What SOTEC does

SOTEC GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held, owner-operated German technology company founded in 1980 and headquartered in Ostelsheim, with a nearshore delivery presence in Romania. The firm employs roughly 100 specialists focused on industrial digital transformation, delivering end-to-end IoT, cloud, and AI/ML solutions that span embedded firmware, edge gateways, cloud backends, and data-driven applications for manufacturing, automotive, energy, retail, and technology customers.

SOTEC's technology base is built around a set of proprietary products layered onto hyperscaler and OT-vendor ecosystems. The portfolio includes the CloudPlug industrial gateway, the SOTEC IoT Core platform, the Quail AI Vision platform (integrated with Roboception 3D cameras), and the Webcockpit visualization/operations suite. The company operates as a Google Cloud Premier Partner, Microsoft Azure Partner, and Siemens Industrial Edge Partner, and has achieved Google ML Specialization as well as ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification. In November 2025, SOTEC acquired Avatec GmbH to form a Digital Industries competence center in manufacturing surface-finishing automation.

The business model combines professional services (consulting, software engineering, integration), proprietary hardware sales (industrial gateways, edge devices), and software licensing for its IoT Core, Quail, and Webcockpit platforms. Go-to-market is anchored by long-tenured enterprise customers — including McDonald's, Burger King, Wanzl, Dräger, Liebherr, Siemens, Ferrum, GemOne (TVH), and Roboception — served through direct relationships and co-sell motions with hyperscaler and OT-vendor partners. New recurring revenue is emerging from productized offerings such as the CRA Check-up compliance service and the Quail AI Vision product line, suggesting a gradual shift from pure project delivery toward a higher-margin, productized mix.

Name

SOTEC

Legal name

SOTEC GmbH & Co KG

Website

https://sotec.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SOTEC is a German owner-operated technology company that designs and delivers IoT, cloud, and AI/ML solutions for industrial digital transformation, serving enterprise customers in manufacturing, automotive, energy, and retail across Germany and Romania with proprietary hardware, software, and integration services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial IoT & Digital Transformation Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

IT Architecture & Solutions Design (Enterprise/Cloud Architecture, Integration) (EDABAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

IT Risk Management (ITRM) (HDADAIAD), IT Asset Management (ITAM) Platforms (HDAEALAD)

Keywords

• Industrial IoT solutions
• Cloud application development
• AI machine learning services
• Embedded systems engineering
• Industrial automation hardware

Headquarters

HQ city

Ostelsheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Software Development: Individual software creation and standard software solutions for industrial, retail, and automotive applications. Billed on time-and-materials basis or fixed-price projects.
2. Hardware Products: Sale of proprietary hardware including CloudPlug Edge, TDx terminals, bumpbars, and IoT devices. Hardware products are sold as finished goods with associated software.
3. Software Licensing: Licensing of proprietary software products including Webcockpit, Quail, and IoT platforms.
4. Service & Repairs: Device support, maintenance, and sustainable recycling services. Includes CRA (Cyber Resilience Act) check-ups for embedded systems and IoT hardware.
5. Research & Development Partnerships: Collaborative R&D projects with Fraunhofer Institutes and university partners, contributing to innovation in AI, IoT, and Industry 4.0.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SOTEC provides enterprise technology and development services spanning custom software development, cloud application development (Google Cloud and Azure), AI/ML solutions, and IoT system integration. The company also designs, manufactures, and sells proprietary hardware (CloudPlug IoT gateways, TDx terminals, bumpbars) and software platforms (SOTEC IoT Core, Webcockpit dashboards, Quail AI quality inspection). Services include CRA compliance assessments, device maintenance, and collaborative R&D with Fraunhofer Institutes.

Product overview

SOTEC offers a comprehensive product portfolio spanning hardware systems and software solutions for industrial digital transformation. The hardware lineup includes the CloudPlug family of IoT gateways (CloudPlug CP1 and advanced CloudPlug Edge), TDx/TD14 terminal time recording systems, and USB/Wireless bumpbar input devices for system catering and retail. The software portfolio centers on Webcockpit for real-time operational dashboards, Quail for AI-powered visual quality inspection, and the SOTEC IoT Core platform for device management. Services include CRA Check-up compliance assessments and device repair/maintenance. The products are designed to work together—CloudPlug gateways connect machines to the IoT Core platform, Quail integrates with robotic systems for quality control, and Webcockpit aggregates operational data—providing end-to-end solutions from edge connectivity through cloud analytics for manufacturing, retail, and industrial automation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cloudwürdig: Former specialized Google Cloud Premium Partner brand (now integrated into SOTEC).
• CloudPlug Edge
• CloudPlug (CP1)
• Quail
• Quail Edge
• TDx Terminal
• Webcockpit

Products and services

• CloudPlug (CP1)
• CloudPlug Edge
• TDx Terminal
• TD14
• USB Bumpbar
• RF10T Wireless Bumpbar
• Webcockpit
• Quail Flexible AI-powered visual quality inspection software that detects defects such as scratches, contamination, and shape errors. Runs on Roboception's rc_cube or as Docker container, integrated with 3D pose estimation for seamless robotic quality control.
• SOTEC IoT Core Google Cloud-native IoT platform built on Eclipse Hono for connecting, managing, and optimizing globally distributed industrial assets with data-driven insights.
• CRA Check-up Cyber Resilience Act compliance assessment service for embedded systems and IoT hardware. Analyzes devices within 2 weeks and provides a roadmap for CE certification compliance before 2027 EU market requirements.
• Service & Repairs Comprehensive device maintenance and repair service with high repair rates and sustainable recycling for hardware products including terminals, bumpbars, and IoT gateways.

Quantifiable outcome

• Real-time operational visibility for restaurant chains with live service time, guest volume, and revenue metrics
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability12 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Avatec GmbHcoreOthers · 26 November 2025SOTEC acquired Avatec GmbH as 100% subsidiary. Avatec specializes in vibratory finishing (trowalizing) and will be developed into Digital Industries competence center. Previous managing director Andreas Haller serves as consultant.
• RoboceptioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Strategic partnership integrating SOTEC Quail visual quality inspection with Roboception's 3D stereo sensors and robot vision software. Roboception was beta tester for Quail Cloud platform.
• Google CloudcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2009As one of the first Google Cloud Partners and now Premier Partner (since 2025), SOTEC offers certified expertise in Application Development, IoT, Machine Learning, and Data Analytics. Serves as Google Cloud partner for customer digital transformation projects.
• GemOne (TVH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering partnership for Onyx industrial tracker hardware development, manufacturing, and global logistics. SOTEC contributed hardware engineering for IP67-rated 4G LTE tracker with dual CAN bus and GPS connectivity.
• WanzlcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEmbedded firmware engineering partnership for Wanzl SlidingDoor access systems. SOTEC delivered precision engine control, sensor integration, and security firmware.
• RobomotionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership implementing robot cell with real-time control framework at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences.
• IntrinsicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for robotics integration and AI-based automation solutions.
• Fraunhofer InstitutescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing R&D collaboration including Fraunhofer IPA and Fraunhofer IML for AI, IoT, and robotics research projects (RoX, GUmProDig, SDM4FZI).
• ISW (University of Stuttgart)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with Institute for Control Engineering for Software-defined Manufacturing and industrial automation projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Microsoft Azure IoT: Hyperscaler IoT platform serving as both SOTEC's partner channel and direct competition for industrial IoT integration projects, particularly for enterprise customers standardized on Azure.
• AVEVA (Schneider Electric): Industrial software and IoT platform provider serving process and discrete manufacturers across Europe with solutions overlapping SOTEC's Industrial IoT and manufacturing analytics scope.
• PTC ThingWorx: Established industrial IoT platform vendor competing with SOTEC IoT Core for asset connectivity, data management, and analytics use cases in discrete manufacturing.
• Siemens Digital Industries (Industrial Edge): Global incumbent in industrial automation whose Industrial Edge platform directly competes with SOTEC's CloudPlug Edge for shop-floor connectivity, while simultaneously being a partner.

Emerging players

• Roboception: 3D vision systems vendor for robotics that is simultaneously a SOTEC Quail integration partner and an adjacent player in AI-driven robotic quality inspection.
• Intrinsic (Alphabet): Alphabet-owned industrial robotics and AI software company that is a named SOTEC partner and represents both collaboration opportunity and competitive overlap in robotic cell automation.

Direct peers

• Bosch.IO (Bosch Connected Industry): Bosch's IoT and digital industries subsidiary delivers industrial IoT platforms, edge-to-cloud solutions, and AI for manufacturing — directly overlapping with SOTEC's CloudPlug Edge and IoT Core offerings for European industrial customers.
• valantic: German-language digital transformation, IoT, and analytics consultancy with comparable customer verticals (manufacturing, automotive, retail) and similar systems-integration business model.
• Zühlke Group: Swiss-German technology and engineering services firm with comparable IoT, embedded systems, and digital transformation practices serving European industrial enterprises.

Regional players

• Deutsche Telekom IoT (T IoT): German-headquartered IoT connectivity and platform provider serving DACH industrial customers with overlapping connectivity, SIM, and managed IoT offerings that compete regionally with SOTEC's CloudPlug/IoT Core stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sotec-software-entwicklungs-gmbh-co-mikrocomputertechnik-kg
• Xx.com/sotec

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 SOTEC