ept

What ept does

ept GmbH is a privately held, family-owned German manufacturer of precision board-to-board, PCB, and custom electronic connectors, founded around 1970 and headquartered in Peiting, Germany. The company operates from approximately six locations across Germany, the Czech Republic, the United States, and China, employing nearly 1,200 people, and sells through a direct enterprise field-sales motion supported by an international sales partner network covering six continents. Its product portfolio spans high-speed families (Zero8 with proprietary ScaleX contacts at 0.8 mm pitch and up to 16+ Gbit/s; Colibri at 0.5 mm pitch and 10-16 Gbit/s; Velox backplane), industry-standard connectors (DIN 41612/IEC 60603-2, PC/104, MicroTCA, hm2.0), robust 1.27 mm families (One27, Float27), edge-card (EC.8), power terminals, and fully custom connector solutions, complemented by press-fit tooling and assembly equipment.

Underlying the portfolio is full vertical integration across stamping, continuous electroplating, injection molding, and final assembly, with proprietary technologies including the ScaleX double-sided contact system, the ept Tcom press-fit zone, and a nickel-phosphorus (NiP) plating process that has produced over 1 billion contacts at a 0 ppm defect rate while reducing precious metal consumption by up to 90% and CO2 footprint by 85%. ept is qualified to ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016 (automotive), ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 50001:2018, holds UL 94 V-0 insulator ratings, and participates in PICMG standards bodies (COM Express, ModBlox7).

Revenue is generated primarily through direct B2B sales of catalog and custom connectors in larger quantities to enterprises, with pricing provided via quote-based, multi-year commercial arrangements; smaller-quantity buyers are directed to retail partners. The customer base is anchored in the automotive sector, where 100 billion connectors have been cumulatively installed for infotainment, ADAS, e-mobility, and C-V2X applications, and is diversified across industrial automation, medical technology, data communications, transportation, renewable energy, and aerospace. In 2023, the company was ranked second in the Bishop & Associates Customer Satisfaction Survey, and in August 2024 ept entered a co-development partnership with Rosenberger to jointly develop automotive hybrid connectors combining high-speed data and power transmission.

Name

ept

Legal name

ept GmbH

Website

https://eptusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ept GmbH is a privately held, family-owned German manufacturer of precision board-to-board and PCB connectors serving automotive, industrial, medical, data communications, transportation, renewable energy, and aerospace OEMs through direct enterprise sales and an international partner network, with a portfolio spanning high-speed (Zero8, Colibri), press-fit, and standards-based connector families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Connectors (Board-to-Board)

NAICS

Electronic Connector Manufacturing (334417)

SIC

Electronic Connectors (3678), Electronic Components & Accessories (3670)

akta.pro primary industry

Connectors (Power/Signal/High-Speed) (HDAHAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Connectors & Interconnect Components (Industrial connectors, terminals, sockets, backplane) (IMAGAJAC)

Keywords

• Board-to-board connectors
• Press-fit connectors
• Automotive connectors
• SMT connectors
• High-speed connectors

Headquarters

HQ city

Peiting

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Standard Catalog Connectors: Sale of standard connector products including Zero8, Colibri, One27, EC.8, DIN 41612, flexilink, VarPol, PC/104, MicroTCA, hm2.0, Velox, and Power Terminals for various industrial applications.
2. Custom Connector Solutions: Design and manufacturing of customer-specific connector solutions tailored to specific application requirements including derivatives from catalog products and fully customized designs.
3. Technical Consultation Services: Customized technical webinars, white papers, and engineering consultation for connector selection and proper usage. Professional services for application-specific guidance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ept GmbH manufactures and sells precision board-to-board electronic connectors (SMT, press-fit, and hybrid) for industrial applications supporting data transfer rates from 3 Gbit/s to 25+ Gbit/s. The portfolio spans miniaturized (0.5 mm pitch) to rugged standards-compliant connectors (DIN 41612, PC/104, MicroTCA, hm2.0, COM Express), backed by proprietary ScaleX contact technology, press-fit connections, and NiP coatings. ept also provides custom connector design and engineering consultation services to enterprise customers in automotive, industrial automation, medical, data communications, transportation, renewable energy, and aerospace markets.

Product overview

ept GmbH is a manufacturer of precision electronic connectors offering a comprehensive portfolio of board-to-board, PCB, and custom connection solutions. The core product lines include: the Zero8 (0.8 mm pitch, up to 16+ Gbit/s), Colibri® (0.5 mm pitch, up to 16 Gbit/s), One27 (1.27 mm pitch, 3 Gbit/s), and EC.8 (0.8 mm edge card) connector families; industry-standard DIN 41612/IEC 60603-2, PC/104, MicroTCA, and hm2.0 Hard Metric connectors; flexilink PCB connectors (2.54 mm press-fit); Velox high-speed backplane connectors; and Power Terminals. The company also provides Custom Connectors & Solutions for bespoke requirements. Products support applications across automotive, industrial, medical, communications, and other sectors, with capabilities including high-speed data transmission, EMC shielding, miniaturization, and ruggedization. Vertical integration covers stamping, electroplating, injection molding, and final assembly.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Colibri: 0.5 mm SMT high-speed connector product line supporting data transfer rates of 10 Gbit/s or 16 Gbit/s.
• Zero8
• One27

Products and services

• Zero8 SMT Connector A shielded 0.8 mm pitch board-to-board SMT connector with ScaleX contact technology, available in 12-80 contacts with stack heights from 6-21 mm. Supports data transfer rates up to 16+ Gbit/s and is compatible with PCIe 4.0 and Industrial Ethernet. Designed for industrial and automotive high-speed applications.
• Colibri SMT Connector A shielded dual-row 0.5 mm pitch SMT connector system for COM Express, SFF-SIG CoreExpress, and nano-ETXexpress specifications. Supports 10 Gbit/s or 16 Gbit/s data rates with 40-440 contacts and board spacing from 5-8 mm. Targeted at embedded computing applications.
• One27 SMT Connector A robust 1.27 mm pitch SMT connector with 12-80 contacts, supporting 3 Gbit/s data transfer. Suitable for parallel, right-angle, and cable-to-board configurations with PCB spacing of 8-13.8 mm. Aimed at industrial and embedded applications.
• Float27 SMT Connector A 1.27 mm pitch SMT connector with floating capability for tolerance compensation between PCBs. Designed for applications requiring mechanical misalignment absorption.
• EC.8 Edge Card SMT Connector A 0.8 mm edge card SMT connector for high-speed direct plug applications. Designed for direct board-edge mating in industrial and computing systems.
• DIN 41612 / IEC 60603-2 Connectors Industry-standard connectors compliant with DIN 41612 and IEC 60603-2 specifications. Used widely in European rack systems and industrial electronics.
• flexilink PCB Connectors A 2.54 mm pitch press-fit technology board-to-board connector series, including one-piece b-t-b variants suitable for potting applications. Targeted at industrial and automotive PCB interconnects.
• VarPol Pin & Socket Strips Pin and socket header strips for various board-to-board and wire-to-board applications. Configurable standard headers and sockets for industrial electronics.
• PC/104 and PC/104-Plus Connectors Industry-standard embedded PC connectors compliant with PC/104 and PC/104-Plus specifications, used in stacked-module embedded systems.
• MicroTCA Connectors Connectors compliant with MicroTCA (μTCA) specifications for advanced telecommunications and industrial computing applications.
• hm2.0 Hard Metric Connectors Hard metric connectors compliant with hm2.0 specifications for European rack systems in industrial and telecom applications.
• Velox High-Speed Backplane Connectors High-speed backplane connectors for demanding computing and communications applications requiring high signal integrity.
• Power Terminals Connectors designed for power transmission and power supply applications, including power terminal blocks.
• Custom Connectors & Solutions Customer-specific connector development and tailored solutions for unique application requirements, including derivatives of catalog products and fully customized designs. Targeted at enterprise customers with specialized needs.
• Press-fit Connectors and Contacts Connectors utilizing ept Tcom press-fit technology for gas-tight, solder-free PCB connections that withstand shock loads up to 200g, specified per DIN EN 60352-5. Targeted at automotive and industrial applications.
• Connector Assembly Tools and Press-fit Equipment Processing machines, tools, and press-fit technology equipment for connector assembly operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 billion connectors installed in automotive industry
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• RosenbergercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 August 2024Rosenberger and ept are jointly developing automotive hybrid connectors combining expertise in high-speed and power connectivity solutions for next-generation automotive applications requiring both data and power transmission capabilities.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Samtec: US-based specialist in high-speed board-to-board interconnects and standard connector systems. Comparable to ept on high-speed board-to-board product lines (Zero8/Colibri vs. Samtec Edge Rate and SEARAY) and direct enterprise sales to industrial/medical customers.
• JST (Japan Solderless Terminals): Global connector manufacturer with broad board-to-board, wire-to-board and automotive connector portfolios. Comparable to ept on SMT board-to-board products and multi-segment industrial/automotive exposure.
• Hirose Electric: Japanese precision connector manufacturer with strong high-speed board-to-board and automotive connector offerings. Comparable to ept on miniaturization, high-speed performance and automotive customer base, though larger and publicly listed.
• HARTING: German family-owned connector manufacturer with a strong industrial and board-to-board connector portfolio serving automotive, industrial automation and transportation markets. Closely comparable to ept in heritage, customer base and German Mittelstand positioning.
• Würth Elektronik: German PCB connector and electronic components manufacturer serving industrial, automotive and IoT customers. Closely comparable product overlap with ept in SMT board-to-board connectors and similar Mittelstand, German-headquartered profile.
• ERNI Electronics (TE Connectivity): Originally a German board-to-board connector specialist (now part of TE Connectivity) that historically competed head-to-head with ept in board-to-board and DIN 41612 product families. Direct product-level overlap in industrial and embedded computing connectors.

Broad incumbents

• Amphenol: Global interconnect leader serving automotive, industrial, IT, communications and aerospace markets. Overlaps with ept in board-to-board and automotive connectors but operates a far broader and deeper portfolio across multiple end markets.
• TE Connectivity: Largest global connector and sensor manufacturer with very broad automotive, industrial, communications and medical connector portfolios. Competes with ept across most product families but at significantly greater scale and breadth.
• Phoenix Contact: German family-owned industrial connectivity specialist with strong presence in industrial automation, transportation and renewable energy. Comparable to ept in German Mittelstand heritage, vertical integration and industrial/automotive customer focus, though Phoenix Contact is significantly larger.
• Molex: Koch-owned global connector manufacturer with extensive automotive, industrial and data communications connector lines. Comparable product overlap with ept in board-to-board connectors, especially in automotive electronics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ept_gmbh
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGDemSBXoHObZNd4r3L1fHg
• Facebookfacebook.com/eptgmbhpeiting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eptinc-usa
• Instagraminstagram.com/ept_gmbh

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 ept