CONTACT Software

What CONTACT Software does

CONTACT Software GmbH is a privately held German industrial software company founded in 1990 and headquartered in Bremen, Germany. The company develops and sells open-standard software for product engineering and digital transformation, primarily serving discrete manufacturing customers across automotive and mobility, machinery and plant engineering, medical technology, and high-tech/electronics. Its core product is the CIM Database PLM system, which has been deployed in some customers for 25+ years (notably MANN+HUMMEL), supplemented by CONTACT Elements for IoT (a low-code MES/IIoT platform with digital twin and asset management capabilities), Project Office for hybrid agile-classical engineering project management, and Collaboration Hub for cross-company data sharing. The CONTACT Elements integration platform is the underlying technology foundation, providing modular low-code architecture with open APIs (including OSLC standards) that connect CIM Database to ERP systems (SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365), CAD environments (CATIA V6, SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, AutoCAD), ALM tools (GitLab), and emerging European data ecosystems (Catena-X, Manufacturing-X, Gaia-X). Fourier AI, introduced as the platform's AI intelligence layer, combines proprietary domain-specific models (such as 3D geometry similarity search) with market-leading foundation models to provide generative, retrieval, and process-automation capabilities tailored to engineering workflows. CAIQ GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary, provides Simulation Process & Data Management (SPDM) used by Audi and Porsche, and the August 2025 acquisition of neusta mobile solutions extended the platform into native iOS, Android, and PWA mobile applications.

Revenue is generated through software licenses and subscriptions (perpetual and SaaS/PaaS via CIM Database Cloud and CONTACT Cloud), professional services (implementation, consulting, training via CONTACT University), and managed cloud services. Go-to-market is primarily direct enterprise field sales supplemented by regional implementation partners, including TJ Digital Systems in the UK (announced February 2026) and Razorleaf in North America (announced March 2026). The company maintains named enterprise relationships with BMW, Bosch, Honda, Toyota, Subaru, Hyundai, Porsche, Audi, MAN, Deutsche Bahn, Andritz, BASF, Olympus, and others, and serves customers in Germany, the UK, North America, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, and South Korea. The firm is controlled by managing directors Karl Heinz Zachries and Maximilian Zachries, with no external investors or funding rounds disclosed.

The company executes a vertical-specific go-to-market with primary segments in Automotive & Mobility, Machinery & Plant Engineering, Medical Technology, and High-Tech & Electronics, addressing pain points including digital continuity across engineering, simulation, manufacturing, and service; variant and change management; regulatory compliance; and cross-disciplinary product development. Sustainability reporting (Product Carbon Footprint integration via Catena-X) and manufacturing data ecosystems represent emerging product extensions. The company is founder-managed with no disclosed external capital, no public ticker, no acquisitions prior to the 2025 neusta mobile deal aside from the CAIQ GmbH subsidiary, and no disclosed leadership changes or restructuring events within the source material.

Name

CONTACT Software

Legal name

CONTACT Software GmbH

Website

https://contact-software.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

CONTACT Software develops open-standard Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and IoT software for discrete manufacturers. Its CONTACT Elements platform and CIM Database serve enterprise engineering teams across automotive, machinery, medical technology, and high-tech, with growing AI capabilities via Fourier AI.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bremen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses and Subscriptions: CONTACT generates revenue through perpetual software licenses and subscription-based cloud/SaaS models. CIM Database and CONTACT Elements are available as on-premises or cloud deployments.
2. Professional Services: Implementation, consulting, training, and support services. Includes management consulting, technical and method consulting, software evaluation, system change, project management, and training.
3. Cloud/Managed Services: CIM Database Cloud and CONTACT Cloud provide hosted infrastructure and managed services for customers preferring cloud deployment over on-premises.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CONTACT Software develops and sells the CONTACT Elements platform and its flagship CIM Database PLM product for end-to-end product lifecycle management, IoT/MES automation, hybrid project management, and cross-organizational collaboration. Solutions are sold as on-premises licenses, cloud SaaS/PaaS subscriptions, and via professional services for enterprise manufacturers in automotive, machinery, medical technology, and high-tech industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CIM Database: Open PLM system for end-to-end processes along the digital thread throughout the entire product lifecycle
• CONTACT Elements for IoT
• Project Office
• Collaboration Hub
• CONTACT Elements Integrationsplattform
• CIM Database Cloud
• Fourier AI

Products and services

• CIM Database PLM Open Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system for end-to-end processes along the digital thread throughout the entire product lifecycle. Manages product data, CAD data, BOMs, change management, and engineering workflows for enterprise manufacturers.
• CONTACT Elements for IoT Low-code IoT/MES platform for data-driven end-to-end automation of industrial business processes, providing digital twin capabilities, asset management, shopfloor management, and smart services for industrial customers.
• Project Office Hybrid multi-project management solution for seamless collaboration in globally distributed engineering teams, combining agile and classical project management methodologies.
• Collaboration Hub Intelligent data sharing solution for efficient and secure collaboration across organizational and system boundaries, enabling joint ventures, joint projects, and supplier collaboration.
• CONTACT Elements Integration Platform Scalable modular low-code platform for rapid digital transformation along the value chain, connecting legacy systems like ERP, CRM, and PLM through open APIs. Serves as the foundation for all CONTACT solutions.
• CIM Database Cloud Ready-to-use cloud PLM system for all phases of digital product development, providing enterprise PLM functionality with modern cloud technology and PaaS deployment options, including a free trial for mid-market customers.
• Fourier AI AI intelligence layer integrated into the Elements platform providing engineering AI capabilities across development, production, and service. Combines market-leading AI models with proprietary domain-specific models such as 3D geometry similarity search.
• CONTACT Cloud Cloud infrastructure offering SaaS and PaaS deployment options for CONTACT products, enabling quick start-up, flexible scaling, and reduced IT costs.
• Sustainability Reporting Technology for consolidating environmental data from different systems to support Product Carbon Footprint calculations and ESG reporting requirements.
• CONTACT University (Training Services) Training programs covering user and administrator certification for CONTACT software solutions, supporting rapid deployment and effective adoption.
• CAIQ GmbH Simulation Solutions (SPDM) Simulation Process & Data Management (SPDM) solutions offered by CAIQ GmbH, a CONTACT subsidiary, enabling enterprises such as Audi and Porsche to integrate simulation into product development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approval process accelerated by 20% at Kiekert
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers32 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability10 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and strategic.

• RazorleafcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 27 March 2026US-based consultancy and implementation specialist Razorleaf supports CONTACT in North America, providing practical insights into implementation and deployment of CONTACT Elements at events like WCX. The partnership focuses on automotive customers transitioning to software-defined vehicles.
• TJ Digital SystemscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 February 2026German industrial software provider CONTACT Software partnered with Sheffield-based TJ Digital Systems to deliver end-to-end digital solutions for manufacturers across the United Kingdom. TJ Digital Systems supports customers from initial consultancy through to deployment and long-term support.
• T-SystemscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026CONTACT Software and T-Systems are developing an integration connecting CATIA V6 with CONTACT's CIM Database PLM system to enable smoother data exchange and faster engineering workflows. The integration aims to improve digital continuity, collaboration, and data accuracy for manufacturing companies.
• CAIQ GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026CAIQ GmbH is a CONTACT subsidiary and simulation specialist providing Simulation Process & Data Management (SPDM) that seamlessly integrates simulation into product development. Solutions are used by customers such as Audi and Porsche.
• prostep ivip SymposiumminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026CONTACT Software is a premium partner of the prostep ivip Symposium 2026, an important industry event for product lifecycle management standards and collaboration.
• neusta mobile solutionsstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 August 2025CONTACT Software acquired fellow German software services firm neusta mobile solutions, strengthening strategic innovation capabilities and expanding mobile application offerings in PLM and IoT scenarios. neusta offers solutions for Android, iOS, and PWAs and will remain organizationally independent.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• PTC: PTC's Windchill PLM, Creo CAD, ThingWorx IoT, and Arena cloud PLM overlap directly with CONTACT's CIM Database PLM, CAD integrations, Elements for IoT, and CIM Database Cloud. Both target discrete manufacturers in automotive and industrial machinery verticals.
• Siemens Digital Industries Software: Siemens Teamcenter is the dominant enterprise PLM platform and MindSphere addresses IoT — directly competing with CONTACT's CIM Database and Elements for IoT across the same automotive and machinery customers. Both emphasize digital-thread continuity.
• Dassault Systèmes: Dassault's 3DEXPERIENCE platform, ENOVIA PLM, and DELMIA manufacturing solutions compete head-to-head with CONTACT's PLM and IoT offerings. The T-Systems CATIA V6 integration even positions CONTACT as a complementary front-end for Dassault-centric customers.
• Aras: Aras Innovator offers open, model-based, low-code PLM on a customizable platform — conceptually similar to CONTACT Elements' modular, open-API architecture. Both compete in complex discrete-manufacturing PLM deals.

Broad incumbents

• Autodesk: Autodesk's Fusion Lifecycle / Product Design & Manufacturing collection covers cloud PLM and CAD, overlapping with CIM Database Cloud and CAD-integration scenarios. Autodesk is a broader design-suite incumbent rather than a pure-play PLM specialist.
• Oracle (Agile PLM): Oracle's Agile PLM and broader SCM/ERP suite serve discrete manufacturers with product-record and change-management requirements that overlap with CIM Database. Oracle plays as an enterprise-apps incumbent bundling PLM into a wider portfolio.
• SAP: SAP's enterprise applications portfolio, including its PLM/REACH integrations and ERP backbone, overlaps with CONTACT's enterprise-application positioning and with the SAP integration scenarios prominently cited in CONTACT's customer wins (e.g., Kiekert).
• Infor: Infor's industry-specific enterprise applications (e.g., Infor PLM for Process, CloudSuite Industrial) overlap with CONTACT's manufacturing-focused PLM and IoT positioning across similar discrete and process-manufacturing verticals.

Emerging players

• Propel: Propel is a 100% cloud-native PLM vendor that is gaining traction with mid-market manufacturers — directly competing with CIM Database Cloud's PLG motion targeting the same segment.
• Arena Solutions (now part of PTC): Arena's cloud PLM platform targets small-to-mid-market discrete manufacturers and competes with CIM Database Cloud. Now under PTC, it has stronger enterprise backing that could pressure CONTACT's mid-market expansion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CONTACTSoftware

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 CONTACT Software