What Ekvip Automation does

Ekvip Automation (legal entity ekvip automation GmbH) is a German B2B software and automation services company serving the machine building industry. Founded in April 2021 in Leipzig, the firm delivers customized PLC development, industrial robotics, commissioning, and after-sales service for original equipment manufacturers and machine builders, with documented expertise across TwinCAT, SIEMENS, Bosch, and Allen Bradley platforms following the IEC 61131-3 standard. As of 2026 the company operates from three locations: Leipzig (headquarters, Nonnenstraße 37), North Kingstown in the United States (ekvip USA, Inc., acquired from Manz USA in 2025), and an engineering office in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Managing Director Katja Wachsmuth leads the company, which is privately held with no disclosed external investors.

The technology core is the cinnamon open-source framework for TwinCAT 3, released on GitHub in November 2025, which provides a flexible automation foundation for PLC development in special machine construction. cinnamon is accompanied by a documented ecosystem of roughly 18 TwinCAT 3 libraries branded under the CNM prefix, covering production metrics, recipe handling, cycle management, operation modes, message and command interfaces, unicode utilities, collections, assertions, and abstract object base classes. Beyond software, the firm runs active knowledge-marketing channels including a technical blog, the TwinCAT Style Guide, and the Ninja Monkeys YouTube tutorial series focused on object-oriented PLC programming.

Commercially, Ekvip operates a sales-led, project-based professional services model with quote-driven pricing and no publicly disclosed rate cards. Revenue streams are custom software development, automation and PLC programming, industrial robotics implementation, commissioning, and post-commissioning service and production optimization. Customer concentration is on the machine building vertical, with direct B2B enterprise engagement as the sole distribution channel. The 2025 Manz USA acquisition and the 2025 cinnamon launch together mark a transition from pure regional services toward an international, product-anchored industrial software firm.

Name

Ekvip Automation

Legal name

ekvip automation GmbH

Website

https://ekvip.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ekvip Automation is a German B2B software and services firm for the machine building industry, delivering custom PLC programming, industrial robotics, commissioning, and after-sales support. It also develops the open-source cinnamon framework for TwinCAT 3 PLC development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Services

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian) (IMAHAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Factory Automation Cells & Integrated Systems (Assembly, Welding, Painting Lines) (IMAHAHAL)

Keywords

• PLC programming services
• Industrial automation software
• Machine building solutions
• TwinCAT framework development
• Custom library development

Headquarters

HQ city

Leipzig

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Software Development: Development of customized software solutions for machine building industry, including libraries and frameworks for individual machines and interlinked production lines.
2. Automation and PLC Programming: Implementation of PLC projects with platforms including TwinCAT, SIEMENS, Bosch, and Allen Bradley.
3. Service and After-sales Support: Ongoing support after commissioning, including production optimization services.
4. Industrial Robotics: Robotics implementation and commissioning services for machine building applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ekvip Automation develops customized software solutions for the machine building industry, specializing in PLC programming, industrial automation, and software development following the IEC 61131-3 standard. The company delivers professional services across TwinCAT, SIEMENS, Bosch, and Allen Bradley platforms, complemented by the open-source cinnamon framework and CNM library ecosystem for TwinCAT 3 PLC development.

Product overview

Ekvip Automation is a software solutions company for the machine building industry, offering both products and services. The core product is the open-source cinnamon framework for TwinCAT 3, which provides a flexible automation foundation for PLC development in special machine construction. Complementing cinnamon is a suite of CNM (Cinnamon) libraries including CNM_ReturnTypes, CNM_UnicodeUtilities, CNM_RecipeHandling, CNM_ProductionMetrics, CNM_ProductionMetricInterfaces, CNM_OpModeHandling, CNM_OpModeHandlingInterfaces, CNM_CycleManager, CNM_CycleManagerInterfaces, CNM_MessageServices, CNM_MessageInterfaces, CNM_ConcreteMessages, CNM_CommandInterfaces, CNM_Collections, CNM_CollectionInterfaces, CNM_AssertionInterfaces, and CNM_AbstractObject. These libraries provide reusable components for collections, messages, commands, assertions, production metrics, recipe handling, and unicode utilities. The company also delivers services including PLC programming (TwinCAT, SIEMENS, Bosch, Allen Bradley), industrial robotics, commissioning, custom library/framework development, and after-sales support, all following IEC 61131-3 standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• cinnamon: Open-source automation framework for TwinCAT 3, designed for PLC development in special machine construction. Available on GitHub.

Products and services

• cinnamon Open-source automation framework for PLC development in TwinCAT 3, designed for special machine construction. Provides a flexible foundation for developing customized software solutions, available on GitHub with comprehensive documentation.
• PLC Programming Services Expert implementation of PLC projects using TwinCAT, SIEMENS, Bosch, or Allen Bradley platforms following the IEC 61131-3 standard, for machine building industry clients.
• Industrial Robotics Services Industrial robotics integration and automation services for machine building applications, including robotics implementation and commissioning.
• Commissioning Services Machine commissioning services to bring automation systems online and operational at the customer's site.
• Custom Development Services Customized libraries and frameworks development for individual machines and interlinked production lines, including tailored software solutions.
• Service and After-Sales Support Ongoing production system support after commissioning, including production optimization assistance and after-sales service.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Manz USAcoreOthersManz USA, Inc. was acquired and became part of ekvip automation GmbH, rebranded as ekvip USA, Inc. This represents a strategic expansion into the US market through acquisition.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Beckhoff Automation: Beckhoff is the vendor of the TwinCAT 3 platform that ekvip specializes in. Beckhoff's own system integrator network directly competes with ekvip for TwinCAT-based machine building projects in the same end market.
• ABB (B&R Automation): B&R (acquired by ABB) specializes in machine builder automation with focus on PLC and motion control — highly comparable niche focus to ekvip, particularly in European manufacturing OEM projects.
• Codesys (3S-Smart Software Solutions): Codesys is an IEC 61131-3 programming IDE vendor also serving the machine builder audience. Both ekvip and Codesys compete to be the toolchain/framework of choice for PLC developers.
• WAGO: WAGO is a German mid-market automation player with PLC and I/O offerings plus integrator partnerships. Similar geographic and customer-base positioning to ekvip.

Broad incumbents

• Siemens Digital Industries: Siemens (SIMATIC/TIA Portal) is the dominant industrial automation incumbent. Ekvip explicitly lists Siemens as a supported PLC platform and competes with Siemens' integrator ecosystem for machine builder engagements.
• Rockwell Automation: Rockwell owns the Allen Bradley / Studio 5000 platform, another PLC environment ekvip explicitly supports. Rockwell's Solution Partner network competes head-to-head with ekvip for machine building automation services.
• Bosch Rexroth: Bosch Rexroth is a large automation vendor and integrator parent (also named by ekvip as a supported platform). Its automation services arm competes directly with ekvip in factory and machine automation.
• Schneider Electric (Modicon): Schneider's Modicon PLC line is widely used in machine building, and its EcoStruxure partner ecosystem competes with ekvip for industrial automation integrator engagements.
• Phoenix Contact: Phoenix Contact offers PLCnext controllers and an automation ecosystem. Its solution partner network targets the same machine builder customers ekvip serves.
• Pilz: Pilz is a German automation safety and control specialist with integration services. Competes for machine builder safety/automation integrator mandates comparable to ekvip's scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/ekvipCinnamon/repositories
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ekvip
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ekviposb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 Ekvip Automation