exentra GmbH

What exentra GmbH does

exentra GmbH is a privately held German software company founded in 2002 and headquartered in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, between Munich and Ingolstadt. It develops engineering and project-management software for the German premium automotive and aerospace industries, with named customers including Porsche, Daimler, John Deere, Kautex, AVL, Valmet, Sumitomo, CSI, ASAP and VAIVA. The company employs approximately 20–22 people and is led by Managing Director Marko Hirsch.

The company's product portfolio is built on the proprietary PD Engine, a modular software framework comprising 11,568 Java classes and 575,000 lines of code across Java, Python, Prolog and Shell. On top of this engine, exentra sells three product lines: exentra Project (project management and controlling with time tracking and DATEV accounting integration), exentra Package (a product-development data-management platform with an integrated format-independent 3D web viewer supporting CATIA, NX and Creo, plus OEM data imports from Connect, KVS and PDMU), and exentra Custom (bespoke software development on the PD Engine). The framework also features complete data historisation ("Wayback Machine"), real-time search, adaptive multi-source data acquisition, SSO/OAuth2 and DMU collision checks. A new Digital Twin platform, explore, was carved out into a separate entity, EXP Software GmbH, in January 2024.

exentra operates a sales-led, direct go-to-market model. exentra Project is offered on a monthly subscription with a free 30-day trial; exentra Package and the Enterprise tier of Project are deployed on-premise or in the cloud under multi-year contracts with individually quoted pricing, with deep customization to customer CAD, OEM and identity (Active Directory/LDAP) environments. The company additionally generates revenue through IT and process consulting, and emphasizes a "direct line to developers" for customers. Geographic focus is the DACH region, with no disclosed revenue, no external funding, and no institutional ownership.

Name

exentra GmbH

Legal name

exentra GmbH

Website

https://exentra.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

exentra GmbH is a German software company that sells the PD Engine-based exentra Project, exentra Package, and exentra Custom products for project management, product-development data management, and custom software to premium automotive, aerospace, and industrial engineering customers including Porsche, Daimler, and John Deere.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Product Development Software (PLM/PDM and Project Management)

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Embedded & OEM Analytics (HDAEAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

ERP Extensions & Add-ons (CPQ, Billing, Revenue Management) (HDAEAEAO), Data Engineering, Integration & ETL/ELT Services (BPAEAHAB)

Keywords

• Project management software
• Product data management
• Virtual product development
• CAD data integration
• Automotive engineering software

Headquarters

HQ city

Pfaffenhofen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licensing (exentra Project): Project management software licensing. Offers license model ready for use or can be individually adapted to customer requirements. Subscription-based with monthly billing, no minimum term, monthly cancellation.
2. Software Licensing (exentra Package): Data management platform for product development with integrated 3D viewer. Sold via flexible licensing model, either as on-premise solution or cloud deployment.
3. Custom Software Development (exentra Custom): Individual solutions developed specifically for customer requirements using the flexible PD Engine framework. Rapid prototyping approach with agile development.
4. IT and Process Consulting: Competent consulting for IT projects and process optimization. Based on over 17 years of expertise in agile software development with focus on automotive sector including IT solution selection and comparison, BPMN and Process-Engineering, CAx methods and processes, Change Management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

exentra GmbH develops and sells business intelligence and product development software built on its proprietary PD Engine framework. Its core offerings include exentra Project (project management and controlling with time tracking), exentra Package (data management platform with integrated 3D viewer for consolidating CAD and OEM development data), and exentra Custom (individualized software solutions) for enterprise customers, primarily in the automotive and aerospace sectors.

Product overview

exentra GmbH offers a portfolio of software products built on its modular PD Engine framework. The core products include exentra Project (project management and controlling with time tracking), exentra Package (data management platform with integrated 3D viewer for product development), and exentra Custom (individual software development). The company also provides IT and process consulting services. A spin-off, explore (operated by EXP Software GmbH since January 2024), offers Digital Twin functionality through the explore platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• exentra Project: Project management software for project controlling and time tracking, suitable for teams of all sizes
• exentra Package
• exentra Custom
• PD Engine
• explore

Products and services

• PD Engine Modular software framework that consolidates data from various sources and makes it available via a modern web-based interface. Serves as the foundational platform for exentra Project, exentra Package, and exentra Custom products. Built with Java, Python, Prolog, and Shell.
• exentra Project Project management and controlling software with time tracking covering the complete project lifecycle from inquiry through invoicing. Features proposals, orders, project planning, cost tracking, DATEV accounting integration, and a REST API. Offers a 30-day free trial and monthly subscription billing with no minimum term. For teams of all sizes.
• exentra Package Data management platform with integrated 3D viewer for product development. Consolidates development data from various sources including automotive OEM systems (Connect, KVS, PDMU) and CAD systems (CATIA, NX, Creo), providing automated data synchronization, multi-CAD support, DMU collision checks, and format-independent 3D visualization in the browser. Available via on-premise or cloud deployment under flexible licensing.
• exentra Custom Individual software development services based on the PD Engine framework, creating expert tools tailored to specific customer requirements in areas such as CAx methods, financial controlling, complexity management, and production assurance. Delivered via agile development with rapid prototyping.
• exentra Consulting IT and process consulting services for digital transformation, including IT solution selection, BPMN and process engineering, CAx methods and processes, and change management with a focus on the automotive sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,100,000 booked times in exentra Project demonstrating widespread adoption
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and former/historical.

• EXP Software GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Founded in January 2024 specifically to drive the explore platform, which evolved from the PD Engine. exentra transferred the explore platform development to this newly created company. explore provides Digital Twin experience by mapping Digital Thread and automating workflows.
• csi Entwicklungstechnik GmbHformer/historicalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010exentra GmbH was founded in 2002 together with csi Entwicklungstechnik GmbH in Neckarsulm. exentra was later spun off from csi in 2010. The initial focus was on consulting services and software processes for German premium car manufacturers' development departments.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Autodesk Fusion Manage (PLM 360): Cloud PLM offering from Autodesk that bundles product data management, change management, and BOM into the broader Fusion ecosystem; relevant competitor for exentra's CAD-heavy automotive/aerospace accounts.
• Planview: Established enterprise PPM/work-management platform offering project portfolio, time tracking, and resource planning — overlapping with exentra Project's project controlling, time tracking, and DATEV billing integration use cases.
• PTC (Windchill): Long-standing PLM and CAD-independent PDM vendor with deep automotive accounts; directly comparable to exentra on multi-CAD data consolidation and product structure management for OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.
• Dassault Systèmes (3DEXPERIENCE / ENOVIA): Incumbent PLM platform tightly coupled with CATIA that competes for the same automotive/aerospace product data management wallet as exentra Package, with native CAD integration across the same Dassault-authored formats.
• Siemens Digital Industries Software (Teamcenter): Global PLM leader whose Teamcenter suite addresses the same product data management, BOM, and cross-CAD interoperability problems exentra solves for automotive OEMs — but as part of a much broader portfolio including CAD, MES, and simulation.

Direct peers

• Propel Software: Cloud-native PLM/Product Data Management vendor serving discrete manufacturers including automotive suppliers; competes on modern UX, SaaS delivery, and integration with CRM/QMS — the same modernization exentra Package targets.
• Aras Innovator: Open-source, highly customizable PLM platform with strong automotive/aerospace customer base; competes head-to-head with exentra Package on flexible data modeling, multi-CAD ingestion, and configurable workflows for product development.
• InLoox: German project management / PPM vendor with direct overlap to exentra Project on project planning, time tracking, resource management, and billing — targeting the same DACH Mittelstand and enterprise engineering customer profile.
• Arena Solutions: Cloud PLM focused on mid-market discrete manufacturers and electronics; overlaps with exentra's bill-of-materials, change management, and supplier collaboration use cases for engineering-driven companies.

Emerging players

• EXP Software GmbH: Spin-off entity (founded Jan 2024) that absorbed exentra's explore Digital Twin / Digital Thread platform — adjacent technology and shared DNA, but positioned as a standalone emerging player in industrial Digital Thread workflow automation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/exentra-gmbh/about
• Xx.com/exentraGmbH

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 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 exentra GmbH