Somentec
Somentec Software GmbH provides billing and market communication software (XAP platform and MakoSolutions cloud API services) for energy, water, and heat utilities across the DACH region, serving approximately 100 employees and a diversified base of municipal and enterprise utility customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersLangen, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Somentec does
Somentec Software GmbH, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Langen, Germany (with a secondary office in Dresden), develops billing and market communication software for the energy, water, and heat utility sectors in the DACH region. The company's core product is the XAP platform, which consists of specialized modules — XAP.lieferant (supplier billing), XAP.stadtwerk (municipal utilities combining supplier and grid operator roles), XAP.wärme (heat and contracting), XAP.wasser (water and wastewater), XAP.heizkosten (heating cost allocation), and XAP.portal (end-customer self-service) — supporting the full spectrum of utility market roles including suppliers, grid operators, metering operators, and housing management. The technical foundation combines on-premise and SaaS deployment with the MakoSolutions cloud platform for API web services and AS4-Gateway for standardized market communication, used by over 200 market partners and compliant with Bundesnetzagentur specifications.
The company monetizes through a recurring software licensing and SaaS model (XAP subscriptions, MakoSolutions cloud services, annual support and maintenance contracts), supplemented by professional services for implementation, consulting, and training. Go-to-market is hybrid: a direct enterprise sales team (including Peter Öfele as Head of New Customer Sales, Alexander Urtel as Sales Manager, and Michael Becker) targets German energy suppliers, grid operators, water suppliers, and heat providers, complemented by the SHERPA-X joint brand and channel partnership with Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall. Marketing leverages the E-world energy & water trade show, an annual user conference, and digital channels including newsletter, YouTube, and Xing.
Notable enterprise customers include DB Energie (railway billing), Überlandwerk Rhön (~92,000 inhabitants served), Stadtwerke Saarlouis (since 2005), Elektrizitätswerk des Kantons Schaffhausen/EKS (>11,000 metering points), STEAG Fernwärme, and multiple municipal water and heat utilities. The company operates under approximately 100 employees with average tenure of ~10 years, reflecting deep domain expertise. Ownership transitioned in August 2025 from Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall (86% majority shareholder since 2013) to Altamount Software GmbH, a platform of CHAPTERS Group AG focused on critical-infrastructure and GRC software providers; Somentec continues to operate independently while maintaining a service partnership with Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall.
Somentec firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Somentec
- Legal name
- Somentec Software GmbH
- Website
- https://somentec.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Somentec Software GmbH provides billing and market communication software (XAP platform and MakoSolutions cloud API services) for energy, water, and heat utilities across the DACH region, serving approximately 100 employees and a diversified base of municipal and enterprise utility customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Somentec industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Utility Billing Software
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Meter-to-Cash / Billing & CIS Integration for AMI (EUADAFAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- DER Program Operations & Customer/Installer Enablement (Applications, Portals, Inspections) (EUADALAO)
Keywords
Where Somentec is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Langen
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Somentec business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software Licensing: XAP. software licenses for energy, water, and heat billing. Multiple product variants including XAP.lieferant, XAP.stadtwerk, XAP.wärme, XAP.water, XAP.heat. Delivered as on-premise or SaaS.
- SaaS/Cloud Services: Cloud-based hosting and operation of XAP. software in Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall data center. Includes AS4 and API communication services under MakoSolutions brand.
- Professional Services: Implementation, consulting, project management, and training services. Includes strategic consulting, software implementation, individual development, and support services.
- Support & Maintenance: Annual software maintenance and support contracts. Access to updates, hotfixes, and technical support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | XAP. software available in multiple variants for different market roles (supplier, grid operator, water, heat) |
| Usage-based | Annual | MakoSolutions API web services for market communication |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Somentec product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Somentec develops and sells XAP, a comprehensive billing, distribution settlement, and market communication software platform for German energy suppliers, grid operators, water utilities, heat suppliers, and metering service providers. The company also operates MakoSolutions, a cloud-based platform providing API web services (AS4-Gateway, API-Gateway, directory service) for BDEW-compliant market communication in the German energy sector. Both product lines are jointly marketed under the SHERPA-X brand alongside Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall.
Product overview
Somentec offers XAP, a comprehensive billing and settlement software suite for the energy and water utility sector, consisting of specialized modules (XAP.lieferant, XAP.stadtwerk, XAP.wärme, XAP.wasser, XAP.heizkosten) along with customer-facing components (XAP.portal, XAP.punkt). The company also provides MakoSolutions, a cloud-based platform for API web services and market communication comprising AS4-Gateway, Mako-API-Gateway, and directory service. Both product lines are marketed under the joint SHERPA-X brand alongside Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall, accompanied by professional services including support, training, and consulting.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- XAP: Billing software solution for energy, water, and heating utilities including XAP.lieferant, XAP.stadtwerk, XAP.wärme, XAP.heat, and XAP.portal.
- MakoSolutions
Products and services
- XAP Comprehensive billing, distribution settlement, and market communication software platform for German energy and water utilities, supporting supplier, grid operator, and metering point operator market roles. Includes specialized variants for energy suppliers (XAP.lieferant), municipal utilities (XAP.stadtwerk), heat suppliers (XAP.wärme), water utilities (XAP.wasser), and heating cost allocation (XAP.heizkosten). Available as on-premise or SaaS deployment.
- MakoSolutions Cloud-based API web services platform for market communication in the German energy market. Comprises AS4-Gateway for secure AS4 protocol-based data exchange (used by 200+ market partners), Mako-API-Gateway for REST/JSON API services per Bundesnetzagentur specifications with Smart-Meter-PKI encryption, and API-Webdienste Verzeichnisdienst directory service for endpoint discovery. System-independent, works regardless of customer's billing or MaKo system. Co-developed with essendi it.
- Schulungen & Training Training and education services for XAP and MakoSolutions users covering market communication changes, system administration, MaKo updates (e.g., MaKo 2022 workshops), and process optimization. Delivered as workshops, webinars, and user conference sessions.
- Support & Hotline Technical support and hotline services for Somentec customers, including remote support, customer assistance, software updates, hotfixes, and access to ticket portal for issue tracking and resolution.
Quantifiable outcome
- 45% revenue growth since 2013 under Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall ownership
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Somentec
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Somentec technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature7 records
Somentec partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- KISTERS AGcoreStrategic cooperation between Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall and KISTERS for comprehensive solutions combining XAP. billing with KISTERS energy data management (BelVis). Also includes KISTERS MSB-Cockpit integration. Jointly offers solutions for municipal utilities, area networks, quarter solutions, submetering, and tenant electricity.
- essendi it GmbHcoreCo-development partner for MakoSolutions API web services. essendi it provides certificate management, software testing, IT consulting, and individual software development. Specializes in IT security with focus on digital identities and encryption (digital certificates, TLS/SSL/x.509, PKI Management). Partnership provides cloud-based AS4 and API communication services with highest security standards.
- SLT GmbHminorSoftware and consulting company with maintenance management solution (SLT.inplast) for energy utilities. Approximately 30 energy supply companies currently work with this solution. Supports continuous improvement process philosophy.
- Solvit GmbHminorProvides process optimization and process services for energy sector. Focus on networking existing IT environments with process-oriented approaches. Offers complete service and commercial processing of end customers for electricity and gas supply including switching processes and billing based on XAP.
- Topcom Kommunikationssysteme GmbHminorIT, software, and communication solutions provider for energy sector. Offers Intelligent Automation Platform covering workflow, integration, RPA, and AI. In market communication, offers services from pure application provision to full service.
- Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall GmbHcoreFormer majority owner (86% stake since 2013). Now transitioned to partnership relationship after Altamount acquisition in 2025. Long-standing cooperation continues as service partnership. Provides joint SHERPA-X brand for energy market software and services. Operates data center for SaaS services.
- BDEW (Bundesverband der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft e.V.)minorIndustry association representing over 1800 companies in energy and water sectors. Somentec maintains membership and works according to BDEW standards for API web services.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Somentec competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- KISTERS AG: German vendor of energy data management (BelVis) and metering operations software. Strategic partner of Somentec with overlapping offerings in utility billing and meter data management, making it both a go-to-market ally and a direct competitor in the same municipal utility footprint.
- Schleupen AG: Long-established German provider of IT for energy suppliers, grid operators and municipal utilities, covering market communication, billing and metering. Competes head-to-head with Somentec for the same German Stadtwerke market roles.
- SIV AG: German vendor of utility-software (kVASy, UTILMD-related market communication) for energy suppliers, grid operators and metering point operators. Direct peer in the same MaKo/AS4 compliance niche serving municipal utilities.
- Robotron Datenbank-Software GmbH: German data-management software vendor serving utilities and metering operators with similar market communication, billing and smart-meter gateway solutions. Direct peer competing for the same German regulated-utility software budgets.
Emerging players
- enisyst GmbH: Smaller German utility-software specialist and Somentec-listed partner addressing energy market roles. Comparable niche/emerging player in adjacent utility-IT products that sometimes competes and sometimes partners.
- Arvato CRM Solutions (Bertelsmann): Bertelsmann-owned customer-management and billing services provider active in German energy customer operations. Competes for adjacent customer-portal and end-customer process scope that overlaps Somentec's XAP.portal and professional services offerings.
- regiocom GmbH: German energy customer operations specialist providing end-to-end customer service, switching and billing for utilities. Adjacent/emerging player whose business process services overlap with the customer-management modules of Somentec's XAP suite.
Broad incumbents
- SAP SE: Global enterprise software incumbent with IS-U / S/4HANA Utilities used by many German municipal utilities for billing and market communication. Somentec's documented wins against SAP (e.g. Süwag) demonstrate it as the main Tier-1 incumbent competitor.
- T-Systems International GmbH: Deutsche Telekom subsidiary offering large-scale IT services and platforms for German utilities, including market communication and smart-meter gateway administration. Broad incumbent that can bundle against specialist vendors like Somentec.
- Atos SE: Global IT services provider with a German utility practice addressing billing, market communication and smart-meter programs. Competes indirectly as a broad incumbent offering full-stack utility transformation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Somentec social profiles
Digital presenceSomentec compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Somentec financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Somentec leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Somentec funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Somentec 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 Somentec
What does Somentec do?
Somentec develops and sells XAP, a comprehensive billing, distribution settlement, and market communication software platform for German energy suppliers, grid operators, water utilities, heat suppliers, and metering service providers. The company also operates MakoSolutions, a cloud-based platform providing API web services (AS4-Gateway, API-Gateway, directory service) for BDEW-compliant market communication in the German energy sector. Both product lines are jointly marketed under the SHERPA-X brand alongside Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall.
Is Somentec a public or private company?
Somentec is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Somentec founded?
Somentec was founded in 1994. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Somentec based?
Somentec is headquartered in Langen, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Somentec make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Software Licensing is the primary driver. The others are saaS/Cloud Services, professional Services and support & Maintenance.
Who are Somentec's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are KISTERS AG, Schleupen AG, SIV AG and Robotron Datenbank-Software GmbH. Emerging players are enisyst GmbH, Arvato CRM Solutions (Bertelsmann) and regiocom GmbH. Broad incumbents are SAP SE, T-Systems International GmbH and Atos SE.
Does Somentec have an API?
Yes. MakoSolutions provides API-Webdienste (API web services) for the German energy market. The Mako-API-Gateway supports REST web services in JSON format and uses Smart-Meter-PKI for secure transmission. It enables use cases such as the Universal ordering process, ad-hoc control commands, and MaLo identification for 24-hour supplier switching. The AS4-Gateway enables secure, standardized data exchange per the AS4 protocol for market communication messages in the energy sector. A directory service acts as an address database for each market partner and use case for API web service communication. These cloud-based services are available through the SHERPA-X portfolio and work independently of billing and MaKo systems. Developer documentation is at www.mako-solutions.de.
What industry is Somentec in?
Somentec's product category is Utility Billing Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUADAFAM, Meter-to-Cash / Billing & CIS Integration for AMI, with a secondary code of EUADALAO, DER Program Operations & Customer/Installer Enablement (Applications, Portals, Inspections). Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7370.