ZIV Aplicaciones y Tecnología

What ZIV Aplicaciones y Tecnología does

ZIV Aplicaciones y Tecnología, S.L.U. is a Spanish engineering vendor headquartered in the Zamudio technology park (Basque Country) and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Saudi Alfanar Group. Founded in 1993, the company designs and supplies HV-MV-LV automation systems for electric utilities, organized around five solution areas: Substation Automation Systems (protection, control, teleprotection), Communications (HV telecom, networking, sensors, couplers), Distribution Automation Solutions (RTUs, protection relays, LV IEDs), Metering & AMI (PRIME protocol smart meters and gateways), and Value Added Services (engineering, training, after-sales, revamping).

The technology stack is standards-based — IEC 61850 including Process Bus, PRP/HSR redundancy, PTP GMC synchronization, and PRIME 1.3/1.4 — and includes proprietary platforms: the Distributed Bus Bar Protection relay with 20 ms trip time, ZIV Central for remote asset management of RTUs and IEDs, and ZIV TwinGrid for real-time DER coordination and grid restoration. ZIV complements hardware with engineering services covering FAT, commissioning, RTDS-based validation, and a structured training program (ZIV University). The company also offers EV charging hardware (ZIV STAR and ZIV SPOT) as an extension of its metering and grid portfolio.

ZIV generates revenue across hardware sales (relays, RTUs, IEDs, meters, communication equipment), software and licensing (ZIV Central, ZIV TwinGrid, configuration tools), professional services (engineering, FAT, commissioning, revamping), and managed services (after-sales support, out-of-warranty repair). The go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting utilities, EPCs, and systems integrators, supported by participation in major industry events (CIGRE, ENLIT, CIRED, PAC World) and R&D consortia. Pricing is custom and project-based under multi-year contracts; revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The largest disclosed contract is the 2025 HEDNO consortium win (with Itron) covering nearly one million devices in Greece, with additional vendor-list qualifications in Saudi Arabia (SEC/National Grid) and Oman.

Name

ZIV Aplicaciones y Tecnología

Legal name

ZIV Aplicaciones y Tecnología, S.L.U.

Website

https://zivautomation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ZIV Aplicaciones y Tecnología designs and supplies HV-MV-LV substation automation, distribution automation, communications, and PRIME-protocol AMI metering systems for electric utilities, EPCs, and system integrators, complemented by engineering, training, and after-sales services; it is a Spanish subsidiary of Saudi Alfanar Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Substation and Distribution Automation Equipment

NAICS

Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Electric Power Distribution (221122), Switchgear and Switchboard Apparatus Manufacturing (335313), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Network Model Management, Topology Processing & CIM/Data Exchange (EUADAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Control Room HMI/Visualization, Alarm & Event Management (EUADAEAJ), Distribution Grid Asset Management (MV/LV) (EUAEAMAD), AMI/AMR Smart Meter Deployment & Operations (Head-End, Network & MDM) (EUAJACAD), Standards, Interoperability & Certification (DLMS/COSEM, ANSI C12, IEEE 2030.5) (EUADAFAO), Managed EV Charging Software (Residential, Fleet, Workplace) (EUAFAMAA)

Keywords

• Substation automation
• Protection relays
• Distribution automation
• Smart metering AMI
• Grid communications

Headquarters

HQ city

Zamudio

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Products: Sale of protection relays, RTUs, IEDs, smart meters, communication equipment, and automation systems for substations and distribution networks.
2. Software and Licensing: Software applications including ZIV Central remote management platform, ZIV TwinGrid, configuration tools, and associated licenses for equipment operation.
3. Engineering Services: Design, assembly, validation (FAT), commissioning, advanced engineering with RTDS testing, and training services provided by Application, Product and Systems Engineers.
4. Revamping Services: Modernization services for protection and control relays and RTUs, enabling modernization of existing installations without complete system replacement.
5. After-Sales Services: Remote and on-site technical support, incident resolution, configuration optimization, and specialized repair services for out-of-warranty equipment recovery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ZIV designs, manufactures and integrates protection, control, communications and metering solutions for electric utilities across HV, MV and LV networks. Its portfolio covers substation automation systems, distribution automation (RTUs, IEDs), PRIME-based smart metering and AMI, HV telecom and process bus communications, EV chargers, and accompanying software platforms for remote asset management and DER coordination. The offering is complemented by engineering, commissioning, revamping, training and after-sales services delivered through ZIV University and direct project teams.

Product overview

ZIV Aplicaciones y Tecnología is a technology company specializing in HV-MV-LV automation systems for the energy sector. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products organized into five core solution areas: Substation Automation Systems (SAS) for digital transmission and distribution substations; Communications solutions including HV telecom systems and networking; Distribution Automation Solutions (DAS) with RTUs, protections, and LV supervision IEDs; Metering & AMI with PRIME protocol smart meters; and Value Added Services including engineering, training and after-sales support. Supporting software platforms include ZIV Central for remote asset management and ZIV TwinGrid for real-time grid automation and DER integration. The company also offers EV charging solutions (ZIV STAR and ZIV SPOT) and operates ZIV University for professional training. ZIV operates as part of the Alfanar Group and serves utilities globally, with significant presence in Europe, Middle East, and Latin America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZIV University: Training and education services for power system professionals offering structured courses, tailored programs, and interactive webinars
• ZIV Central
• ZIV TwinGrid

Products and services

• Substation Automation Systems (SAS) Complete protection and control solutions for digital transmission and distribution substations, including IEC 61850-based protection relays, control IEDs and process bus equipment for HV/MV/LV networks. Targeted at electric utilities and EPCs executing substation projects.
• Communications
• Distribution Automation Solutions (DAS)
• Metering & AMI
• Value Added Services
• ZIV Central
• ZIV TwinGrid

Quantifiable outcome

• Trip time of 20 ms for Distributed Bus Bar Protection
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• ItroncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025ZIV formed a consortium with Itron for the HEDNO Smart Grid Deployment in Greece. The contract covers nearly one million devices for data collection and management as part of Greece's grid modernization strategy. Initial three-year period with option to extend for five years.
• TecnaliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology center collaborating with ZIV on multiple R&D projects including RESINET, SEC2GRID, SECUREGRID, DILIN, DIG87B, CORAL, CINCOSEI, NEOSUB, FLEX4MET, and others spanning cybersecurity, smart grids, and substation automation.
• IKERLANcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology center partner in multiple ZIV R&D projects including RESINET, CORAL, CINCOSEI, DILIN, SUP_BT, and others focused on smart grid technologies and embedded systems.
• OrmazabalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating company in R&D projects including NEOSUB, SEC2GRID, SECUREGRID, PROFEED, RESINET, and GRID4EU EU demonstration project for smart grid solutions.
• IngeteamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in multiple R&D initiatives including NEOSUB, SECUREGRID, FLEXIGRID H2020 project, MIRED-CON, and various CDTI/CENIT programs for power and energy technologies.
• ARTECHEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing R&D partner in projects including NEOSUB, SECUREGRID, TrueValSec, CINCOSEI, and ES4GS focused on cybersecurity and smart grid protection technologies.
• AlfanarflagshipOthersParent company based in Saudi Arabia. ZIV operates as a subsidiary with centralized ERP system managed by Alfanar. ZIV participates in Saudi market events alongside Alfanar (e.g., Saudi Arabia Smart Grid Conference, Middle East Energy).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL): SEL is a US-based specialist in protection relays, automation, and communications for electric utilities, with a product portfolio and customer base (utilities, EPCs, integrators) that closely mirrors ZIV's protection and substation automation focus. Both companies compete head-to-head in numerical protection relays and IEC 61850-based substation solutions.
• Itron: Itron is a global leader in AMI/smart metering and a strategic consortium partner with ZIV on the HEDNO Greece contract covering ~1M devices. Its smart metering, communication, and meter data management products compete with and complement ZIV's PRIME-based metering line.
• Landis+Gyr: Landis+Gyr is a leading global AMI/smart metering provider serving electric utilities with metering, communication, and meter data management solutions. It directly competes with ZIV's PRIME-based smart meter and AMI offerings in the European and emerging market utility space.
• Sagemcom: Sagemcom is a European-headquartered provider of smart metering, AMI, and energy management solutions for utilities. It competes directly with ZIV's PRIME smart meter line in European AMI rollouts.
• Arteche: Arteche is a Spanish/Basque technology group that manufactures protection relays, instrument transformers, and substation automation equipment for utilities, and is a long-standing R&D partner of ZIV. Its protection and measurement product portfolio is highly comparable to ZIV's relay and IED offerings.
• Ingeteam: Ingeteam is a Spanish power electronics and grid services company providing protection, control, and automation for substations and renewable energy plants. It is a fellow Basque R&D partner of ZIV and a comparable specialist in grid automation and DER integration.

Broad incumbents

• Hitachi Energy (formerly ABB Power Grids): Hitachi Energy is the global market leader in substation automation, protection, and grid communications, offering the same IEC 61850-based portfolio that ZIV competes with. It is a broad incumbent whose T&D portfolio directly overlaps ZIV's SAS, communications, and distribution automation products.
• GE Vernova (Grid Solutions): GE Vernova's Grid Solutions business provides substation automation, protection relays, HMI/SCADA, and grid management software for utilities globally. It is a direct broad incumbent in the same protection and substation automation category as ZIV.
• Siemens Smart Infrastructure: Siemens offers a comprehensive substation automation, protection, grid management, and AMI portfolio for utilities, with deep global reach. Its SIPROTEC protection relays and SICAM substation automation suite directly compete with ZIV's offerings in the same IEC 61850 ecosystem.
• Schneider Electric (Grid Solutions): Schneider Electric's Grid Solutions division delivers substation automation, protection, ADMS, and distribution automation products to utilities worldwide. It is a broad incumbent that competes with ZIV in digital substations, distribution automation, and grid management.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/zivautomation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ziv-automation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 ZIV Aplicaciones y Tecnología