What Software Defined Automation does

Software Defined Automation (SDA) is an industrial software company founded in 2021 and headquartered in Munich, Germany, with a US office in Newton, Massachusetts. The company has built an Industrial DevOps platform that brings modern software engineering practices—Git-based version control, automated backup, browser-based IDE access, and AI-assisted tooling—to PLC (programmable logic controller) management in manufacturing environments. The platform supports 12+ PLC vendors including Rockwell Automation, Siemens, Beckhoff, CODESYS, SEW-Eurodrive, B&R, KUKA, and Mitsubishi, unifying heterogeneous industrial control environments under a single cloud-based management layer. The product portfolio consists of the core Industrial DevOps Platform plus eight modules: Automated Backup, Version Control, Browser-Based Engineering (IDEaaS), Secure Remote Access, Vault & Audit Trail, Firmware Vulnerability Monitoring, Factory Agent (AI legacy code translation), and Factory Operator (AI assistant).

The company targets enterprise industrial manufacturers across discrete and process verticals including manufacturing, automotive, energy, food & beverage, life sciences, and logistics. Named customers include Henkel, Gropyus, Fugro, Cytiva, and Clevertech. SDA's go-to-market combines enterprise field sales (custom pricing, dedicated Technical Account Managers, Enterprise tier support with 4-hour Sev-1 SLAs) with product-led growth via a 14-day self-service free trial. The platform is delivered as subscription SaaS (Professional and Enterprise tiers) with complementary gateway hardware (SDA Gateway) and professional services. SDA holds SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 certifications and supports compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and the EU NIS2 directive.

SDA has raised $10 million in a seed round (October 2022) led by Insight Partners, with participation from Baukunst VC, Fly Ventures, First Momentum, and Intel Ignite. The company employs 11–50 people and operates through Software Defined Automation Inc. (Delaware parent) and a wholly-owned German subsidiary, Software Defined Automation GmbH. In 2025, SDA launched its next-generation platform at SPS 2025 and received Frost & Sullivan's 2024 Global Entrepreneurial Company of the Year Award for Industrial DevOps. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Software Defined Automation

Legal name

Software Defined Automation Inc.

Website

https://softwaredefinedautomation.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Software Defined Automation provides a cloud-based Industrial DevOps platform that manages PLCs across 12+ vendors, serving enterprise manufacturers in discrete and process industries with version control, secure remote access, AI-powered legacy code translation, and OT security modules.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian) (IMAHAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

DevSecOps, Cloud Security Automation & Policy-as-Code (HDABAHAM), Platform Engineering & Internal Developer Platforms (IDP) for Compute (HDABADAI)

Keywords

• Industrial automation software
• PLC management platform
• Industrial DevOps
• OT security solutions
• Cloud-based PLC engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SaaS Platform Subscription: Subscription-based SaaS platform for industrial automation management. Professional and Enterprise tier subscriptions with varying support levels. Includes access to Industrial DevOps platform, automated backup, version control, browser-based engineering, security features, and AI tools.
2. Professional Services: Professional services including consulting, implementation, and training services as separately purchased offerings.
3. Gateway Hardware: Connectivity hardware (SDA Gateway) required for edge connectivity to PLCs. Hardware sold as component of the solution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Software Defined Automation delivers a cloud-based Industrial DevOps platform that brings modern IT DevOps practices (Git-enabled version control, automated backup, CI/CD pipelines, AI-assisted code understanding) to industrial PLC environments across 12+ vendors. The platform enables browser-based PLC engineering via IDEaaS, zero-trust secure remote access, firmware vulnerability monitoring, and AI-powered legacy code translation, complemented by SDA Gateway edge hardware.

Product overview

Software Defined Automation offers a unified Industrial DevOps Platform that brings modern DevOps principles to industrial automation. The core platform integrates cloud-based PLC management, version control, and AI capabilities. The product portfolio consists of the Industrial DevOps Platform (core) plus eight integrated modules: Automated Backup, Version Control, Browser-Based Engineering (IDEaaS), Secure Remote Access, Vault & Audit Trail, Firmware Vulnerability Monitoring, Factory Agent, and Factory Operator. These modules work together to enable automation engineers to manage heterogeneous PLC vendors, automate backup workflows, track code changes via Git-enabled version control, access IDEs remotely from any browser, secure OT environments with zero-trust access and vault management, monitor firmware vulnerabilities, and leverage AI to translate legacy PLC code into human-readable language.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial DevOps Platform Cloud-based Industrial DevOps platform enabling automation engineers to manage PLC projects for heterogeneous vendors, automate backup, track changes via Git-enabled version control, and use AI to understand legacy code. Unifies control, intelligence, and security across industrial automation environments. Sold via Professional and Enterprise subscription tiers.
• Professional Services Consulting, implementation, and training services sold separately to support customer deployment of the SDA platform, including onboarding for enterprise manufacturers and integration with multi-vendor PLC environments.
• SDA Gateway Connectivity hardware component required for edge connectivity between the SDA cloud platform and on-premises PLCs. Sold as part of the solution bundle to enable secure communication with industrial controllers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduce downtime costs by $2M+ annually
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability5 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AWS (Amazon Web Services)coreTechnology or IntegrationCloud infrastructure provider. AWS provides cloud infrastructure services for SDA platform. IDEaaS service uses AWS streaming services. Primary subprocessor for authentication and authorization services.
• Rockwell AutomationcoreTechnology or IntegrationSupported automation vendor. SDA platform supports Rockwell PLCs (Studio 5000 Logix Designer) with Browser-Based Engineering (IDEaaS), version control, and pipeline automation.
• SiemenscoreTechnology or IntegrationSupported automation vendor. SDA platform supports Siemens PLCs (TIA Portal, Simatic Manager, SINUMERIK) with Browser-Based Engineering, version control, and pipeline automation.
• Beckhoff AutomationcoreTechnology or IntegrationSupported automation vendor. SDA platform supports Beckhoff PLCs with IDEaaS, version control, and pipeline features.
• CODESYScoreTechnology or IntegrationSupported automation vendor. CODESYS soft PLC supported on SDA platform including virtual PLC deployments.
• SEW-EurodrivecoreTechnology or IntegrationSupported automation vendor. SDA platform supports SEW-Eurodrive drives and controllers (MOVIRUN open, MOVITOOLS MotionStudio, MOVISUITE) with IDEaaS and pipeline automation.
• B&R AutomationcoreTechnology or IntegrationSupported automation vendor. SDA platform supports B&R PLCs with version control and pipeline automation.
• KUKAcoreTechnology or IntegrationSupported automation vendor. SDA platform supports KUKA robots/controllers with IDEaaS, version control, and pipeline features.
• Mitsubishi ElectriccoreTechnology or IntegrationSupported automation vendor. SDA platform supports Mitsubishi PLCs with version control and pipeline automation.
• WAGOcoreTechnology or IntegrationSupported automation vendor. SDA platform supports WAGO controllers with version control and pipeline automation.
• ARC Advisory GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry analyst firm. ARC Advisory Group publishes research on Industrial DevOps and features SDA's platform in their market analysis and reports on rethinking the PLC engineering process.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Aveva: Aveva is a long-established industrial software platform providing SCADA, MES, historian (PI System), and engineering tools to the same large manufacturing and process-industry customers SDA targets. It is comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities around industrial data management, OT visibility, and engineering workflows, though Aveva is not focused on DevOps-style PLC code version control or IDEaaS.
• Rockwell Automation (FactoryTalk): Rockwell Automation is both a SDA technology partner (Studio 5000 supported) and a broad incumbent whose FactoryTalk suite includes design, operations, and analytics tools for industrial automation. Comparable because Rockwell could natively bundle DevOps/IDEaaS-style features for its own PLC installed base, representing both a partner and a competitive threat to SDA.
• Siemens (Xcelerator / TIA Portal): Siemens is a SDA technology partner (TIA Portal supported) and a broad incumbent whose Xcelerator portfolio and MindSphere/Insights Hub target the same digital manufacturing and OT software market. It is comparable because Siemens owns the dominant European industrial automation stack and could choose to subsume DevOps, browser-based engineering, or AI code-translation features into TIA Portal.
• PTC (ThingWorx / Kepware): PTC's ThingWorx and Kepware platforms provide industrial connectivity, device integration, and operational analytics for the same manufacturing customers SDA serves. It is comparable as a broad incumbent offering OT data plumbing and lightweight industrial app development, although it does not focus on PLC code DevOps, version control, or browser-based IDE delivery.
• Honeywell Forge (Connected Plant): Honeywell's Connected Plant / Forge for Industrial assets serves process manufacturers with asset management, OT cybersecurity, and operations software. Comparable as a broad incumbent targeting similar regulated industrial customers, particularly in energy and life sciences, where SDA also sells.
• Schneider Electric (EcoStruxure): Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure platform bundles industrial software, automation, and energy management for manufacturing and infrastructure customers. It is comparable as a broad incumbent offering industrial connectivity, analytics, and OT management tools that overlap with portions of SDA's platform across process and discrete industries.

Direct peers

• Inductive Automation: Inductive Automation (Ignition by Inductive Automation) is a SCADA/MES platform widely used by SDA's target customer base of system integrators and discrete manufacturers. It is a direct peer because both companies compete for the same industrial engineer's desktop with cloud-connected tools for managing PLC-centric environments, though Ignition is positioned more as a SCADA/MES application server than as a DevOps platform.

Emerging players

• Nozomi Networks: Nozomi Networks is a leading OT security and visibility platform focused on asset discovery, vulnerability management, and network monitoring in industrial environments. It is an emerging player with partial overlap to SDA's Firmware Vulnerability Monitoring and secure remote access modules, competing for the same CISO/OT-security budget within SDA's target accounts.
• Claroty: Claroty provides OT security, asset visibility, and vulnerability management for industrial and critical-infrastructure operators. It is an emerging player adjacent to SDA's OT Security pillar, often co-sold or competing with SDA when enterprise buyers evaluate OT security platforms vs. integrated DevOps-plus-security offerings.
• Dragos: Dragos is a specialist OT cybersecurity vendor covering asset discovery, threat detection, and incident response for industrial control systems. It is comparable to the OT Security module of SDA's platform and competes for the regulated-customer NIS2-driven security budgets that SDA also targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdSB6M7jXLRk2vI0R-K2Tmw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/software-defined-automation

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors6 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 Software Defined Automation