Skellig
Skellig Automation is a US-based systems integrator providing staff augmentation, capital project, and consulting services for automation, MES, and Industry 4.0 implementations to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and cell & gene therapy manufacturers across the US, Canada, and Ireland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersHawthorne, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Skellig does
Skellig Automation is a US-headquartered systems integrator specializing in automation, digital transformation, and process controls for the Life Sciences industry. Founded in 2010 by Paul O'Sullivan and operating from Hawthorne, New York, the company serves biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and cell & gene therapy manufacturers through three service lines: staff augmentation, fixed-fee capital projects, and consulting engagements. Skellig maintains operations across three countries (US, Canada, Ireland) via legally separate entities (Skellig Automation US LLC, Skellig Ltd in Markham, and Skellig Automation Ltd in Caherciveen) and reports a base of 40+ clients, 90+ engineers, and 100+ completed projects.
The company's technical stack spans both legacy and modern automation platforms, including Emerson DeltaV and Syncade, Ignition by Inductive Automation, Tulip Interfaces, Rockwell PharmaSuite, and Werum PAS-X on the MES/SCADA side, alongside Industry 4.0 architectures built on MQTT, Sparkplug B, Unified Namespace (UNS), and Industrial DataOps tools (HighByte, HiveMQ, Canary Labs). Notable proprietary assets include a freely-accessible digital twin/virtual plant that demonstrates Industry 4.0 in action, a Lab Digitization Solution integrating equipment from 10+ lab vendors (Thermo Fisher, Mettler Toledo, Beckman-Coulter, Agilent, and others), and Skellig Sheets, a SaaS documentation tool launched in 2024. The company's Center for Breakthrough Medicines engagement, deploying UNS architecture across 40+ cell & gene therapy manufacturing suites, earned the Inductive Automation Ignition Firebrand Award in 2023 and serves as the firm's flagship reference architecture.
Skellig operates a privately-held, founder-influenced B2B professional services model. Revenue is generated entirely through quote-based engagements: hourly or annualized staff augmentation, fixed-fee capital project execution, and bespoke consulting. Go-to-market is enterprise-focused and sales-led, with direct outreach to large Life Sciences manufacturers, supplemented by thought-leadership content marketing (white papers, the Lifestream YouTube show) and participation in industry standards bodies such as CESMII. The company is led by CEO Julia Szprengiel (promoted internally from engineer), with founder Paul O'Sullivan serving as President and Jennifer Jones as Vice President. Skellig has grown organically from approximately 10 employees to ~100 without disclosed external funding, institutional investors, or M&A activity, and reports 157,000+ engineering hours delivered in 2025.
Skellig firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Skellig
- Legal name
- Skellig Automation US LLC
- Website
- https://skellig.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Skellig Automation is a US-based systems integrator providing staff augmentation, capital project, and consulting services for automation, MES, and Industry 4.0 implementations to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and cell & gene therapy manufacturers across the US, Canada, and Ireland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Skellig industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pharmaceutical Automation Services
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian) (IMAHAHAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Process & Batch Control Software (Recipe Management, ISA-88) (IMAGABAH)
Keywords
Where Skellig is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hawthorne
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Skellig business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Staff Augmentation: Bridging critical skill gaps across organizations, from frontline operations to executive leadership. Engineers are placed within client organizations to support automation projects.
- Capital Projects: Large-project resources and highly-specialized expertise for fixed-fee projects. Covers system implementations, MES deployment, and digital transformation initiatives.
- Consulting Services: Expert consulting for DeltaV, Ignition, MES, MQTT and Tulip implementations tailored to specific production needs. Includes digital transformation assessments and roadmap development.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Staff Augmentation |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Capital Projects |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Consulting Services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Skellig product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Skellig Automation is a Life Sciences systems integrator that delivers end-to-end automation services to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and cell & gene therapy manufacturers. Offerings span staff augmentation, capital project delivery, and consulting across process automation (DeltaV, Ignition, UNICORN), MES implementations (Syncade, Tulip, PharmaSuite, PAS-X), data strategy (UNS, historians, Industrial DataOps), process validation, and Industry 4.0 transformation including a freely accessible Digital Twin demonstration.
Product overview
Skellig Automation provides end-to-end automation services for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries rather than a single unified product. Their portfolio spans three core service areas: (1) Life Sciences Process Automation covering staff augmentation, capital projects, and consulting for platforms including Emerson DeltaV, Ignition, and MES systems (Syncade, Tulip, PharmaSuite, PAS-X); (2) Industry 4.0 Solutions encompassing digital transformation assessments, Unified Namespace (UNS) implementation, MQTT infrastructure, and a proprietary Digital Twin/Virtual Plant demonstrating these technologies; and (3) Data Strategy Services including time-series visualization, historian implementations (AVEVA PI, Canary), and Industrial DataOps (HighByte). Their offerings include specialized sub-products such as Lab Digitization Solutions for integrating equipment from vendors like Thermo Fisher and Mettler Toledo, and Skellig Sheets, a SaaS documentation tool. All services are delivered through staff augmentation, capital projects, and consulting engagements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Life Sciences Process Automation Solutions Staff augmentation, capital project, and consulting services for legacy and modern automation platforms including Emerson DeltaV, Ignition, and UNICORN, delivered to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and cell & gene therapy manufacturers.
- MES Consulting Services End-to-end MES project services from initial consultation through system implementation and upkeep for clients pursuing lab digitization, electronic batch records, and digital transformation. Supports Emerson Syncade, Tulip Interfaces, Rockwell PharmaSuite, and Werum PAS-X platforms.
- Data Strategy Services Data strategy solutions including time-series visualization, Unified Namespace implementation, and integrated data architectures spanning traditional historian platforms (AVEVA PI, Canary Historian) and modern Industrial DataOps tools such as HighByte.
- Process Validation Services Extensive process validation services that strengthen operational reliability, reduce risk, and support manufacturing performance throughout the system lifecycle in GMP-regulated environments.
- Industry 4.0 Solutions Custom, scalable Industry 4.0 solutions for pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturing, including digital transformation assessments, Unified Namespace implementation, MQTT broker setup, lab digitization, and automation architecture restructuring.
- Staff Augmentation Services Bridging critical skill gaps across organizations from frontline operations to executive leadership by placing Skellig engineers with expertise in DeltaV, Ignition, MES, MQTT, and Tulip implementations inside client teams.
- Capital Projects Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 157,000+ engineering hours delivered in 2025
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Skellig
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Skellig technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration24 records
Feature4 records
Skellig partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Skellig, Ltd (Canadian Partner)coreSkellig, Ltd is a legally separate entity in Canada that partners with Skellig Automation US for the same outcomes. Serves Canadian Life Sciences clients from office in Markham, Ontario.
- Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM)coreCell & gene therapy CDMO that implemented Industry 4.0 architecture with Skellig's guidance. Skellig provided design, development, and staff augmentation support for UNS implementation across 40+ manufacturing suites.
- Inductive AutomationcoreCreator of Ignition platform - Skellig is an Ignition specialist and Firebrand Award winner. Uses Ignition as backbone for Unified Namespace implementations and digital twin demonstrations.
- CESMII (Smart Manufacturing Institute)minorSkellig participates in CESMII workshops and initiatives for digital supply chain standards and Smart Manufacturing Profile development.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Skellig competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Siemens: Major automation vendor (SIMATIC PCS 7, Opcenter Execution) with extensive digital-industries services practice; competes for large pharma Industry 4.0 and MES engagements that Skellig also targets.
- Rockwell Automation: Supplier of PharmaSuite MES and PlantPAx process automation with a global services arm; competes with integrators including Skellig for pharmaceutical modernization programs.
- Emerson: Vendor of the DeltaV DCS and Syncade MES — the platforms Skellig most frequently staffs — and a broad incumbent that also delivers its own lifecycle services competing for the same enterprise accounts.
Others
- Inductive Automation: Vendor of the Ignition SCADA/HMI platform that Skellig uses as the backbone for UNS deployments; granted Skellig its 2023 Firebrand Award and is a strategic technology partner rather than a competitor.
- Apprentice: Vendor of the modern Tempo MES platform that Skellig supports; a SaaS-flavored MES supplier whose productization of MES workflows directly influences Skellig's go-to-market and competitive intensity.
- Werum Software Solutions (Lonza): Vendor of the PAS-X MES platform that Skellig configures and implements; a technology partner whose product roadmap shapes Skellig's pharmaceutical MES service offering.
Direct peers
- CRB Group: Engineering, architecture, and construction services firm focused on Life Sciences facilities; engages clients across the same capex-driven pharmaceutical and biotech project lifecycle as Skellig.
- Hallam-ICS: Independent industrial automation systems integrator serving regulated industries including pharmaceutical manufacturing; provides similar control-system integration, MES, and digital transformation services.
- MAVERICK Technologies: Independent systems integrator with manufacturing-automation depth and a Life Sciences/food-and-beverage services practice; competes directly for MES, SCADA, and Industry 4.0 engagements at pharma manufacturers.
- RoviSys: Independent automation systems integrator with substantial Life Sciences practice; offers staff augmentation, MES implementation, and digital transformation services similar to Skellig across pharma/biotech manufacturers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Skellig social profiles
Digital presenceSkellig compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Skellig financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Skellig leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Skellig funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Skellig 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 Skellig
What does Skellig do?
Skellig Automation is a Life Sciences systems integrator that delivers end-to-end automation services to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and cell & gene therapy manufacturers. Offerings span staff augmentation, capital project delivery, and consulting across process automation (DeltaV, Ignition, UNICORN), MES implementations (Syncade, Tulip, PharmaSuite, PAS-X), data strategy (UNS, historians, Industrial DataOps), process validation, and Industry 4.0 transformation including a freely accessible Digital Twin demonstration.
Is Skellig a public or private company?
Skellig is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Skellig founded?
Skellig was founded in 2010. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Skellig based?
Skellig is headquartered in Hawthorne, United States, in the North America region.
How does Skellig make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Staff Augmentation is the primary driver. The others are capital Projects and consulting Services.
Who are Skellig's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Siemens, Rockwell Automation and Emerson. Others are Inductive Automation, Apprentice and Werum Software Solutions (Lonza). Direct peers are CRB Group, Hallam-ICS, MAVERICK Technologies and RoviSys.
Does Skellig have an API?
No public API is recorded for Skellig.
What industry is Skellig in?
Skellig's product category is Pharmaceutical Automation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAHAJ, Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian), with a secondary code of IMAGABAH, Process & Batch Control Software (Recipe Management, ISA-88). Its NAICS code is 541512 and its SIC code is 7373.