SET

Test and Measurement Equipment for Semiconductors and Aerospacesmart-e-tech.de

SET GmbH designs and manufactures specialized reliability test systems for SiC and GaN power semiconductors and Hardware-in-the-Loop test systems for aerospace avionics, selling custom-configured enterprise systems and Testing as a Service to power semiconductor manufacturers, aerospace & defense firms, and automotive/E-mobility customers; wholly owned by National Instruments within Emerson's Test & Measurement Business.

Company typePrivate
Founded2001
HeadquartersWangen Im Allgäu, Germany
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2B
OfferingHardware or Manufacturing

What SET does

SET GmbH (Smart embedded Technologies) is a German B2B engineering company that designs, manufactures, and commissions specialized test systems for two adjacent end markets: power semiconductor reliability testing — with particular focus on wide-bandgap materials (silicon carbide and gallium nitride) used in electric vehicles, renewable energy, rail, and industrial power electronics — and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) validation of aerospace avionics and defense electronics. Its product portfolio centers on dynamic H3TRB/DRB and HTGB/DGS reliability test systems, power cycling platforms, System-on-Demand HiL rigs, SLSC signal conditioning, cRIO modules, and end-of-line/ATP functional testers, all built on National Instruments platforms (cRIO, LabVIEW, TestStand) extended with proprietary hardware and software.

The company operates a vertically integrated model — from requirements definition, electronics and software development, and in-house electronics manufacturing through to commissioning, training, and Testing as a Service — and sells primarily through consultative, quote-based enterprise engagements (40% on order acceptance, 60% on delivery). Since March 2023 SET has been wholly owned by National Instruments, itself part of Emerson's Test & Measurement Business, which extends SET's reach via NI's global sales network. Customers are segmented across power semiconductor manufacturers, aerospace & defense OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, and (as a secondary vertical) automotive/E-mobility players. The company participates in ECPE and JEDEC standards bodies and was awarded the German Federal Ministry's "Best ZIM Single Project of 2023" for its modular SiC/GaN test platform.

SET firmographics

Firmographics

Name: SET
Legal name: SET GmbH – Smart embedded Technologies
Website: https://smart-e-tech.de
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2001
Operating status: Acquired
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Short description: SET GmbH designs and manufactures specialized reliability test systems for SiC and GaN power semiconductors and Hardware-in-the-Loop test systems for aerospace avionics, selling custom-configured enterprise systems and Testing as a Service to power semiconductor manufacturers, aerospace & defense firms, and automotive/E-mobility customers; wholly owned by National Instruments within Emerson's Test & Measurement Business.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

SET industry classification

Industry

Product category: Test and Measurement Equipment for Semiconductors and Aerospace
NAICS: Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (333242), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)
SIC: Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)
akta.pro primary industry: Test, Probe & Burn-In Equipment (Wafer Sort/Final Test) (HDAHAEAJ)
akta.pro secondary industries: Test & Measurement Equipment (Oscilloscopes, DAQ, signal analyzers, calibration benches) (IMAGAFAC), Military Aerospace Ground Support Equipment (GSE) & Test Systems (IMABAMAL)

Keywords

Semiconductor test systems
Aerospace test systems
Hardware in the loop
Power semiconductor reliability
Test system integration

Where SET is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Wangen Im Allgäu
HQ country: Germany
HQ region: Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

SET business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Hardware or Manufacturing
Cost components: Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Hardware Test Systems: Sale of customized test systems including HiL platforms, semiconductor reliability testers, and power cycling systems. Systems are configured to customer specifications and include proprietary SET hardware integrated with NI platforms.
Software Licensing: Licensing of SET-developed test software and integration with third-party software (NI LabVIEW, TestStand). Software licenses are bundled with hardware purchases.
Testing as a Service: Contract testing services where SET performs reliability and qualification testing using their in-house equipment. Customers send components for testing without purchasing systems.
Service & Support: Technical support, maintenance, calibration, and consulting services for installed test systems. Includes training programs for customer personnel.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

SET product offering

Product offering

Core offering

SET GmbH develops, manufactures and integrates specialized test systems for power semiconductors (SiC, GaN wide-bandgap materials) and aerospace electronics. Its product portfolio includes Hardware in the Loop (HiL) test platforms with a System on Demand (SoD) approach, dynamic reliability test systems (H3TRB, HTGB, power cycling), signal conditioning modules (SLSC), and CompactRIO modules for avionics validation. The company also provides Testing as a Service, customized test solutions, and end-to-end engineering services (electronics and software development, in-house electronics manufacturing, consulting and training).

Product overview

SET GmbH (Smart Embedded Technologies) offers a comprehensive portfolio of test systems for power semiconductors and aerospace applications. The product lineup centers on Hardware in the Loop (HiL) test systems with System on Demand (SoD) approach for aerospace electronics, and dynamic reliability test systems for Wide-Bandgap power semiconductors (SiC and GaN). Key products include Dynamic H3TRB/DRB Test Systems, Dynamic HTGB/DGS Test Systems, Power Cycling Test Systems, and Testing as a Service. The company also provides end-to-end expertise services including electronic development, software development, electronics manufacturing, and test consulting. Since 2023, SET has been part of National Instruments (NI), an Emerson company, leveraging NI platforms for system integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Hardware in the Loop / System on Demand (HiL/SoD) HiL test systems for verification and validation of aerospace electronics, enabling shorter development cycles through a System on Demand testing approach. Designed for aerospace OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and defense contractors.
Signal Conditioning SLSC

Quantifiable outcome

Fully automatic parameter determination during stress tests without disassembly - significant time and cost savings
+1 more outcomes

Companies that use SET

Customer profile

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

SET technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

SET partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

National Instruments (NI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023NI completed full acquisition of SET in March 2023 after a multi-year strategic minority investment beginning in 2020. The acquisition combines SET's expertise in power semiconductor and aerospace testing with NI's global platform and distribution capabilities. SET now operates as part of NI, which is part of Emerson's Test & Measurement Business. SET leverages NI platforms (cRIO, LabVIEW, TestStand) while maintaining proprietary test methodologies.
ECPE (European Center for Power Electronics)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSET participates in ECPE standardization activities for power electronics testing and measurement methodologies, contributing to industry-wide standards development.
JEDECminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSET contributes to JEDEC standards development for semiconductor testing methodologies, particularly for wide-bandgap materials.
German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMWK supported SET's ZIM (Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand) research project for developing the innovative test platform for SiC and GaN semiconductors. The funding enabled SET to develop products now sold globally.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

SET competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

Hioki E.E. Corporation: Hioki manufactures electrical measurement instruments (power meters, recorders) used widely in power-electronics validation, an adjacent competitor in SET's measurement-heavy test systems.
Teradyne, Inc. Teradyne (including its LitePoint and Universal Robots businesses) provides semiconductor test platforms that increasingly target power-device markets adjacent to SET's niche.
Keysight Technologies: Keysight is a dominant electronic test & measurement incumbent offering parametric testers, oscilloscopes, and power-device characterization systems that overlap with SET's broader T&M footprint.
Advantest Corporation: Advantest is a global leader in semiconductor test equipment (SoC and memory); its power-device test initiatives put it in competition with SET in the WBG reliability test space.

Emerging players

Speedgoat GmbH: Speedgoat provides real-time HiL and simulation test systems that are increasingly adopted in aerospace and power-electronics development, partially overlapping with SET's HiL/SoD platform.
ESPEC Corporation: ESPEC supplies environmental and reliability test chambers used alongside semiconductor reliability testing, comparable to SET's climate-chamber-integrated H3TRB and DRB test systems.

Direct peers

Chroma ATE Inc. Chroma ATE is a major Taiwanese manufacturer of power-semiconductor test systems including power-cycling and reliability testers for SiC/IGBT devices, directly comparable to SET's reliability test portfolio.
Tesec Corporation: Tesec specializes in reliability and burn-in test systems for power semiconductors, including dynamic HTRB/HTGB systems that overlap directly with SET's Dynamic H3TRB and HTGB offerings.
dSPACE GmbH: dSPACE is a leading German provider of Hardware-in-the-Loop simulation platforms for aerospace and automotive development, directly comparable to SET's HiL/SoD test systems.
InTEST Corporation: InTEST provides thermal test solutions and reliability test equipment serving the power-semiconductor and aerospace markets, overlapping with SET's power-cycling and HiL test systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

SET financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

SET leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

SET funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

SET M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about SET

What does SET do?

Is SET a public or private company?

SET is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.

When was SET founded?

SET was founded in 2001. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is SET based?

SET is headquartered in Wangen Im Allgäu, Germany, in the Europe region.

How does SET make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Hardware Test Systems are the primary driver. The others are software Licensing, testing as a Service and service & Support.

Who are SET's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are Hioki E.E. Corporation, Teradyne, Inc., Keysight Technologies and Advantest Corporation. Emerging players are Speedgoat GmbH and ESPEC Corporation. Direct peers are Chroma ATE Inc., Tesec Corporation, dSPACE GmbH and InTEST Corporation.

Does SET have an API?

No public API is recorded for SET.

What industry is SET in?

SET's product category is Test and Measurement Equipment for Semiconductors and Aerospace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAEAJ, Test, Probe & Burn-In Equipment (Wafer Sort/Final Test), with a secondary code of IMAGAFAC, Test & Measurement Equipment (Oscilloscopes, DAQ, signal analyzers, calibration benches). Its NAICS code is 334515 and its SIC code is 3825.