Industrial Shields

What Industrial Shields does

Industrial Shields, legally Boot & Work Corp. S.L., is a Barcelona-based private company founded in 2012 that designs and sells industrial automation hardware built on open-source platforms. Its core portfolio comprises three PLC families — Arduino-based (Ardbox, M-Duino), ESP32-based (14 to 58 I/O models), and Raspberry Pi-based (19R to 58 I/O controllers running Linux/Raspberry Pi OS) — complemented by the Touchberry Panel PC/HMI line, the GateBerry industrial edge gateway, and moduleX decentralized I/O expansion modules. The hardware supports a broad protocol stack (Ethernet, RS-485/RS-232, SPI, I2C, Modbus RTU/TCP, LoRa, 4G, CAN Bus, GPS, WiFi, BLE) and is programmable via the free Arduino IDE, eliminating proprietary licensing fees that burden traditional PLC vendors.

The company generates revenue primarily through direct e-commerce hardware sales (products priced €109–€829) and a global distributor network, with a smaller recurring stream from tiered technical support subscriptions (€9.95/month Basic, €29/month Pro). Its go-to-market is product-led, leveraging technical documentation, free online courses, community forums, and broad social media presence to attract engineers and system integrators. Target customers include industrial automation professionals, system integrators, energy/water management projects, and IoT solution developers across Europe and internationally. Industrial Shields acquired Box Shields SL in November 2023 and holds the Spanish PYME INNOVADORA certification through June 2026.

Name

Industrial Shields

Legal name

Boot & Work Corp. S.L.

Website

https://industrialshields.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Industrial Shields (Boot & Work Corp. S.L.), a Barcelona-based company founded in 2012, designs and sells open-source-based industrial PLCs, Panel PCs, and edge gateways powered by Arduino, ESP32, and Raspberry Pi, serving industrial automation engineers, system integrators, and IoT developers globally through direct e-commerce and distributor channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Hardware

NAICS

Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411), Computer Terminal and Other Computer Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (334118), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Electronic Computers (3571)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Control Panels & Enclosures (Panel Building, MCCs, Integration) (IMAGABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Panel PCs & HMI Terminals (HDACALAE), Industrial Embedded Computers (Box PCs) (HDACALAF), Real-Time & Industrial Control Processors (RT MCUs/PLC-class SoCs) (HDAHAJAL), Embedded & Industrial Network Interfaces (PCIe/M.2/SOM/SoC NICs) (HDAFAEAI)

Keywords

• Industrial PLC controllers
• Open-source automation hardware
• Arduino industrial controllers
• Raspberry Pi PLCs
• Industrial IoT gateways

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Sale of industrial PLCs (Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi based), Panel PCs (Touchberry), and Industrial Gateways (GateBerry). Products range from compact 14-I/O controllers to large-format 58-I/O PLCs and 18.5 inch Panel PCs.
2. Technical Support Services: Tiered support plans: Free (72-hour response), Basic (9.95€/month, 24-hour response), Pro (29€/month, 6-hour response). Yearly plans also available at 99.95€/year (Basic) and 295€/year (Pro).
3. Accessories and Expansion Modules: Power supplies, sensors, antennas, communication modules, wires, and DIN rail accessories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Industrial Shields designs and manufactures industrial-grade PLCs, Panel PCs (HMI), and industrial gateways based on open-source hardware platforms (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and ESP32). The product portfolio spans compact 14-I/O controllers to large 58-I/O PLCs and 18.5-inch Panel PCs, with support for industrial communication protocols (Modbus RTU/TCP, RS485, RS232, Ethernet, WiFi, BLE, LoRa, 4G, CAN Bus, GPS). Products are programmable using the Arduino IDE or Linux-based operating systems, eliminating proprietary licensing fees.

Product overview

Industrial Shields is an open-source industrial automation hardware company offering a multi-platform portfolio of PLCs, Panel PCs, and Gateways powered by Arduino, ESP32, and Raspberry Pi. The product line is organized into three main PLC families: Arduino-based PLCs (Ardbox Analog, Ardbox Relay, and the larger M-Duino family ranging from 19R to 58 I/O models), ESP32-based PLCs (compact 14 to high-capacity 58 I/O models with dual-core processing and integrated WiFi/BLE/Ethernet), and Raspberry Pi-based PLCs (CPU-Gateway, and 19R to 58 I/O models running Linux/Raspberry Pi OS with integrated UPS and dual Ethernet). Complementary products include the Touchberry Pi Panel PC / HMI line (7" to 18.5" capacitive touch displays), GateBerry industrial edge gateway (Raspberry Pi-based with modular communication options), and moduleX expansion I/O modules for distributed architectures. All products share open-source architecture, Arduino IDE programmability, and support for industrial communication protocols including Ethernet, RS-485, RS-232, SPI, I2C, Modbus RTU/TCP, and optional LoRa, 4G, CAN Bus, and GPS modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ardbox: Arduino Leonardo-based industrial PLC family with up to 20 I/Os, including Analog and Relay variants.
• M-Duino
• Touchberry
• GateBerry
• moduleX

Products and services

• Ardbox PLC Family Compact Arduino Leonardo-based industrial PLCs for engineers implementing small-to-medium automation projects with space and cost efficiency requirements.
• M-Duino PLC Family Arduino Mega-based Ethernet PLCs for industrial automation, monitoring, and data acquisition in professional environments requiring up to 58 I/Os.
• ESP32 PLC Family Dual-core ESP32-based modular industrial PLCs with built-in wireless connectivity, designed for IoT and complex industrial automation projects requiring distributed I/O architectures.
• Raspberry PLC Family Raspberry Pi 4-based industrial PLCs running Linux with open-source architecture, integrated UPS, and full access to the Raspberry Pi OS ecosystem for complex automation and data-intensive monitoring.
• Touchberry Pi Panel PC Industrial-grade Panel PC / HMI powered by Raspberry Pi with capacitive touch displays for automation monitoring and human-machine interface applications in industrial environments.
• GateBerry Industrial Gateway Industrial edge gateway for IoT developers combining Linux flexibility with industrial reliability for data aggregation, protocol conversion, edge computing, and remote device management.
• moduleX Expansion I/O Modules Expandable ESP32-based I/O module system supporting up to 127 modules via I2C for up to 7,100 Inputs/Outputs in master-slave configurations, with optional DIN rail mounting.
• Technical Support Plans Subscription-based technical support service with tiered response times for industrial automation customers requiring guaranteed assistance with PLC, Panel PC, and Gateway deployments.

Quantifiable outcome

• DALI Arduino controller increases savings by up to 50% per year through precise timing and power control of street lighting.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ArduinocoreTechnology or IntegrationIndustrial Shields products are based on Arduino hardware (Arduino Leonardo, Arduino Mega). The company uses Arduino architecture and Arduino IDE for programming, enabling compatibility with the broader Arduino ecosystem and community.
• Raspberry Pi FoundationcoreTechnology or IntegrationProducts powered by Raspberry Pi 4 boards. Industrial Shields is an official Raspberry Pi community partner, using original Raspberry Pi hardware with 'Powered by Raspberry Pi' branding. Raspberry PLCs run Raspberry Pi OS (Linux).
• Espressif SystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationESP32-based PLCs leverage the dual-core ESP32 microcontroller with integrated WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Rockwell Automation (Allen-Bradley): Major North American PLC incumbent (ControlLogix, CompactLogix) with strong foothold in industrial automation customers. Comparable as the established competitor against which any open-source PLC must justify itself in enterprise RFPs.
• Wago: Manufacturer of modular controllers (PFC200) and distributed I/O systems comparable to moduleX, serving industrial automation customers with open-standard protocols (Modbus, Ethernet/IP).
• Schneider Electric (Modicon): Dominant industrial automation incumbent (Modicon PLC line) serving the same end-customers as Industrial Shields but with proprietary systems, global service infrastructure, and full enterprise software stacks. Represents the primary competitive benchmark.
• Siemens (SIMATIC): Global #1 industrial automation vendor (SIMATIC PLC family). Competes for the same industrial PLC wallet with much broader portfolio, deeper certifications, and decades-long installed base advantage.
• Phoenix Contact: Industrial automation and connection technology vendor with PLC (Axioline) and I/O offerings comparable to Industrial Shields' modular I/O and gateway product families, particularly for European customers.
• Advantech: Industrial PC and embedded platform manufacturer whose UNO/ADAM product lines compete with Industrial Shields' Panel PCs and gateways in factory automation and IoT gateway applications.
• Beckhoff Automation: PC-based control specialist (TwinCAT, CX-series embedded PCs) that overlaps with Industrial Shields' Raspberry Pi-based PLC + gateway offerings. Represents the PC-as-PLC incumbent that bridges IT and OT.

Direct peers

• Controllino: Direct competitor making Arduino-based industrial PLCs (Controllino Mega, Mini, Maxi) targeting the same open-source industrial automation buyer. Closest direct comparable on platform, product category, and price points (€129–€400 range).
• OnLogic: Industrial and rugged computing hardware specialist whose Panel PCs and edge gateways overlap with the Touchberry and GateBerry product lines, particularly for SMB and OEM industrial customers.

Emerging players

• Arduino: Platform partner whose Arduino Pro line targets industrial applications, creating both ecosystem synergy and competitive overlap with Industrial Shields' Ardbox/M-Duino families in the entry-level industrial PLC segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/indshields
• GitHubgithub.com/IndustrialShields
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdQn1Fwb-yc6UvQD_V-KJkA
• Facebookfacebook.com/industrialshields
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/486218
• Instagraminstagram.com/industrialshields

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Industrial Shields