What Nanotec does

Nanotec Electronic GmbH & Co. KG is a German specialty manufacturer of precision motion control components, founded in the 1990s and headquartered in Feldkirchen, Germany with a wholly-owned US subsidiary (Nanotec Electronic U.S. Inc., Auburn, MA) and a Chinese-localized storefront. Its portfolio covers stepper motors (NEMA 14 to 110, including hollow-shaft, flat and IP65/UL-CSA certified variants), brushless DC motors (internal rotor, flat external rotor, IP65, frameless DKA series), integrated smart servos that combine motor, controller/drive and encoder in a single package (PD1-C NEMA 11, PD4-E/EB BLDC, PD6-EB IP65 BLDC, LBA60 short-stroke BLDC actuator, PSA56 actuator with PD4-E controller, LGA56 captive linear actuator), a multi-tier controller/drive family (CSL3 I/O, N6 up to 300 W, CPB plug-in modules at 150/300/750 W, CM-CPB3-44 4-axis EtherCAT), wheel drives (WD42 and modular variants) for AGVs and service robots, planetary, low-noise and worm gearboxes, hollow rotary tables, and optical, reflective, magnetic and multiturn absolute (NMM1, NME3) encoders, together with spring-loaded brakes, lead screws, and accessories. Underlying technology combines compact integrated mechanical design, multi-protocol industrial fieldbus support (CANopen, Modbus RTU/TCP, EtherCAT, USB, REST), a programmable firmware environment (NanoJ), and a developer-facing software ecosystem (Plug & Drive Studio 3 and NanoLib v1.4.0 libraries for C++, C#, Python, Java), supported by an online 3D product configurator and CAD downloads.

Nanotec serves B2B customers across industrial automation, robotics manufacturers, automated guided vehicle (AGV) producers, medical technology, laboratory automation, optical technology, and service robot OEMs, with industrial automation and robotics identified as the primary use-case segment. The company distributes through direct regional sales contacts with quote-based pricing, plus a multi-language e-commerce platform (EN, US, DE, IT, CN) with login/registration gating for technical review, and an Individual Solutions unit that co-develops cables, firmware, lead screws, motors and motor shafts to customer specification.

The business model is hardware-centric: revenue derives from one-time / perpetual-license sales of catalog motion control components and custom variants, with free software tools (Plug & Drive Studio, NanoLib) used as demand-generation and integration aids rather than as monetized SaaS. Marketing channels include the corporate website, knowledge base, email newsletter, free regional product training, trade shows and SEO-focused product content. The company is privately held (101–250 employees), has no public funding rounds or M&A disclosed in the source data, and has been recognized four times in Germany's TOP 100 innovation award program (most recently January 2026), with particular distinction in the External Orientation / Open Innovation category.

Name

Nanotec

Legal name

Nanotec Electronic GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://nanotec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Nanotec Electronic GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of precision motion control solutions — integrated motors, linear actuators, intelligent compact drives, controllers and encoders — sold to industrial automation, robotics, medical technology, AGV and service robot OEMs across Europe, North America and China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Motion Control Components

NAICS

Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, and Gear Manufacturing (333612)

SIC

Motors & Generators (3621)

akta.pro primary industry

Motion Control Controllers & CNC/Robot Drives (Motion Controllers, Multi-axis) (IMAGACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Motion & Machine Control (CNC, Robotics Controllers, Servo/Motion Controllers) (IMAGABAG), Motion Control Electronics & Controls (Controllers, Drivers, Feedback Interfaces) (IMAHAGAJ), DC Motors (Brushed, Brushless DC) (IMAGACAB), Industrial Controllers & Control Systems (PLCs, PACs, CNC Controllers) (IMAHAHAH)

Keywords

• Motion control systems
• Precision motor manufacturing
• Integrated servo drives
• BLDC stepper motors
• Linear actuators

Headquarters

HQ city

Feldkirchen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Motion Control Hardware Sales: Revenue from sale of stepper motors, BLDC motors, linear actuators, motor controllers/drives, gearboxes, encoders, brakes, wheel drives, and accessories. Products available as standard catalog items and custom/individual solutions. Sales through direct sales channel with regional contacts, quote-based pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nanotec manufactures and sells precision motion control hardware, including integrated Smart Brushless DC Servos (combining motor, controller/drive and encoder), stepper and BLDC motors, linear actuators, wheel drives, gearboxes, encoders and motor controllers/drives. Products are offered both as standard catalog items and as custom/individual solutions (cables, firmware, lead screws, motors, shafts), supported by free integration software (NanoLib and Plug & Drive Studio) and an online 3D product configurator.

Product overview

Nanotec is a manufacturer of precision motion control solutions, primarily serving industrial automation, robotics, medical technology, and related sectors. The product portfolio is organized as a comprehensive motion control platform with multiple interconnected product lines. Core offerings include Smart Brushless DC Servos (PD series) combining motors with integrated controllers/drives and encoders, stepper motors (hybrid, flat, hollow-shaft, IP65 variants), and BLDC motors (internal/external rotor, frameless, IP65 protected). The linear actuator line includes LBA60 BLDC actuators, PSA56 integrated linear actuators with controllers, and LGA56 captive linear actuators. Supporting products include wheel drives (WD series) for AGV and robotics applications, gearboxes (planetary GP series, worm gearboxes), hollow rotary tables, and precision encoders (optical, magnetic including NMM1 multiturn absolute encoder). Motor controllers/drives span from compact CSL3 and N6 units to multi-axis CM-CPB3-44 EtherCAT controllers, and plug-in CPB series. The software ecosystem includes NanoLib for C++/C#/Python/Java integration and Plug & Drive Studio for configuration. Products support common industrial fieldbuses including CANopen, Modbus RTU/TCP, EtherCAT, USB, and REST protocols.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NanoLib: Software library for integration of Nanotec motor controllers/drives into software applications, supporting C++, C#, Python and Java.
• Plug & Drive Studio

Products and services

• Smart Brushless DC Servos (PD series) Integrated smart servos combining brushless DC motor, controller/drive and encoder in a space-saving package for industrial automation and robotics; PD4-E/EB includes an option with integrated holding brake for Z axes and robotics applications.
• PD1-C Stepper Motor with Integrated Controller (NEMA 11) Nanotec's smallest smart servo with 28 mm flange size, integrating controller and encoder; available in IP20, IP65 and open housing variants for ultra-compact automation and robotics.
• CSL3 BLDC Motor Controller for I/O Applications Easy-to-configure controller/drive with 16 motion profiles for brushless DC motors up to 72 W rated power and 3 A rated current.
• N6 Controller/Drive Compact controller/drive compatible with stepper and BLDC motors up to 300 W, supporting common industrial fieldbuses; available in high-/low-current versions with or without STO.
• CM-CPB3-44 EtherCAT 4-axis Controller/Drive Controller/drive designed to control four BLDC or stepper motors with up to 150 watts per axis, featuring Hall sensors and incremental or SSI encoders for position feedback.
• CPB Series Plug-in Motor Controllers Plug-in motor controllers/drives for integration into customer applications and custom boards; available in 150 W, 300 W and 750 W variants.
• Hybrid Stepper Motors NEMA stepper motors ranging from 14 mm to 110 mm flange size for industrial automation and motion control applications.
• Flat Motors Compact flat stepper motors for space-constrained applications with integrated encoder options.
• Hollow-shaft Stepper Motors Stepper motors with hollow shaft design for cable routing and integrated system solutions.
• Stepper Motors IP65 (ASA5618 & ASA8618) UL/CSA certified IP65 stepper motors in two flange sizes with integrated encoder and optional holding brake for harsh industrial environments.
• BLDC Motors Brushless DC motors with internal rotor, external rotor (flat), frameless (DKA) and IP65 protected variants for high-performance positioning, robotics and demanding applications.
• DKA Frameless BLDC Motors Frameless BLDC motors designed for maximum system integration in robotics, medical technology and demanding applications.
• LBA60 BLDC Linear Actuator Short-stroke BLDC linear actuator with integrated ball screw reaching a top speed of 292 mm/s and integrated encoder for accurate positioning.
• PSA56 Linear Actuator with Integrated Controller Linear actuator combining LSA56 actuator with intelligent PD4-E controllers; supports field-oriented control via CANopen.
• Stepper Motor Linear Actuators Linear actuators in NEMA 6 through NEMA 23 frame sizes (14-56 mm) including non-captive and captive variants with various thread types, stroke lengths and leads.
• LGA56 Captive Linear Actuator Captive NEMA 23 linear actuator reaching speeds up to 150 mm/s with various thread types, stroke lengths and thread leads.
• WD42 Compact Wheel Drives Super-compact wheel drive unit combining wheel, gearbox, brushless DC motor and encoder for service robots and AGVs; four reductions available with wheel diameters from 75 to 140 mm.
• Modular Wheel Drives Modular wheel drives for AGV and service robot applications combining wheel, planetary gearbox and bearing in one unit.
• Gearboxes (Planetary GP series, Worm gearboxes, Hollow rotary tables) Gearboxes for stepper and BLDC motors, including high-torque GP80 planetary gearboxes, low-noise GP42-N, worm gearboxes and hollow rotary tables for positioning tables and grippers.
• Encoders (Optical, Reflective, Magnetic, NMM1 Multiturn) Optical, reflective, magnetic and magnetic absolute multiturn encoders for precise position feedback in motor control; includes NMM1 with SSI interface (17-bit single-turn / 16-bit multi-turn) and NME3 compact magnetic encoder.
• Brakes (BCD and BWA Spring-loaded Brakes) Spring-loaded brakes that hold motor position when power is disengaged, ideal for vertical applications, conveyor belts and medical devices.
• NanoLib SDK Free software library (version 1.4.0) that facilitates integration of Nanotec motor controllers/drives into software applications, supporting C++, C#, Python and Java.
• Plug & Drive Studio 3 Free motion control configuration and programming software with an updated user interface for efficiently developing and integrating custom modules on Nanotec motor controllers/drives.
• Product Filter / Product Finder Online product selection tool that helps customers identify the right Nanotec motor/drive based on performance requirements and submit quote requests.
• Individual Solutions (Custom Manufacturing) Custom manufacturing service for cables, firmware, lead screws, motors and motor shafts to meet specific customer requirements.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature13 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Beckhoff Automation: German automation specialist and EtherCAT originator, with servo drives, stepper drives and multi-axis controllers. Competes directly with Nanotec's multi-axis EtherCAT controllers and fieldbus-enabled drives.
• Bosch Rexroth: Large German drive and control technology supplier with electric drives, motors and motion control systems. Competes with Nanotec in factory automation but with far larger portfolio and global OEM reach.
• Festo: German-headquartered global automation incumbent offering electric drives, servo motors, controllers and complete automation platforms. Competes with Nanotec in integrated drives but at much broader scale and portfolio depth.
• Schneider Electric Motion: Global industrial automation major offering servo drives, stepper motors and motion controllers. Broad incumbent overlap with Nanotec in industrial automation and machine building.

Direct peers

• Faulhaber: German-headquartered precision miniature motor and drive specialist (DC, BLDC, stepper, linear, gearheads). Closely comparable product range, customer overlap in medical/lab automation/robotics, and similar integrated-drive strategy.
• Applied Motion Products: US-based manufacturer of stepper and servo drives, integrated motors, and multi-axis controllers with EtherCAT support. Comparable focus on integrated motor/drive solutions for industrial automation.
• Maxon: Swiss precision drive specialist offering BLDC, DC and stepper motors, gearheads, encoders and controllers. Direct competitor in compact, high-precision motion for medical, robotics and industrial automation.
• Lin Engineering: US stepper motor and integrated stepper/drive specialist. Overlaps with Nanotec's NEMA-format stepper, smart-servo and encoder-enabled positioning offerings.
• Oriental Motor: Japanese manufacturer of stepper motors, BLDC motors, servo motors, and integrated intelligent motors with controllers. Closely matches Nanotec's catalog approach across stepper, BLDC and integrated smart servos.

Emerging players

• JVL A/S: Danish specialist in integrated stepper and BLDC motors with built-in controllers and Ethernet/fieldbus support. Comparable niche focus on compact, integrated 'one-cable' smart servos targeting similar OEM customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nanotecde

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Nanotec