EFR
EFR GmbH is a Munich-based energy management system provider, founded 1993 and owned by Bayernwerk, N-ERGIE, and Netze BW. It supplies certified smart meter gateways, electronic electricity meters, grid management software, broadband powerline systems, and longwave network control services to German and Central European utilities, grid operators, and municipalities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersMunich, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What EFR does
EFR GmbH is a Munich-based energy management system provider founded in 1993, operating as a private subsidiary jointly held by three E.ON-affiliated German utilities: Bayernwerk, N-ERGIE, and Netze BW. The company employs approximately 67 people across four locations (Munich headquarters, Wutha-Farnroda production, Berlin longwave operations, and Aachen product management) and serves over 350 utilities, distribution network operators, municipalities, and industrial customers in Germany and Central Europe.
EFR's core product portfolio spans certified hardware and integrated software for smart metering and grid control. Hardware includes the SGH-S Secure Smart Grid Hub (BSI-CC-1000 and EUCC certified), the SGM series of electronic electricity meters (C2/C4/C6/C8 compact meters and D/D4/DD/SM base meters), and the GCU-S Secure Control Box for controllable local systems. The Grid Management Suite (GMS) and Grid Management & Metering Suite 2.0 (GM2S) provide ISO 27001-certified software for feed-in management, tariff and load control, Redispatch 2.0, and CLS administration. A distinctive asset is EFR's longwave broadcast infrastructure with transmitter facilities at Frankfurt am Main, Magdeburg, and Budapest controlling over 1.35 million radio ripple control receivers. The company has also launched a complete Broadband Powerline (BPL) product family based on the ITU-T G.9960 G.hn standard, an EFR Utility SIM powered by Telefonica for cellular M2M communications, and WS-K weather stations for predictive building management.
EFR's revenue model combines hardware sales (meters, gateways, control boxes, BPL components), recurring SaaS subscriptions (GMS, GM2S), managed services including Metering as a Service and longwave network control, and M2M cellular service contracts. Distribution is sales-led with dedicated enterprise account managers serving DSOs and municipalities; pricing is quote-based with multi-year contracts. Certifications (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO/IEC 27001, EUCC, BSI-CC-1000, GWA §25 MsbG, HomeGrid Forum membership) constitute significant regulatory moats, and the company is positioned as a first-mover in EUCC-certified smart meter gateway deployment.
EFR firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- EFR
- Legal name
- EFR GmbH
- Website
- https://efr.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- EFR GmbH is a Munich-based energy management system provider, founded 1993 and owned by Bayernwerk, N-ERGIE, and Netze BW. It supplies certified smart meter gateways, electronic electricity meters, grid management software, broadband powerline systems, and longwave network control services to German and Central European utilities, grid operators, and municipalities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
EFR industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Smart Grid Energy Management
- NAICS
- Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600), Electric Services (4911)
- akta.pro primary industry
- DER & Microgrid Interconnection / Grid Edge Integration Services (EUAEANAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- SCADA/DMS/OMS Integration, Upgrades & Managed Services (EUAEANAE), Microgrid O&M, Monitoring & Asset Management Services (EUAFAJAJ), Microgrids & Energy Management Controllers (Campus/Community/Industrial) (EUADAPAE)
Keywords
Where EFR is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Munich
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
EFR business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Smart Energy Devices: Sale of electronic meters (SGM series), Smart Meter Gateways (SGH-S), Control Boxes (GCU-S), and accessories including modems, couplers, and repeaters for smart grid and metering infrastructure.
- Software/SaaS Solutions: Grid Management Suite (GMS) and Grid Management & Metering Suite 2.0 (GM2S) offered as SaaS solutions. EFR operates and maintains software; operators avoid local installation costs.
- Metering as a Service (MaaS): Comprehensive managed services including metering, control, and feed-in management for compliance with § 14a EnWG and § 9 EEG. Includes MSB supply chain 'EMELIE' for device logistics and warehouse management.
- M2M Cellular Services: EFR Utility SIM cards with industry-specific tariffs for energy sector applications including data pooling, SMS, and IP communications. Revenue from cellular service contracts.
- Service Provider Network Control: Longwave broadcast system services for feed-in management, tariff/load control, and grid operations. Revenue from service contracts with grid operators and energy providers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise solutions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
EFR product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EFR GmbH is a system provider for energy management offering an integrated portfolio of smart metering hardware (Smart Meter Gateways, electronic electricity meters, control boxes), software platforms (Grid Management Suite, GM2S), and multi-channel communication infrastructure (longwave broadcast, cellular M2M, broadband powerline) for utility companies, distribution network operators, municipalities, and industrial sites in Germany and Central Europe. The company also delivers managed services including Metering as a Service (MaaS) and longwave-based grid control for tariff/load management, feed-in management, and public lighting.
Product overview
EFR GmbH is a system provider of energy management solutions in Germany and Central Europe, offering an integrated portfolio of smart metering, grid communication, and energy management products. The core offering consists of the SGH-S Secure Smart Meter Gateway (BSI-CC-1000 certified) paired with SGM-series electronic electricity meters (SGM-C2/C4/C6/C8 compact meters and SGM-D/D4/DD/SM base meters), the GCU-S Control Box for CLS management, and the Grid Management Suite (GMS) / GM2S software platform for control, monitoring, and administration. EFR operates a Longwave Broadcast System controlling 1.3M+ radio receivers for tariff/load control, feed-in management, and public lighting. The product range includes Broadband Powerline (BPL) solutions based on ITU-T G.9960 G.hn standard (BPL-Headend, BPL-Repeater, BPL-1TE-Modem, BPL-Coupler), the EFR Utility SIM for cellular M2M communications, charging solutions (iASB, Ladecontroller), WS-K weather stations for predictive building management, and system solutions for Redispatch 2.0, tariff/load control, and lighting control. Services include Metering as a Service (MaaS) and the EMELIE supply chain solution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SGH-S Secure Smart Grid Hub (Smart Meter Gateway) BSI-CC-1000 and EUCC-certified communications gateway for intelligent metering systems (iMSys). Provides secure connectivity between smart meters and head-end systems for grid operators and utilities.
- SGM-C2 Electronic Electricity Meter System-ready single-phase compact meter (modern metering device/mMe) for residential electricity measurement within smart metering systems.
- SGM-C4 Electronic Electricity Meter System-ready three-phase compact meter (modern metering device/mMe) for commercial electricity measurement within smart metering systems.
- SGM-C6 Electronic Electricity Meter System-ready single-phase two-wire compact meter (modern metering device/mMe) for residential metering applications.
- SGM-C8 Electronic Electricity Meter System-ready three-phase four-wire compact meter (modern metering device/mMe) for commercial metering applications.
- SGM-D4 Base Meter Smart Grid four-line FNN base meter for intelligent metering systems (iMSys).
- SGM-DD Base Meter Smart Grid four-line meter with extended functional scope for intelligent metering systems.
- GCU-S Secure Control Box Highly secure control unit (CLS/Controllable Local System) for power management, smart grids, distribution grid automation, VPP/direct marketing, and infrastructure with All-IP connectivity. Enables feed-in management through SMGW infrastructure.
- Grid Management Suite (GMS) ISO 27001-certified software system for control, monitoring, and administration of smart grid infrastructures. Includes feed-in management, Redispatch 2.0 applications, tariff and load control, CLS management, and 60870-5-104 adapter for control center connectivity. Offered as SaaS solution.
- Grid Management & Metering Suite 2.0 (GM2S) Next-generation SaaS platform for metering point operation and network management. Provides metering services, gateway administration, and feed-in management for smart metering systems.
- Longwave Broadcast System Radio ripple control infrastructure with transmitter facilities at Frankfurt am Main, Magdeburg, and Budapest. Controls over 1.35 million radio receivers across Germany for tariff/load control, feed-in management, public lighting control, and e-mobility charging management.
- BPL-Headend SGC-HE (Broadband Powerline) Broadband Powerline headend managing all powerline communication devices in a domain. Connects distributed BPL components with higher-level network management systems (NMS). Supports ITU-T G.9960 G.hn standard with MIMO technology, secure boot, and VLAN.
- BPL-1TE-Modem SGC-MD
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1.35 million radio receivers controlled through longwave system
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use EFR
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
EFR technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature9 records
EFR partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.
- TelefónicacoreTelefónica powers the EFR Utility SIM cellular service, providing all German cellular networks (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G) with network coverage including border area roaming.
- HomeGrid ForumstrategicEFR joined the powerline industry association to shape G.hn standard development and ensure interoperability between BPL providers. E.ON is also a member.
- exceeds solutions GmbHminorPartner from Halle involved in NPorts smart metering project for efficient, reliable project implementation.
- Meterwise GmbHminorPartner from Aachen involved in NPorts smart metering project for efficient, reliable project implementation.
- PSIminorConsortium partner in Redispatch 3.0 project for demonstration and marketing of flexible capacities of microfacilities.
- University of KasselminorAcademic consortium partner in Redispatch 3.0 project for research on unused flexible capacities of small power systems.
- Fraunhofer FIT, Fraunhofer IEEminorResearch consortium partners in Redispatch 3.0 project for grid integration and energy management research.
- Navimatix GmbHminorConsortium partner in EM4Q project for energy management in quarters, developing dynamic charging management systems.
- Städtische Werke BornaminorConsortium partner in EM4Q project for developing and testing dynamic charging management for local low-voltage grids.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
EFR competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PPC (Power Plus Communications): German BPL/smart meter gateway provider. Direct competitor to EFR in BPL communication infrastructure for smart meter rollout and low-voltage grid digitization. Both target German DSOs and utilities under the same regulatory framework (§ 14a EnWG, § 9 EEG).
- Theben AG: German manufacturer of smart meter gateways and energy management devices. Competes directly with EFR's SGH-S product in the German smart metering market, serving similar municipal utilities and DSOs with BSI-certified gateways.
- Sagemcom Dr. Neuhaus: German subsidiary of Sagemcom producing BSI-certified smart meter gateways. Direct competitor to EFR's SGH-S, particularly for TR v2.0-ready certified gateways under the German rollout.
- Kiwigrid: German energy management platform provider for utilities and grid operators. Competes with EFR's GMS/GM2S in delivering EMS, CLS management, and grid control software for renewable integration and controllable loads.
- Discovergy: German smart metering-as-a-service provider offering submetering, metering point operations, and energy data services. Overlaps with EFR's MaaS and EMELIE MSB supply chain offerings for residential and commercial customers.
Broad incumbents
- Landis+Gyr: Global leader in smart metering and grid management solutions with significant presence in German-speaking markets. Competes with EFR across metering hardware, communication infrastructure, and grid software, but operates a much broader international portfolio.
- Itron: Global smart metering and grid edge intelligence provider. Competes with EFR in the broader smart grid and AMI market, particularly for utility-scale deployments, though with less specialization in the German-specific regulatory regime.
- Siemens Smart Infrastructure: Large industrial conglomerate with energy management, grid control, and substation automation offerings. Competes broadly with EFR's GMS and grid communication systems as part of a much wider portfolio.
Regional players
- Voltaris: German metering point operator and meter rollout services provider for municipal utilities. Competes with EFR's MaaS/EMELIE offerings in the German DSO market for MSB services and smart meter rollout execution.
Emerging players
- Robotron / Robotron Datenbank-Software: German software provider for energy data management, gateway administration (GWA), and smart meter rollout. Overlaps with EFR's GMS/GM2S platform and competes in serving DSOs and metering point operators in Germany.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
EFR social profiles
Digital presenceEFR compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
EFR financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
EFR leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
EFR funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
EFR 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 EFR
What does EFR do?
EFR GmbH is a system provider for energy management offering an integrated portfolio of smart metering hardware (Smart Meter Gateways, electronic electricity meters, control boxes), software platforms (Grid Management Suite, GM2S), and multi-channel communication infrastructure (longwave broadcast, cellular M2M, broadband powerline) for utility companies, distribution network operators, municipalities, and industrial sites in Germany and Central Europe. The company also delivers managed services including Metering as a Service (MaaS) and longwave-based grid control for tariff/load management, feed-in management, and public lighting.
Is EFR a public or private company?
EFR is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was EFR founded?
EFR was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is EFR based?
EFR is headquartered in Munich, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does EFR make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Smart Energy Devices are the primary driver. The others are software/SaaS Solutions, metering as a Service (MaaS), M2M Cellular Services and service Provider Network Control.
Who are EFR's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PPC (Power Plus Communications), Theben AG, Sagemcom Dr. Neuhaus, Kiwigrid and Discovergy. Broad incumbents are Landis+Gyr, Itron and Siemens Smart Infrastructure. Voltaris is listed as a regional player. Robotron / Robotron Datenbank-Software is listed as an emerging player.
Does EFR have an API?
No public API is recorded for EFR.
What industry is EFR in?
EFR's product category is Smart Grid Energy Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAEANAF, DER & Microgrid Interconnection / Grid Edge Integration Services, with a secondary code of EUAEANAE, SCADA/DMS/OMS Integration, Upgrades & Managed Services. Its NAICS code is 334512 and its SIC code is 3823.