What Affiliated Engineers does

Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI) is a private consulting engineering firm founded in 1978 and headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, with 501-1,000 employees across 23 U.S. offices. The firm provides MEP (mechanical, electrical, piping/plumbing) engineering design, building performance analysis and energy modeling, commissioning, fire protection, technology/IT infrastructure, and architectural lighting design services through its in-house studio Pivotal Lighting Design. AEI serves institutional and commercial clients in healthcare, higher education, federal government, data centers, science & technology, pharmaceutical/life sciences, and industrial markets, pursuing work as engineer of record on complex new construction and major renovation projects.

The firm's core technology stack emphasizes high-performance, sustainable building engineering, with specialized practices in geothermal heating and cooling (15+ completed systems including the largest in the U.S. — Microsoft's Thermal Energy Center with 900 wells at 550 ft depth), battery energy storage systems (BESS), microgrids, and all-electric decarbonized design demonstrated by Project Lightyear (the first net-zero, carbon-zero CGMP facility). AEI operates a project-driven enterprise go-to-market, securing work through direct relationships with building owners, architects, and general contractors on a per-project professional services fee basis. Notable projects include the 1.4 million sq ft Mayo Clinic Arizona expansion, the USDA/DHS National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (the only LEED-certified large-scale biocontainment facility), and the 6.5 million sq ft KAUST campus in Saudi Arabia.

AEI's competitive positioning rests on demonstrated first-of-its-kind engineering achievements, regulatory expertise across CGMP, BSL-3/4, and LEED standards, and a deep talent base of industry-recognized principals (ASHRAE award winners, published authors). Revenue mechanics are professional services fees negotiated per project; no public revenue, funding, or acquisition data is disclosed. The firm appears to be independently owned and operated, with no evidence of private equity ownership or institutional investment in the available source material.

Name

Affiliated Engineers

Legal name

Affiliated Engineers, Inc.

Website

https://aeieng.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Affiliated Engineers is a private consulting engineering firm delivering high-performance MEP, building performance, commissioning, and lighting design services for healthcare, higher education, federal, data center, and pharmaceutical clients across 23 U.S. offices, with specialized expertise in geothermal, BESS, and net-zero decarbonized facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering Consulting Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Engineering Services (54133)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

MEP (Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing) Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial & Process Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAF), Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM), Security, Safety & Fire/Life Safety Management (BPABAAAE)

Keywords

• Mechanical engineering design
• Electrical engineering consulting
• Building performance analysis
• Sustainable MEP systems
• Commissioning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices23 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting & Design Services: AEI generates revenue through professional engineering consulting and design services billed on a project fee basis. Services span mechanical, electrical, piping/plumbing, fire protection, technology, security, commissioning, building performance analysis, and lighting design for institutional and commercial building projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Affiliated Engineers (AEI) is a consulting engineering firm that delivers mechanical, electrical, piping/plumbing (MEP), fire protection, technology, and architectural lighting design services for institutional and commercial building projects. The firm operates as engineer of record on complex new construction and renovation projects, supported by specialized practices in building performance analysis, commissioning, geothermal heating and cooling, microgrids, battery energy storage, intelligent buildings, process engineering, and lighting design through its in-house studio Pivotal Lighting Design.

Product overview

Affiliated Engineers (AEI) is a consulting engineering firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of engineering design and consulting services rather than a single software product. The core offering consists of MEP (mechanical, electrical, piping/plumbing) engineering and design services supplemented by specialized practices including Building Performance Analysis, Geothermal Heating & Cooling, Microgrids, Battery Storage, Commissioning, Intelligent Buildings, Process Engineering, and Pivotal Lighting Design (an in-house architectural lighting studio). AEI serves diverse market sectors including healthcare, higher education, data centers, science & technology, federal government, and industrial facilities. The services portfolio is structured around integrated engineering disciplines that work collaboratively on building projects rather than a platform-plus-modules software architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pivotal Lighting Design: AEI's in-house architectural lighting design studio that collaborates with project teams to develop unique and cohesive lighting concepts, leveraging expertise in sustainable technologies, daylight optimization, and building system integration.

Products and services

• Engineering & Design (MEP) Comprehensive MEP engineering and design services for institutional and commercial building projects, including mechanical, electrical, piping/plumbing, fire protection, and technology systems design. For healthcare, higher education, data center, federal government, pharmaceutical, and science & technology clients.
• Building Performance Analysis Sustainable engineering design, energy modeling, Life Cycle Cost Analysis, and building performance consulting to optimize energy efficiency, water conservation, and environmental sustainability of building projects. Aimed at owners pursuing LEED certification, net-zero goals, and measurable operational savings.
• Commissioning Building commissioning services including new building commissioning, building enclosure commissioning, existing building commissioning, ongoing commissioning, and LEED enhanced commissioning to verify building systems perform as designed.
• Pivotal Lighting Design AEI's in-house architectural lighting design studio that develops sustainable, aesthetically impactful lighting concepts, integrating daylight optimization and building system coordination, including tunable circadian lighting systems for healthcare and specialty spaces.
• Geothermal Heating & Cooling Design of large-scale geothermal heating and cooling systems, including bore fields with hundreds of wells drilled hundreds of feet deep, for sustainable building conditioning. Demonstrated at scale at Microsoft Thermal Energy Center (900 wells, 550 feet deep) and United Therapeutics Project Lightyear.
• Microgrids Microgrid design services integrating battery energy storage systems (BESS), photovoltaic arrays, and backup power for facilities requiring continuous operation and island-mode capability independent of the electrical grid.
• Process Engineering Process engineering services for pharmaceutical operations, GMP/CGMP environments, cleanrooms, and manufacturing facilities, supporting regulated production environments with specialized utility, gas, and process systems.
• Thermal Utilities Thermal utility system design services for district energy, central heating and cooling plants, and thermal energy storage systems serving campuses and large facilities.
• Intelligent Buildings Smart building technology integration including building automation systems, occupancy sensors, and integrated building management platforms for optimized building operations.
• Security Engineering Security consulting and design services including access control systems, safety technology planning, and integrated security infrastructure for buildings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% greater energy efficiency over ASHRAE 90.1-2010 baseline
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• International District Energy Association (IDEA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024AEI partnered with IDEA to co-sponsor the Patti Wilson Leadership Program, established in 2024 following the passing of Patti Wilson, a former colleague and board member. The program honors emerging women leaders in the district energy industry. AEI's participation demonstrates the firm's commitment to advancing women's participation in the engineering and energy sectors.
• Tesla (Megapack BESS)coreTechnology or IntegrationAEI collaborated with Tesla to develop and design the microgrid switchboard for Project Lightyear, utilizing Tesla Megapack battery energy storage systems (BESS) for backup power. The two Megapacks provide 6.2 MWh battery capacity, enabling over 48 hours of power for cold room and 24 hours for ambient storage in island mode without fossil fuels.
• Schneider ElectriccoreTechnology or IntegrationAEI collaborated closely with Schneider Electric on Project Lightyear to develop and design the microgrid switchboard that integrates both the PV array and Tesla Megapack battery energy storage system, enabling resilient island-mode operation independent of the electrical grid during emergencies.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ME Engineers: ME Engineers is a pure-play MEP engineering consulting firm specializing in mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design for mission-critical facilities (healthcare, higher education, data centers). Its service mix, market segmentation, and emphasis on high-performance building systems directly parallel Affiliated Engineers' core offering.
• Interface Engineering: Interface Engineering is a privately held MEP engineering consulting firm focused on sustainable, high-performance building design across healthcare, higher education, science & technology, and commercial markets — directly competing with AEI for institutional engineering of record engagements.
• BR+A Engineers: BR+A Consulting Engineers is a Boston-based MEP engineering firm with deep expertise in healthcare, higher education, science & technology, and mission-critical facilities. It competes with AEI directly for engineer-of-record roles on complex institutional projects in the same U.S. markets.
• Page (Page Southerland Page): Page is a national architecture and engineering firm that maintains a robust MEP consulting practice across healthcare, higher education, science & technology, and civic markets, directly competing with AEI on complex institutional building projects throughout the U.S.

Broad incumbents

• SmithGroup: SmithGroup is a large, integrated design firm combining architecture, MEP engineering, and planning across healthcare, higher education, science & technology, and workplace — overlapping with AEI's MEP specialty but operating as part of a broader design portfolio.
• Burns & McDonnell: Burns & McDonnell is a large employee-owned engineering firm with substantial MEP, commissioning, and energy practices serving healthcare, federal, mission-critical, and industrial markets — a broader incumbent that overlaps with AEI on institutional building projects.
• Stantec: Stantec is a global professional services firm offering engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting — including a building engineering practice that competes with AEI on healthcare, higher education, and federal projects across North America.
• Jacobs: Jacobs is a global professional services firm with significant facilities and advanced manufacturing engineering practices, including MEP design for healthcare, federal, and life-sciences clients — competing with AEI on large institutional and government projects.
• WSP Global: WSP Global is a worldwide professional services firm with a substantial buildings practice covering MEP engineering, sustainability, and commissioning for healthcare, higher education, and federal markets — competing broadly with AEI on large institutional engagements.
• HDR: HDR is a large architecture, engineering, and consulting firm with deep healthcare and higher-education building practices — including MEP, commissioning, and energy services that overlap directly with AEI's project portfolio across the U.S.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Affiliated Engineers