What RA Consulting does

RA Consulting GmbH is a privately held German automotive software company founded in 1989 and headquartered in Bruchsal, Germany. The company develops and sells a portfolio of diagnostic, measurement, calibration, and testing software tools — including the DiagRA product family, Silver Scan-Tool, and Silver Snap-Tool — built on international automotive standards (ISO, ASAM, SAE). It also offers cloud-based telematics and IoT platforms, embedded diagnostic components with C/C++ APIs, and professional services for homologation, compliance, and validation. The company holds the first CARB certification for the California Clean Truck Check program (Silver Snap-Tool) and shipped Euro 7 OBFCM/OBM support 12 months before regulatory enforcement.

The company serves 3,000+ customers globally, including automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, development service providers, and government regulatory bodies such as CARB. Its go-to-market combines direct sales from headquarters and wholly-owned subsidiaries in the USA (Troy, MI) and China (Beijing), supplemented by international resellers (e.g., Influx Technology in the UK) and channel partners. Revenue is generated through a mix of perpetual and subscription software licenses, project-based professional services for cloud and compliance engagements, and paid training programs (RA Learning). Strategic alliances include the AETA consortium with emotive, HighQSoft, and Intrepid Control Systems, plus ASAM e.V. board representation via CEO Armin Rupalla.

RA Consulting operates from three offices (Germany, USA, China) with approximately 80 employees. The company maintains minority stakes in emotive GmbH (acquired 2012, OTX testing tools) and HighQSoft GmbH (acquired 2024, test data management). It holds TISAX, ISO 9001, ISO 26262-8, and ISO 14001 certifications, and is an active participant in EU/BMBF/BMWi-funded R&D projects (RepliCar, KIsSME, Real Drive Validation, SmartLoad, Project 3F). Founded leadership ownership (Armin Rupalla, CEO; Stephan Meichle, Managing Director; Andreas Hege, General Manager) and 35+ years of accumulated domain expertise underpin a stable, founder-led operating model.

Name

RA Consulting

Legal name

RA Consulting GmbH

Website

https://rac.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

RA Consulting GmbH develops diagnostic, measurement, calibration, and testing software for automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and government regulators. Its DiagRA product family and Silver Snap-Tool serve 3,000+ customers across 15+ countries with standards-based compliance, cloud, and embedded solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Diagnostic Software

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Vehicle Diagnostics & Fault Code Scanning Services (TLAKANAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) & Stack Testing (EUAHADAA)

Keywords

• Automotive diagnostic software
• ECU measurement calibration
• OBD compliance tools
• Vehicle diagnostic testing
• Automotive measurement software

Headquarters

HQ city

Bruchsal

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses and Products: RA Consulting generates revenue primarily through the sale of software licenses for its DiagRA product family (DiagRA D, Silver Scan-Tool, DiagRA X, DiagRA S, DiagRA LE, DiagRA Embedded, DiagRA Flash Station), tools (Silver Snap-Tool, RA ODX Viewer, IAV Macara, XMLtoExcel), and component libraries. These are sold as perpetual or subscription licenses to OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and service providers worldwide.
2. Cloud Solutions and Professional Services: Revenue from custom cloud application development, telematics platforms, IoT solutions, and professional engineering services for automotive customers. Includes project-based engagements for homologation, compliance, and cloud infrastructure development.
3. Training and Education Services: RA Learning offers paid training sessions including DiagRA D user training (EUR 499 per participant), OTX training, and customized training programs conducted at headquarters in Bruchsal or at customer sites.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RA Consulting develops and sells software tools, component libraries, and cloud platforms for automotive measurement, calibration, diagnostics, and testing. Its DiagRA product family, Silver Scan-Tool, and Silver Snap-Tool support OBD compliance (Euro 7, CARB Clean Truck Check, China 7), ECU development, end-of-line programming, and telematics for OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and regulators worldwide.

Product overview

RA Consulting provides a comprehensive automotive diagnostic software ecosystem organized into three main categories: Diagnostic Tools (DiagRA D, Silver Scan-Tool, Silver Snap-Tool), Measurement & Calibration Tools (DiagRA X, DiagRA S), and Embedded/Flash Solutions (DiagRA LE, DiagRA Flash Station, DiagRA Embedded). The product portfolio includes both desktop software applications and component libraries/APIs for OEM integration. DiagRA D and Silver Scan-Tool serve as the core OBD diagnostic platforms supporting standards including SAE J1979, J1979-2/3, ISO 14229 (UDS), and ISO 27145. DiagRA X provides visualization and calibration while DiagRA S enables diagnostic simulation. The company also offers cloud-based professional services for IoT telematics platforms and government compliance systems, supported by API components (ODX-API, OpenSCENARIO API, A2L Parser, MA API) and hardware partnerships (Kvaser, Intrepid Control Systems, Actia IME, DG Technologies, Nexiq).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Silver Scan-Tool™: Diagnostic tool for OBD and vehicle diagnostics
• Silver Snap-Tool
• DiagRA®
• RA® ODX Viewer
• XMLtoExcel
• AETA (Automotive Electronics Testing Alliance)

Products and services

• DiagRA D Comprehensive OBD diagnostic software for recording diagnostic data from vehicle ECUs during development, supporting CARB modes, system overview, data storage, SAE J1699-3 testing, workshop diagnostics with ODX support, flash programming, and OBFCM compliance.
• DiagRA X Application tool for measurement and calibration of vehicle ECUs, featuring 3D and table views for calibration visualization and numerical display, supporting DoIP over automotive Ethernet.
• Silver Scan-Tool Diagnostic scan tool for vehicle diagnostics and testing, sharing core functionality with DiagRA D and adding Euro 7 OBFCM compliance features for professional OBD diagnostics.
• Silver Snap-Tool First CARB-certified software tool for the California Clean Truck Check program that transforms vehicles into measurable test objects and transmits mandatory OBD data to CARB via the Silver Snap-Tool Portal.
• DiagRA S Diagnostic simulation tool for simulating vehicle ECU communication, supporting international ISO, ASAM, and SAE standards and all diagnostic protocols including DoIP Ethernet and ZEVonUDS on IP.
• DiagRA LE Flexible diagnostic and flash tool for After Sales and workshop applications, covering a broad customer base with specific after-sales requirements including end-of-line testing.
• DiagRA Flash Station End-of-line update and test system for automated ECU programming that can program up to 10 ECUs on 10 separate vehicle buses and integrates with Kvaser Edge Platform.
• DiagRA Embedded Complete diagnostic stack and ECU flash programming component for Windows and embedded Linux devices, providing C/C++ API or standalone web server with ReST and SOAP APIs.
• ODX-API API component for ODX (Open Diagnostic data Exchange) data handling and integration per ISO 22901 / ASAM MCD 2D, sold as a standalone component library.
• OpenSCENARIO API Open source API for OpenSCENARIO 1.0 standard support in simulation and scenario description, released in cooperation with ASAM e.V. for autonomous driving development.
• MA API API component for measurement and acquisition data handling, sold as a standalone component library for integration into customer systems.
• A2L Parser Component library for parsing A2L (ASAP2 Labelled) data description files used in ECU measurement and calibration, sold as a standalone component.
• MC Server Server component for measurement and calibration data management, sold as a standalone component for central storage and management of test and measurement data.
• DiagRA Embedded Component Embedded diagnostic component library for integration into test systems, data loggers, telematic units, and end-of-line programming stations, sold as a standalone component.
• IAV Macara Application dataset comparison and management tool that automatically compares A2L description files with multiple dataset files, supports data merging, and exports to DCM/CDFX/PaCo formats. RA Consulting is the exclusive reseller in the European Union.
• XMLtoExcel Utility tool for converting OBD data from XML outputs of DiagRA D measurement sequences to Excel format, supporting multiple XML files for comparison analysis.
• Cloud Solutions for Automotive Custom cloud application development including IoT telematics platforms for autonomous driving, homologation and compliance documentation systems, and customer portals such as the CARB Clean Truck Check portal, using Java, Angular, C#, and C++.
• RA Learning Training and Webinars Paid training services including DiagRA D user training (EUR 499 per participant), OTX training, customized training at RA headquarters in Bruchsal or customer sites, and a webinar series covering DiagRA products.

Quantifiable outcome

• OBFCM implemented 12 months ahead of Euro 7 enforcement
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability4 records

Feature13 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• CATARC Automotive Data Center (China)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 September 2019C-ASAM was founded in September 2019 by ASAM e.V. and CATARC to promote ASAM standardization in the Chinese automotive industry. RA Consulting CEO Armin Rupalla, as ASAM board member, participated in the MoU signing and C-ASAM founding. RA Consulting actively supports ASAM's China expansion.
• LiangDao GmbH (Munich)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Since 2019, RA Consulting cooperates with LiangDao in research for highly automated driving (HAD) and autonomous driving (AD). In 2020, they published the OpenSCENARIO 1.0 API as Open Source Software in cooperation with ASAM e.V. LiangDao also participated in the KIsSME project.
• ASAM e.V. (Association for Standardization of Automation and Measuring Systems)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2017Armin Rupalla, CEO of RA Consulting, has been a board member of ASAM e.V. since 2017. ASAM develops standards (30+ standards) for protocols, interfaces, and data models for ECU development and vehicle validation. RA Consulting actively contributes to ASAM working groups including C-ASAM for Chinese market standardization.
• Intrepid Control Systems Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2013Intrepid Control Systems, a US hardware manufacturer, entered a cooperation with RA Consulting in late 2013 to strengthen sales activities in the US market. Intrepid is also a member of the AETA alliance.
• Automotive Electronics Testing Alliance (AETA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAETA is a strategic partnership between RA Consulting GmbH, HighQSoft GmbH, emotive GmbH & Co. KG, and Intrepid Control Systems Inc. The alliance provides end-to-end software solutions for measurement, calibration, diagnostics, testing, and telematics for modern vehicle electronics based on ISO, ASAM, and SAE standards.
• emotive GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRA Consulting acquired shares in emotive in 2012. emotive develops tools for optimizing and simplifying standardized testing workflows using OTX (Open Test sequence eXchange). RA Consulting distributes emotive's OTX-based product family and offers OTX training.
• HighQSoft GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRA Consulting acquired shares in HighQSoft, a specialist for test data management. Hannah Rupalla was appointed to the HighQSoft management board in 2024. HighQSoft contributes test data management expertise to joint R&D projects including RepliCar and KIsSME.
• RepliCar Project ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMBF-funded project for reference sensor technology in automated driving validation. Partners include HighQSoft and other automotive technology companies. RA Consulting develops telematics and cloud architecture for real-time data streaming from the demonstrator vehicle to the backend.
• KIsSME Project Consortium (BMW-funded)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMW-funded research project for AI-based automated scenario generation from real-world driving data for validating autonomous driving functions. Partners include LiangDao (Munich), MindMotiv (Aachen), and HighQSoft (Idstein). RA Consulting built the sensor data management system and ODS server.
• SmartLoad Project Consortium (BMBF-funded)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMBF-funded project researching system architecture for highly automated electric vehicles. Eight scientific and industrial partners from Baden-Württemberg participated. RA Consulting contributed OTX and OpenSCENARIO testing specifications.
• Project 3F - Fault-Tolerant Autonomous Vehicles (BMWi-funded)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEUR 4.3 million BMWi-funded project on driverless fault-tolerant vehicles at low speed. Partners included Bosch (consortium leader), StreetScooter, FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik, Finepower, and RWTH Aachen. RA Consulting contributed telemetry and diagnostic expertise.
• Real Drive Validation (RDV) Project ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded project where RA Consulting co-developed middleware for connecting various IoT data sources. The telematics platform handles OBDII-based telemetry through to camera data for real-time vehicle data transmission with teleoperation for autonomous driving validation.
• Cluster Elektromobilität Süd-West / e-mobil BWmajorOthersRA Consulting is an active member of the Cluster Elektromobilität Süd-West, coordinated by e-mobil BW (state agency for Baden-Württemberg). The cluster unites 270+ industry, science, and policy actors. RA Consulting benefits from innovation impulses, strategic partnerships, and project participation.
• KvasermajorTechnology or IntegrationLong-term hardware partner. Kvaser interfaces are compatible with all RA Consulting products. RA Consulting products were showcased at Kvaser's booth at embedded world 2026. The DiagRA Flash Station works with Kvaser's new robust and secure Edge Platform.
• Influx Technology Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInflux Technology Ltd. is RA Consulting's new distribution partner in the United Kingdom for automotive diagnostic and telematics products.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vector Informatik: Vector is the dominant specialist in automotive ECU development, measurement, calibration and diagnostic tooling (CANape, CANoe, vTESTstudio). Direct competitor across RA Consulting's core DiagRA D/X/S use cases, serving the same OEM and Tier 1 customer base with overlapping ISO/ASAM/SAE standard coverage.
• dSPACE: dSPACE offers simulation, calibration, validation and development tools for ECUs and ADAS/AD, including ControlDesk and TargetLink. Overlaps with RA Consulting's measurement, calibration, and AV validation (DiagRA S, OpenSCENARIO API) offerings for OEM/Tier 1 engineering teams.
• Intrepid Control Systems: AETA alliance partner and US-based hardware/software vendor for vehicle networking (CAN, CAN-FD, Automotive Ethernet, DoIP) and diagnostics. Direct peer in the diagnostic scan-tool / OBD / DoIP stack with overlapping use cases and joint go-to-market with RA Consulting.

Broad incumbents

• ETAS (Bosch): ETAS provides the INCA calibration and measurement toolchain widely used by OEMs and Tier 1s, along with a broader portfolio of automotive software and middleware. Competes head-to-head with DiagRA X/D in ECU calibration and is part of Bosch, giving it superior scale and captive OEM relationships.
• AVL List GmbH: AVL is a large automotive engineering and calibration tooling provider (AVL CRETA, CONCERTO) that competes in measurement data management and calibration — direct overlap with DiagRA X and IAV Macara integrations.
• National Instruments (NI / Emerson Test & Measurement): NI provides hardware-in-the-loop, data acquisition, and test & measurement platforms that automotive teams use alongside diagnostic/calibration tooling. Overlaps with RA Consulting's measurement and test data infrastructure components.

Emerging players

• emotive GmbH: Minority-owned AETA partner specializing in OTX-based test sequence tools (Open Test sequence eXchange). Closely comparable niche player in standardized automotive test workflows, distributed and trained by RA Consulting.
• HighQSoft GmbH: Minority-owned AETA partner focused on test data management for automotive validation. Adjacent peer whose ODS/server components are integrated into RA Consulting telematics and RepliCar/KIsSME project stacks.

Regional players

• Kvaser: Long-term hardware partner providing CAN/CAN-FD/DoIP interfaces that are compatible with all RA Consulting products and integrated with DiagRA Flash Station. A peer in the sense of being part of the same automotive toolchain stack, with shared OEM customers.
• DG Technologies: DG Technologies supplies vehicle network interface hardware and diagnostic tools for OEMs, Tier 1s and fleets. Distributed alongside RA Consulting products, it competes in the J1939 / heavy-duty OBD / DoIP interface layer that underpins DiagRA and Silver Snap-Tool deployments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbwJOLXiBIMiNAi0XcR4pXQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ra-consulting-gmbh

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 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 RA Consulting