What Stober Antriebstechnik does

STÖBER Antriebstechnik GmbH + Co. KG is a privately held, family-owned German manufacturer of industrial drive technology headquartered in Pforzheim, Germany, founded in 1934 by brothers Paul and Wilhelm Stöber. The company designs and produces modular drive systems comprising precision gearboxes (planetary, bevel/helical, rack-and-pinion), synchronous servo motors and geared motors, and 6th-generation servo drive controllers (SB6, SC6/SI6 modular system, SD6), complemented by safety modules, motion controllers, and the DriveControlSuite DS6 configuration software. Its core technical proposition is a freely scalable, modular drive architecture that allows industrial machinery builders to combine gearboxes, motors, and matched controllers into tailored systems with high precision, energy efficiency, and durability.

The company operates four production facilities in Pforzheim plus wholly owned subsidiaries in the United States (Maysville, Kentucky, since 1991) and China (Taicang, since 2019), with additional commercial presence in Taiwan and Japan, totaling nine global subsidiaries. Its go-to-market is sales-led and B2B, targeting industrial machinery OEMs across four primary verticals: automation & robotics, machine tools, packaging machines, and plastics machines, with technical consulting from initial design phase through commissioning. Pricing is quote-based on custom drive configurations, and revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of complete drive systems and aftermarket services. The firm has no disclosed external funding, has never pursued a public listing, and maintains family ownership through active shareholders Patrick Stöber and Andreas Thiel, with Rainer Wegener serving as CEO since 2023.

The business exhibits 90+ years of continuous operation, a four-generation family ownership structure, a documented 1993 technical first-to-market in connecting planetary gearboxes directly to brushless synchronous motors, and broad pre-validated integration with the dominant industrial automation platforms (Siemens, Beckhoff, Rockwell, Kollmorgen, B&R, Control Techniques). Named reference customers include Leicht Stanzautomation (stamping automation), Eisenmann (robotics), and milon (fitness/rehabilitation equipment). Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and no AI/ML capability is documented in the source materials.

Name

Stober Antriebstechnik

Legal name

STÖBER Antriebstechnik GmbH + Co. KG

Website

https://stoeber.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

STÖBER Antriebstechnik is a family-owned German manufacturer founded in 1934 that produces modular industrial drive systems, including precision gearboxes, servo motors, and 6th-generation drive controllers, sold B2B to machinery OEMs in automation, robotics, machine tools, packaging, and plastics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Drive Systems

NAICS

Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, and Gear Manufacturing (333612), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Nec (3569), Motors & Generators (3621)

akta.pro primary industry

Gearmotors, Gearboxes & Speed Reducers (IMAGACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Motion & Machine Control (CNC, Robotics Controllers, Servo/Motion Controllers) (IMAGABAG), Motion Control Controllers & CNC/Robot Drives (Motion Controllers, Multi-axis) (IMAGACAH), Industrial Controllers & Control Systems (PLCs, PACs, CNC Controllers) (IMAHAHAH)

Keywords

• Industrial drive systems
• Precision gearboxes
• Servo motors
• Drive controllers
• Motion control

Headquarters

HQ city

Pforzheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Drive Systems Sales: Sale of complete drive systems including gearboxes, servo motors, and drive controllers to industrial machinery manufacturers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

STÖBER Antriebstechnik manufactures and sells modular industrial drive systems comprising precision gearboxes (planetary, bevel, helical, rack-and-pinion), synchronous servo motors and geared motors, and matching 6th-generation drive controllers with integrated safety functions. The systems are engineered for demanding high-dynamic, energy-efficient motion control in automation, robotics, machine tools, packaging machines and plastics machinery, sold as complete drive solutions from a single source to industrial machinery manufacturers.

Product overview

STOBER Antriebstechnik is a German system manufacturer offering comprehensive drive solutions consisting of three core product categories: gearboxes (planetary, servo bevel, helical, rack-and-pinion), motors (brushless synchronous servo motors, lean motors, asynchronous motors), and drive controllers (6th generation servo drives SB6, SC6/SI6, SD6). Their modular product architecture enables freely scalable, precisely tailored machine concepts and individual systems. The product portfolio includes ServoFit planetary gearboxes (P/PE/PH/PHQ series), KS servo right-angle bevel gearboxes, precision rack-and-pinion gearboxes, and various geared motor combinations. The 6th generation drive controllers (SB6, SC6/SI6 modular system, SD6) provide fieldbus connectivity including EtherCAT, PROFINET, CANopen, and EtherNet/IP, complemented by safety modules (SX6, SU6), configuration software (DriveControlSuite DS6), and motion controllers (MC6) for complete automation solutions. Key applications span automation & robotics, machine tools, packaging machines, and plastic processing machines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Planetary Gearboxes (P/PE/PH/PHQ Series)

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SiemenscoreTechnology or IntegrationSTÖBER provides motor compatibility information for Siemens SINAMICS S120 drive systems, offering technical documentation for integration
• KollmorgencoreTechnology or IntegrationMotor compatibility documentation for Kollmorgen Servostar S300-700 controllers
• Control TechniquescoreTechnology or IntegrationMotor compatibility documentation for Unidrive/Digitax controllers
• B&R (Beckhoff)coreTechnology or IntegrationMotor compatibility documentation for ACOPOS Standard/ACOPOSmulti/ACOPOS P3 controllers
• BeckhoffcoreTechnology or IntegrationMotor compatibility documentation for Beckhoff AX5000/AX8000 drives
• Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation)coreTechnology or IntegrationMotor compatibility documentation for Kinetix 5500/5700/6500 servo systems
• PilzcoreTechnology or IntegrationConnection diagrams for PMC EZ motors with EnDat 2.2 digital encoders (Pilz_ID_1005462)
• StäublicoreTechnology or IntegrationDriveControlSuite DS6 EtherCAT examples for Stäubli integration (6th generation)

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bosch Rexroth: Division of Bosch providing drive and control technology, gear technology, and assembly systems. Overlaps with STÖBER in servo gearboxes and drive controllers but operates as a much broader automation portfolio player rather than a focused mid-size specialist.
• Siemens (Drive Technology Division): Global automation giant whose SINAMICS drives and SIMOTION motion controllers serve as reference platforms for STÖBER motor compatibility. Indirectly competes as a vertically integrated drive system provider and is one of STÖBER's closest integration partners.
• Nidec (incl. Bauer Gear Motor): Japanese motor and drive manufacturer that acquired Bauer Gear Motor, expanding into the European industrial gear motor market. Comparable to STÖBER in geared motor offerings for industrial machinery applications across global markets.
• Baldor Electric / ABB Drives: ABB's Motion division (incorporating Baldor) supplies industrial motors, gearboxes, and variable speed drives globally. Broad incumbent peer overlapping with STÖBER in servo motors, gear units, and drive electronics for industrial automation.

Direct peers

• Bonfiglioli: Italian manufacturer of gearmotors, drive systems, and inverters for industrial automation, mobile machinery, and wind energy. Comparable to STÖBER as a European integrated drive system supplier with a strong gearbox portfolio and global footprint.
• Lenze: German automation specialist offering geared motors, servo inverters, and motion controllers. Direct competitor to STÖBER in modular drive systems for machine builders and packaging OEMs, with overlapping focus on integrated drive-controller solutions.
• SEW-Eurodrive: Germany-based global leader in drive technology, gear motors, and electronic drives for industrial automation. Directly comparable to STÖBER as a modular drive system supplier serving machine builders, packaging, and automotive industries with integrated gear-motor-inverter solutions.
• Nord Drivesystems: German family-owned manufacturer of gear units, electric motors, and drive electronics with global operations. Closely comparable to STÖBER in product mix (gearboxes + motors + drives), customer segments, and family-owned Mittelstand positioning.
• Neugart: German precision gearbox manufacturer specializing in planetary gearheads and servo gearboxes. Direct overlap with STÖBER's planetary and servo right-angle gearbox offerings for automation and robotics customers.
• Wittenstein: German specialist in precision planetary gearboxes, servo gearheads, and mechatronic drive systems for robotics, machine tools, and aerospace. Highly comparable to STÖBER's high-precision planetary and servo gearbox lines serving demanding dynamics applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Stober Antriebstechnik