Locamation
Locamation, operating as Grid to Great, supplies compact process interface sensors and software-defined substation applications to electric utilities, industrial operators, data centers, and DER operators across five countries, with systems deployed in over 150 substations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersEnschede, Netherlands
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Locamation does
Locamation B.V., operating commercially as Grid to Great, is a privately held Dutch substation automation company founded in 1983 in Enschede, Netherlands. The company designs and supplies process interface technology for substation digitalization, including compact voltage and current measurement merging units (VMS and CMS sensors) that are 60% smaller than traditional units, support IEC 61850 SCL engineering, and provide Sampled Values at 4k8 and 14k4Hz with PRP/HSR redundancy. Its product roadmap extends into virtualized applications including a virtual Merging Unit (vMU), virtual PMU (announced for 2026), and virtual Power Quality Unit (announced for 2027), alongside a Process Interface Software Suite that centralizes protection, power quality, automation, and local control functions.
The company serves electricity infrastructure professionals across electric utilities, industrial operators, data centers, and onshore/offshore distributed energy resource operators, with systems deployed in more than 150 substations across five countries. Named customers and testers include RTE (France), Alliander (Netherlands), Enedis (France), Chubu Electric Power (Japan), SRP (United States), and Siemens Energy. The entity is powered by Alliander Next Grid and was rebranded from Locamation to Grid to Great in 2025 to reflect a strategic pivot toward software-defined, data-driven substations aligned with the energy transition; the company also achieved ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications in 2025.
Locamation generates revenue through a mix of hardware sales (VMS, CMS sensors and related process interface equipment) and software licenses or subscriptions for its virtualized applications, with pricing conducted via quote-based multi-year enterprise contracts. The company distributes through direct enterprise field sales and a partner ecosystem that includes system integrators such as Siemens Energy, supported by an Experience Pack program for demonstration, validation, and training.
Locamation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Locamation
- Legal name
- Locamation B.V.
- Website
- https://locamation.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Locamation, operating as Grid to Great, supplies compact process interface sensors and software-defined substation applications to electric utilities, industrial operators, data centers, and DER operators across five countries, with systems deployed in over 150 substations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Locamation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Substation Automation
- NAICS
- Electric Bulk Power Transmission and Control (221121), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)
- SIC
- Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Substation Automation & Digital Substations (IEC 61850) Integration Services (EUAEANAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Substation Systems & Integration (EPC, Engineering, Protection, Commissioning) (IMAGAAAC), Substation Asset Monitoring (transformers, breakers, GIS, batteries, protection assets) (EUADAJAF)
Keywords
Where Locamation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Enschede
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Locamation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Hardware Products: Sale of physical process interface products including VMS and CMS sensors, merging units, and related hardware components for substation digitalization.
- Software Licenses and Subscriptions: Virtual substation applications including virtual Merging Unit, virtual PMU, and virtual PQ software, likely delivered as licenses or subscriptions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom hardware and software solutions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Locamation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Locamation (operating as Grid to Great) designs and supplies compact process interface modules (Voltage Measurement SAMU and Current Measurement SAMU sensors) along with a Process Interface Software Suite and virtualized substation applications such as the virtual Merging Unit. The portfolio delivers real-time, standardized IEC 61850 process data for protection and power quality monitoring in conventional, hybrid, and software-defined substations from MV to HV (AIS/GIS). Solutions are targeted at electric utilities, distributed energy resource operators, data centers, and industrial operators.
Product overview
Grid to Great (formerly Locamation) offers a unified substation digitalization platform consisting of hardware process interface units (VMS and CMS sensors) and a software suite including virtualized applications. The core portfolio includes physical Merging Units (SAMU) that digitize voltage and current measurements at the source, complemented by the Process Interface Software Suite for configuration and management. Virtualized products (vMU, vPMU, vPQ) extend the platform to enable virtualization without on-site intervention. An Experience Pack provides hands-on training and validation. The solution supports conventional, hybrid, and software-defined substations from MV to HV (AIS/GIS) applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- VMS Sensor (Voltage Measurement SAMU) Voltage measurement sensor unit for substation protection and power quality monitoring, supporting 4k8 and 14k4Hz Sampled Values with PRP and HSR redundancy protocols. Designed for utilities, industry, data centers, and DER operators requiring digitalized substation process data.
- CMS Sensor (Current Measurement SAMU) Current measurement sensor unit for substation protection and power quality monitoring, part of the process interface product line supporting 4k8 and 14k4Hz Sampled Values with PRP and HSR redundancy protocols.
- Experience Pack Hands-on demonstration, validation and training kit including VMS, CMS, IPC, power supply, screen, and protective case. Provides process bus out of the box for 100% plug-and-play evaluation, targeted at substation engineers evaluating the platform.
- Process Interface Software Suite Software suite for configuring and managing process interface units, enabling software-based configuration and centralization of protection, power quality, automation, local control, Dynamic Cable Rating, and data analytics across substations.
- virtual Merging Unit (vMU) Virtualized merging unit software application that centralizes and virtualizes data acquisition without on-site intervention, supporting IEC 61850 SCL engineering for software-defined substations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 60% smaller form factor compared to traditional merging units, saving space in substations
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Locamation
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Locamation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature6 records
Locamation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Allianderfounding/ecosystemAlliander Next Grid is referenced as the powering entity behind Grid to Great. Locamation originated from this ecosystem and transformed into Grid to Great brand. Alliander represents the founding partner ecosystem with deep roots in grid automation innovation dating back to 1983.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Locamation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- GE Vernova (Grid Solutions): GE Vernova supplies protection IEDs, merging units, and substation automation solutions through its Grid Solutions business, directly addressing the IEC 61850 process-bus niche where Locamation/Grid to Great competes. Its global install base and T&D major-project capability make it the principal full-portfolio alternative for utility customers evaluating digital-substation vendors.
- Siemens Energy: Siemens Energy offers a full substation automation stack including SIPROTEC IEDs, 6MU merging units, and IEC 61850 process-bus components, and is named as a tested-and-approved partner of Grid to Great. It is a broad incumbent that competes (and co-exists) with Locamation's SAMU/vMU offering in the same utility digital-substation RFPs.
- Hitachi Energy (formerly ABB Power Grids): Hitachi Energy is the global market leader in substation automation, IEC 61850 IEDs, and merging-unit/process-interface hardware. It competes head-to-head with Locamation/Grid to Great for digital substation tenders and is the dominant spec-in incumbent across European and global utilities, including the named Locamation customer RTE.
- Schneider Electric (EcoStruxure / Grid Solutions): Schneider Electric offers a full substation automation and power-quality monitoring portfolio (Easergy, Vamp) competing for the same utility digitalization budgets as Locamation. It is an incumbent broad-portfolio supplier at European DSOs, including Alliander, where Grid to Great already has a foothold.
- Eaton (Cooper Power Systems / Grid Automation): Eaton's Grid Automation business, anchored by the former Cooper Power Systems, sells substation automation, IEDs, and digital substation components to North American and global utilities. It is a broad incumbent in the T&D automation space, comparable to Grid to Great's process-interface technology, with overlapping target customers and competing IEC 61850 reference designs.
- Mitsubishi Electric (Transmission & Distribution Systems): Mitsubishi Electric's T&D Systems division delivers substation automation, protection, and digital substation equipment, serving as another broad incumbent in IEC 61850 process-bus deployments globally. It is comparable as an alternative spec-in supplier to Grid to Great for large utility digitalization tenders, particularly across Asia and the Middle East.
Direct peers
- Arteche: Arteche supplies instrument transformers and merged-unit/process-interface solutions for digital substations (its Smart Merging Unit product line). It competes directly with Locamation's VMS/CMS SAMU products in the IEC 61850 process-bus category and is a like-for-like specialist competing for the same European utility retrofit and greenfield projects.
- Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL): SEL is a privately held specialist in protection, automation, and synchrophasor (PMU) technology for transmission and distribution utilities — directly overlapping with Grid to Great's protection + power-quality SAMU and the upcoming vPMU. SEL's compact, IEC 61850-native IEDs are typically evaluated alongside Locamation products in digital substation tenders and represent the closest like-for-like private competitor.
- ZIV (ZIV Automation): ZIV (now part of Coficab Group) is a European specialist in substation automation, protection IEDs, and digital substation components targeting DSOs and TSOs. It is a directly comparable private/independent specialist competing with Locamation in the IEC 61850 process-bus niche, especially in European and LATAM markets.
Emerging players
- NR Electric (NR & China-based substation automation peers): NR Electric is one of several Chinese substation automation specialists (alongside SIFANG/Guodian, XJ Group) that supply process-bus / IEC 61850 products and have grown strongly in EMEA tenders. They are emerging competitors for digital substation RFPs and represent the price-competitive alternative to Locamation, particularly for transmission utilities outside Western Europe.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Locamation social profiles
Digital presenceLocamation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Locamation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Locamation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Locamation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Locamation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Locamation
What does Locamation do?
Locamation (operating as Grid to Great) designs and supplies compact process interface modules (Voltage Measurement SAMU and Current Measurement SAMU sensors) along with a Process Interface Software Suite and virtualized substation applications such as the virtual Merging Unit. The portfolio delivers real-time, standardized IEC 61850 process data for protection and power quality monitoring in conventional, hybrid, and software-defined substations from MV to HV (AIS/GIS). Solutions are targeted at electric utilities, distributed energy resource operators, data centers, and industrial operators.
Is Locamation a public or private company?
Locamation is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Locamation founded?
Locamation was founded in 1983. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Locamation based?
Locamation is headquartered in Enschede, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Locamation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Hardware Products are the primary driver. The others are software Licenses and Subscriptions.
Who are Locamation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are GE Vernova (Grid Solutions), Siemens Energy, Hitachi Energy (formerly ABB Power Grids), Schneider Electric (EcoStruxure / Grid Solutions), Eaton (Cooper Power Systems / Grid Automation) and Mitsubishi Electric (Transmission & Distribution Systems). Direct peers are Arteche, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) and ZIV (ZIV Automation). NR Electric (NR & China-based substation automation peers) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Locamation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Locamation.
What industry is Locamation in?
Locamation's product category is Substation Automation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAEANAD, Substation Automation & Digital Substations (IEC 61850) Integration Services, with a secondary code of IMAGAAAC, Substation Systems & Integration (EPC, Engineering, Protection, Commissioning). Its NAICS code is 221121 and its SIC code is 3825.