and marine projects.