SIMU

What SIMU does

SIMU SAS is a French designer and manufacturer of tubular motors and control systems for building closures, founded in 1952 in Arc-lès-Gray and operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Somfy Group. The company specializes in motorization for roller shutters, terrace and window awnings, garage doors, and commercial / industrial closures (CENTRIS central motors, SIMUBOX external motors, GM-series garage door operators). Its product portfolio spans motor series T3.5 through T9 across tube diameters Ø40-Ø80mm, offered with AC, DC, radio (Hz at 433.42 MHz and BHz bidirectional at 868 MHz), wired, and solar (AUTOSUN 2, SOLISHADE) configurations; SIMU is widely credited as the inventor of the tubular motor. Control-side offerings include wall-mounted and mobile radio transmitters/receivers/timers, wired inverters and group-control boxes (SIMUDRIVE SD series), and compatibility with Somfy's TaHoma switch hub for app and voice control via Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Home.

The company manufactures at its headquarters facility with a 1,400+ m² in-house testing laboratory and 100% unit-level testing, and holds ISO 9001:2015 plus international product certifications (CE, NF, VDE, TUV, UL, SASO, RCM) enabling market access in Europe, North America, Saudi Arabia, and Australia/New Zealand. SIMU distributes exclusively through B2B professional channels — manufacturers, installers, distributors, and specifiers — supported by dedicated commercial contacts, training, technical documentation, installation tutorials, and a PROShop 24/7 online ordering platform for registered professional clients. Customer segments center on the roller-shutter industry (residential and commercial), awning installers, commercial/industrial closure operators, and solar/energy-efficient building projects; warranty terms are 5 years on standard products and 7 years on AUTOSUN solar solutions. SIMU operates regional subsidiaries and sales offices across France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Baltic states, Poland, Ukraine, the USA, and Canada, with worldwide export service.

Name

SIMU

Legal name

SIMU SAS

Website

https://simu.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

SIMU is a French B2B manufacturer of tubular motors and control systems for roller shutters, awnings, garage doors, and commercial / industrial closures, serving professional installers and distributors across Europe and North America as a subsidiary of the Somfy Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Closure Motorization

NAICS

Mechanical Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (333613), Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314)

SIC

Motors & Generators (3621)

akta.pro primary industry

Motor Drive & Motion Control Electronics Manufacturing Services (VFDs, servo drives, controllers) (IMAGAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Linear Motion & Mechanical Power Transmission (Ball/roller screws, linear guides, bearings, couplings) (IMAHAGAM)

Keywords

• Tubular motors manufacturing
• Roller shutter motors
• Awning motorization
• Commercial closure drives
• Smart motor controls

Headquarters

HQ city

Arc-lès-gray

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices16 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. Motor and Control System Sales: Primary revenue from manufacturing and selling tubular motors, radio/wired control systems, solar solutions, and accessories for roller shutters, awnings, and commercial/industrial closures. Products sold exclusively through B2B professional distribution channels.
2. Professional Services: Technical support, after-sales service, training, and custom solution development services for professional partners and direct B2B customers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SIMU designs and manufactures tubular motors and control systems for roller shutters, awnings, garage doors, and commercial/industrial closures. Founded in 1952 as the inventor of the tubular motor, the company offers a complete product ecosystem including T-series motors (T3.5, T5, T6, T8, T9), solar-powered solutions (AUTOSUN 2, SOLISHADE), radio/wired control systems, and TaHoma smart home integration. All products are sold exclusively through professional B2B channels including manufacturers, installers, distributors, and specifiers.

Product overview

SIMU is a French manufacturer of tubular motors and control systems for window treatments and building closures, founded in 1952. The product portfolio centers on five main categories: (1) Roller shutter motors and controls (T3.5/T5/T6/T8/T9 series in wired and radio variants including Hz bidirectional and BHz protocols), (2) Awning motors and controls for terrace and window applications, (3) Solar-powered solutions including AUTOSUN 2 BHz/Hz and SOLISHADE for cable-free installations, (4) Commercial and industrial closure motors including CENTRIS central motors, SIMUBOX external motors, and GM garage door motors, and (5) Control systems spanning wired inverters/key switches, radio transmitters/receivers/timers, and the connected TaHoma switch smart hub for home automation integration with Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Home.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AUTOSUN 2 BHz Solar Solution Solar-powered radio motor solution for roller shutters with bidirectional (BHz) communication, combining motor, rechargeable battery, and solar panel in one self-contained system.
• AUTOSUN 2 Hz Solar Solution Solar-powered radio motor solution for roller shutters with unidirectional (Hz) radio communication, including motor, battery and solar panel.
• SOLISHADE Solar Solution Solar-powered motor solution for awnings, enabling cable-free installation of terrace awnings using integrated battery and solar panel.
• TaHoma Switch Smart Hub Smart home hub box that centralizes and connects SIMU motorized equipment, supporting BHz, Hz, io, RTS, Zigbee and RTS radio protocols for app control, voice control via Alexa/HomeKit/Google Home, and remote monitoring.
• T5S Star-Head Motor Series Tubular motors with star-head design for Ø50mm roller shutter tubes, offering robust and reliable performance for professional installations.
• CENTRIS Central Motors Central shaft motors for commercial and industrial roller shutters and grilles, available in various sizes for tube diameters 60mm and 76mm, with manual override and safety brake features.
• SIMUBOX Exterior Motors External drive motors for industrial and commercial roller shutters, available in single-phase and three-phase variants including EI fire-rated versions.
• GM Garage Door Motors (GM600, GM800, GM1000) Motors specifically designed for garage doors, with different power and torque ratings for sectional, tilting, and rolling garage doors.
• Roller Shutter Motors (T3.5, T5, T6, T8, T9 series) Tubular motors for roller shutters available in multiple diameters (Ø40mm, Ø50mm, Ø60mm, Ø80mm) and various radio and wired technologies including T3.5, T5, T6, T8, T9 series with different protocols (AC, DC, Hz, BHz, EHz, AUTO).
• Awning Motors Tubular motors designed for terrace awnings and screens, available in various sizes and technologies including wired and radio-controlled options.
• Commercial & Industrial Motor Systems Complete motorization solutions for commercial and industrial closures including CENTRIS central motors, SIMUBOX external motors, tubular motors (T8, T9 series), and garage door motors (GM series) with corresponding control and automation systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7-year warranty on AUTOSUN solar solutions (motor, battery, panel)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Somfy Groupparent companyOthersSIMU is a subsidiary brand of Somfy Group, part of the international Somfy group specializing in smart home and building automation solutions. This relationship provides SIMU with global manufacturing scale, R&D resources, and access to Somfy's smart home ecosystem including TaHoma connectivity.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Somfy: Parent company and direct competitor in tubular motors for roller shutters, awnings and smart-home closures. Somfy-branded motors overlap with SIMU's product portfolio and channel network, and the TaHoma ecosystem serves as both an enabler and a competing brand.
• Nice S.p.A. Italian home automation group producing motors and control systems for gates, garage doors, awnings and shutters. Overlaps with SIMU's roller shutter and garage door (GM) lines and competes for the same professional installer channel across Europe.

Direct peers

• Cherubini Group: Italian manufacturer of tubular motors and control systems for roller shutters, awnings and venetian blinds. Closely comparable to SIMU in product range (residential and light-commercial tubular motors), B2B channel model, and European geographic focus.
• Elero GmbH: German manufacturer of tubular motors, drives and control systems for roller shutters, awnings and blinds. Direct competitor to SIMU in DACH region with similar B2B professional distribution model and comparable radio/wired product portfolio.
• Selve GmbH & Co. KG: German manufacturer of motors and controls for roller shutters, awnings and venetian blinds. Closely comparable product line (tubular motors, radio control systems) and channel structure (professional installers and OEM partners in Germany and adjacent markets).
• Becker Antriebe GmbH: German specialist in tubular drives and control systems for roller shutters, sun protection and venetian blinds. Direct competitor with similar B2B professional channel and comparable European OEM customer base.
• Geiger Antriebstechnik: German manufacturer of tubular motors and electronic drives for roller shutters, awnings and textile sun protection. Direct peer in residential and light-commercial closures with similar product breadth and European professional channel.

Regional players

• Rollease Acmeda: Manufacturer of motorized window covering solutions (tubular motors, controls, automation) primarily serving North American and Australian markets. Comparable product category and OEM/channel model, though with weaker European presence versus SIMU.

Emerging players

• Vestamatic GmbH: German maker of roller shutter motors, timers and sun protection controls. Smaller specialist with overlapping product category but narrower geographic footprint than SIMU, useful as a focused niche comparable.
• Coulisse B.V. Dutch manufacturer of motorised blinds and motion-blinds solutions combining tubular motors with smart home integration. Adjacent category player with comparable focus on connected shading and professional/B2B channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SimuFrance/featured

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 SIMU