What Pilz does

Pilz is a family-owned industrial automation safety company, founded in 1959 and headquartered in Ostfildern, Germany, with global headquarters operations and a subsidiary-led presence in more than 40 countries. The company is structured as Pilz GmbH & Co. KG and is not publicly listed or PE/VC-backed. Its core proposition is the protection of people, machines, and the environment through safe automation, spanning the full safety chain from sensors to controllers to actuators, complemented by risk assessment, validation, and compliance services.

The product portfolio is organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The PSS 4000 automation system (PLC controllers, I/O systems, visualization, PSS 4000-R modules) and the PNOZmulti 2 configurable small controllers (including the myPNOZ modular safety relay) form the control backbone, supported by a sensor portfolio of safety switches, light curtains, laser scanners, and safe radar systems, plus drive technology (servo amplifiers and motors), ROS modules for robotics, IO-Link Safety connectivity, and the MYZEL lifecycle platform. Software is delivered as one-time licenses (PSS 4000 SPS programming, PNOZmulti software, visualization), and a separate services line covers machinery safety, CE marking, industrial cybersecurity risk assessments, retrofits, and the CMSE qualification program with TÜV NORD.

Pilz generates revenue through four streams: hardware sales, one-time software licenses, professional services (risk assessment, safety validation, compliance, cybersecurity), and training courses. Go-to-market combines enterprise field sales through subsidiaries, authorized distributors and system partners in non-direct markets, and a direct E-Shop. Customers are enterprise industrial manufacturers, with explicit vertical emphasis on packaging, railway, hydrogen, battery, robotics, machine tools, presses, and broader industrial manufacturing, with the EU Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 effective January 20, 2027 acting as a major compliance tailwind.

Name

Pilz

Legal name

Pilz GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://pilz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Pilz is a family-owned German industrial automation safety company providing sensors, controllers, drive technology, and robotics to machinery manufacturers in more than 40 countries, with end-to-end risk assessment, certification, and lifecycle services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Safety Automation

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620)

akta.pro primary industry

Safety Instrumented Systems & Machine Safety Control (SIS, Safety PLCs, Relays) (IMAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Sensors & Safety Automation (Sensors, Light Curtains, Safety PLCs) (IMAHAHAF), Industrial Safety, Compliance & Worker Monitoring (IMAIAMAG), Industrial Safety & Security Electronics Manufacturing (Safety relays, E-stops, light curtains, access control) (IMAGAGAG)

Keywords

• Industrial safety automation
• Machinery safety products
• Functional safety systems
• Automation control technology
• Safety sensor technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Safenwil

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Products: Sale of safety components including sensors, relays, controllers, drive technology, and robotics products.
2. Software Licenses: Software products including PNOZmulti software, PSS 4000 SPS programming software, and visualization software.
3. Professional Services: Services including machinery safety services (risk assessment, safety concept, safety design, system implementation, safety validation), international compliance services (CE marking, IC-USA, IC-NR12), workplace safety services, industrial security services, and retrofit services.
4. Training Courses: Training programs including machinery safety training, industrial security training, product application training, qualification programs, and training systems including CMSE certification.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Pilz manufactures and sells industrial safety automation products including sensor technology (safety switches, light curtains, laser scanners, radar systems), relay modules, small and PLC controllers, drive technology (servo amplifiers and motors), and robotics modules. The company also offers the PSS 4000 automation platform, MYZEL lifecycle platform, and software tools, supported by professional services for risk assessment, safety validation, international compliance (CE marking, IC-USA, IC-NR12), industrial cybersecurity, and machinery safety training.

Product overview

Pilz is a safety automation technology company offering a comprehensive portfolio of safety-critical industrial automation products organized into a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings include the PSS 4000 automation system platform (with PLC controllers, I/O systems, visualisation, and PSS 4000-R modules) and the PNOZmulti 2 configurable small controller family (with myPNOZ modular safety relay as a key component). The product range spans sensor technology (safety switches, light curtains, laser scanners, radar systems), relay modules, controllers, drive technology (servo amplifiers and motors), robotics (ROS modules), networks (fieldbus/Ethernet), and operation/monitoring equipment. Supporting the hardware portfolio are software products including visualisation software, PNOZmulti software, controller software, and the MYZEL Lifecycle Platform for product lifecycle management. Pilz also provides IO-Link Safety connectivity solutions and comprehensive industrial security products/services. Applications target industries including packaging, railway, hydrogen, battery, robotics, machine tools, and presses, with solutions for automated guided vehicles, motion monitoring, burner management, and area guarding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PNOZmulti: Small controllers product line
• myPNOZ
• PSS 4000
• MYZEL
• CMSE

Named customers1 record

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered not specified.

• SmartFactory-KLnot specifiedTechnology or Integration · 9 April 2026SmartFactory-KL presented its Open SmartFactory Architecture and PHUKET 2.0 model factory at Hannover Messe 2026, using Asset Administration Shell as digital twin and OPC UA as integration layer. Pilz participated as a technology partner showcasing implementation use cases for modular, data-driven production systems addressing industrial complexity.
• Yaskawa Europenot specifiedTechnology or Integration · 9 April 2026Technology partner at SmartFactory-KL Hannover Messe 2026 event showcasing implementation use cases for modular production systems.
• Fraunhofer IESEnot specifiedTechnology or Integration · 9 April 2026Technology partner at SmartFactory-KL Hannover Messe 2026 event showcasing implementation use cases for modular production systems.
• GEAnot specifiedStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025Machine builder GEA (based in Bakel with HQ in Düsseldorf) conducted a Security Risk Assessment with Pilz in 2024 on a modular chicken processing production line to prepare for the EU Machinery Regulation (effective January 20, 2027). Assessment identified OT network risks and findings were used to develop internal guidelines and design processes ensuring cybersecurity by default.
• TÜV NORDnot specifiedStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for CMSE - Certified Machinery Safety Expert qualification program. Four-day course covering machinery safety comprehensively through five modules, addressing entire machinery lifecycle.
• EPLANnot specifiedTechnology or IntegrationEPLAN Partner Network member for engineering software integration and data collaboration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Rockwell Automation: Major US automation incumbent with the Allen-Bradley Guardmaster safety relay and safety I/O lines that compete head-to-head with PNOZ/PNOZmulti in machine-builder accounts.
• ABB: Global automation and process-safety incumbent offering safety PLCs, relays, and drives that overlap with Pilz's PSS 4000 and PNOZ lines, particularly in process and discrete manufacturing customers.
• Siemens: Large diversified automation incumbent whose SIMATIC Safety Integrated and SIRIUS safety products directly contest Pilz's PLC, relay, and safety-controller franchise as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Schneider Electric: Diversified automation and electrical equipment incumbent offering safety relays and machine safety solutions (TeSys, Lexium) that compete with Pilz's relay and controller lines as part of broader EcoStruxure offerings.
• Eaton: Diversified industrial electrical and safety products supplier whose safety relays, contactors, and machine-safety components compete with Pilz's relay and I/O offerings across industrial customers.

Direct peers

• Festo: Closely comparable German-based, family-influenced industrial automation specialist covering pneumatics, electric drives, controllers, and machine safety, addressing the same European OEM and machine-builder customers.
• SICK AG: German-based direct competitor in industrial sensors and safety automation (light curtains, laser scanners, safety controllers) with similar Mittelstand roots and product overlap with Pilz's sensor and safety-controller portfolio.
• Banner Engineering: Direct competitor in safety sensors, light curtains, and safety vision systems, addressing the same machine-builder and integrator buyers as Pilz's sensor technology range.
• Omron: Industrial automation specialist with a comparable safety offering (safety controllers, light curtains, interlock switches) that competes with Pilz across packaging, robotics, and discrete manufacturing.

Emerging players

• Keyence: High-growth industrial sensor and vision specialist whose safety sensors and inspection products increasingly overlap with Pilz's sensor technology and quality-inspection-adjacent offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PilzINT
• Facebookfacebook.com/pilzDE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pilz
• Xx.com/Pilz_INT

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Pilz