From the 2006 whitepaper “Getting Into Character: Building Performances
for Next-Generation Productions”:

Softimage Co.:
20 Years of Character Animation Innovation
Founded in 1986, Softimage has always been the company that character
animators look to for intuitive tools that allow them to work artistically.
Our founding principles are rooted in the idea that, regardless of its
technological underpinnings, 3D content creation is a fundamentally
artistic pursuit – that technology should empower artists, not restrict
them. For the last twenty years Softimage has set a breakneck pace of
innovation that has driven the 3D industry forward.