What epilot does

epilot GmbH is a Cologne-based vertical SaaS company founded in 2017 that sells a 360° Extended Relationship Management (XRM) cloud platform purpose-built for the energy transition. Its software consolidates sales, service and grid operations into a single modular platform — covering CRM, no-code Journeys, Product Hub, Partner Portal, Customer Portal, Data Lake, Business Objects and validated Blueprints — and targets three enterprise verticals: energy suppliers and municipal utilities (Stadtwerke), grid operators, and solution providers (PV, heat pumps, e-mobility). The platform is GDPR-compliant, ISO 27001 certified, and hosts all data in Germany, which are decisive procurement criteria for regulated utility buyers in the DACH region.

The company's core technology differentiator is 'Luna,' a proprietary Vertical AI embedded as an Agentic Layer that orchestrates specialized AI agents for customer service inquiries, data lake business intelligence, and sales cross-selling — trained on the platform's accumulated energy-sector data pool rather than general-purpose models. The platform follows an API-first architecture with public developer documentation (docs.epilot.io) and a sandbox for testing, supporting integration with existing ERP and GIS systems at utility customers.

Revenue mechanics are SaaS subscription-driven: customers pay annually in advance for modular feature licensing and seat-based user access, with a 24-month minimum contract term that auto-renews in 12-month periods. Data records are billed in arrears. Three named pricing tiers — Starter, Business and Professional — are modularly configured via demo-driven enterprise sales. A secondary revenue stream comes from day-rate professional services for implementation, training and technical support. Over 200 energy-transition companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland rely on the platform, including Stadtwerke München, RheinEnergie, Stadtwerke Bochum Netz, Gelsenwasser, badenova and E-Werk Mittelbaden. The company raised a €10 million Series A led by Expedition Growth Capital in July 2024 to fund team expansion and AI development. Leadership comprises CEO Michel Nicolai, CFO Rolf Benken and CTO/co-founder Szilard Toth.

Name

epilot

Legal name

epilot GmbH

Website

https://epilot.cloud

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

epilot is a Cologne-based vertical SaaS company providing a 360° cloud platform (XRM) that digitizes sales, service and grid operations for energy suppliers, municipal utilities (Stadtwerke), grid operators and solution providers across the DACH region, differentiated by an energy-specific Vertical AI called 'Luna' and ISO 27001-certified, Germany-hosted infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Transition SaaS / Utility CRM Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Core ERP Suites (Financials, Procurement, Projects) (HDAEAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Enterprise Service Management (ESM) Platforms (HDAEALAB), End-to-End Enterprise AI Platforms (MLOps & Model Lifecycle Management) (HDAEANAA)

Keywords

• Energy transition software
• Utility customer management
• Grid operator platform
• Vertical AI solutions
• Energy XRM platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. SaaS Platform Subscription: Annual subscription-based SaaS model with modular licensing. Fees are charged annually in advance based on selected modules and user seats. The initial minimum contract term is 24 months, automatically renewing for 12-month periods. Customer data records are billed in arrears based on the highest count within the billing month.
2. Seat Licenses: Seat-based licensing where each active user account constitutes one billable seat. Partner users and installers also require separate licensing. Users activated beyond contracted amounts are billed at agreed rates.
3. Professional Services: Day-rate based consulting services for implementation, training, and technical support, billed monthly at 8 hours per deployment day.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

epilot sells a modular 360° cloud-based XRM (Extended Relationship Management) SaaS platform built specifically for the energy transition sector, covering sales, service, and grid processes for energy suppliers, municipal utilities, grid operators, and solution providers. The platform includes modules for customer journeys, product/pricing management, partner and customer portals, process automation, a Data Lake, and a proprietary Vertical AI called 'Luna.' Revenue comes primarily from annual modular subscription fees plus day-rate professional services for implementation and training.

Product overview

epilot is a 360° cloud platform for the energy transition that combines in-depth industry expertise with a unique energy-specific data pool and state-of-the-art AI. The platform follows a modular architecture comprising core modules including Journeys (no-code order/inquiry routes), Product Hub (product and pricing management), 360° Customer Service (CRM), Processes & Automations, Customer Portal (B2C & B2B self-service), Partner Portal, Data Lake (business intelligence), Business Objects (flexible data structures), and Luna Vertical AI. These modules work together as an integrated energy XRM (Extended Relationship Management) system, along with validated Blueprints available on the Marketplace, and are offered through three pricing tiers (Starter, Business, Professional). The platform serves energy suppliers, municipal utilities, grid operators, and solution providers with GDPR-compliant data hosting in Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• epilot Cloud Platform (360° Energy XRM)
• Blueprints Marketplace
• epilot Professional Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Cost-to-serve reduction of up to 40% for energy suppliers (typically €30-50 per household per year)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature9 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Schleupen: German software provider specializing in IT solutions for the energy and utilities sector (Stadtwerke, municipal utilities). Directly competes with epilot in the DACH energy vertical SaaS market for utility back-office and customer process management.
• Wilken Software Group: German software vendor offering ERP and industry solutions for utilities, energy suppliers, and municipal service providers. Shown as a partner/integrator on the epilot site; competes in the same vertical SaaS category for German utilities.
• KISTERS: German provider of software solutions for energy management, water management, and environmental data. Competes with epilot in energy data management and analytics for utilities and grid operators across the DACH region.
• SIV AG: German IT specialist for utilities and municipal energy suppliers, providing software for billing, customer management, and grid operations. Direct competitor targeting the same Stadtwerke and municipal utility customers in Germany.
• Taktsoft Energy: German software partner specializing in energy industry solutions, shown as a partner on epilot's site. Provides adjacent CRM/sales technology for utilities and competes for similar customer process digitization mandates.

Emerging players

• envelio: Cologne-based startup offering the Intelligent Grid Platform for distribution grid operators, focused on grid planning and flexibility management. Competes with epilot's grid operator module on a narrower but adjacent use case.
• GreenCom Networks: German energy IoT and customer engagement platform for utilities and energy suppliers. Provides partial overlap with epilot's customer portal and partner management capabilities in the energy transition space.

Broad incumbents

• Salesforce Industries (Energy Cloud): Global CRM giant offering an Energy & Utilities Cloud with industry-specific data models, sales/service automation. Competes with epilot's CRM and customer service module at large enterprise utilities with broader technology footprints.
• SAP IS-U: Global ERP giant whose IS-U (Industry Solution for Utilities) is the dominant incumbent platform at large European utilities. Epilot explicitly positions against the fragmented legacy SAP/ERP landscape as a modern, modular alternative.

Others

• Fichtner IT: German IT consultancy and software provider for utilities and infrastructure operators. Shown on epilot's partner page; serves similar customers with adjacent consulting and bespoke integration services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about epilot