CONTROLLINO
CONTROLLINO (Beans & Bits GmbH, Austria) designs and sells industry-grade, 100% Arduino-compatible open-source PLCs (MICRO, MINI, MAXI, MEGA) plus embedded AI tooling, serving industrial automation professionals, makers, educational institutions, and OEM customers in 150+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersInnsbruck, Austria
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What CONTROLLINO does
CONTROLLINO, operated by the Austrian entity Beans & Bits GmbH and headquartered in Kematen in Tirol, designs and sells industry-grade programmable logic controllers (PLCs) built on open-source software with 100% Arduino compatibility. The product family comprises four controller lines — the MICRO (Raspberry Pi RP2040-based 32-bit PLC launched 2023), the MINI (8-input/8-output entry unit), the MAXI (mid-range with Ethernet and RS485), and the MEGA (high-capacity with up to 61 I/O channels and 30A current) — each available in multiple variants such as "pure," Automation (0-10V), and Power (16A relays), and sold alongside accessories (IDC sockets, screwless terminals, pinheader caps, DIN rail mounts), a €879 Training Kit for PLC education, and the 2024-launched CONTROLLINO AI Studio for embedded ML. The hardware is CE, UL, IEC-61131, RoHS, and REACH certified and supports Ethernet (WIZnet W5100/W5500), Modbus TCP/RTU, RS485, CAN, I2C, SPI, USB, and MQTT, integrating with Arduino IDE, PlatformIO, OpenPLC, Visual Micro, Visuino, logi.CAD 3, LabVIEW, MATLAB, Flowcode, Scilab, and Atmel Studio.
The business model is hardware-led and bootstrapped, with no institutional funding rounds disclosed. CONTROLLINO sells direct-to-consumer via its own e-commerce storefront at controllino.com (one-time perpetual purchases, EUR pricing, VAT-exclusive), supported by a network of 15+ authorized distributors across the Americas, EMEA, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, and an OEM/White-Label channel for customers embedding CONTROLLINO hardware into their own branded products (10+ unit minimum for branding customization, 100+ unit minimum for fully custom electronics). Pricing spans €1.65 for protective caps to €879 for the Training Kit, with the core PLC range at €139-€329. The company serves four primary customer segments — industrial automation professionals, makers and hobbyists transitioning from Arduino prototypes to production-grade hardware, educational institutions and vocational training centers, and OEM/white-label customers — and reports 3,500+ companies and 75,000+ cumulative units sold across more than 150 countries since 2015.
CONTROLLINO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CONTROLLINO
- Legal name
- Beans & Bits GmbH
- Website
- https://controllino.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CONTROLLINO (Beans & Bits GmbH, Austria) designs and sells industry-grade, 100% Arduino-compatible open-source PLCs (MICRO, MINI, MAXI, MEGA) plus embedded AI tooling, serving industrial automation professionals, makers, educational institutions, and OEM customers in 150+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CONTROLLINO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Automation PLCs
- NAICS
- Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600), Electronic Components & Accessories (3670)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial Controllers & Control Systems (PLCs, PACs, CNC Controllers) (IMAHAHAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Motion & Machine Control (CNC, Robotics Controllers, Servo/Motion Controllers) (IMAGABAG), Industrial Electrical & Motor Controls (EDAOAHAE), Electrical Controls, PLC & Industrial Automation (EDAOABAE)
Keywords
Where CONTROLLINO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Innsbruck
- HQ country
- Austria
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
CONTROLLINO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
Revenue model
- Hardware Product Sales: CONTROLLINO generates revenue primarily from the sale of industrial PLC hardware products including controllers (MICRO, MINI, MAXI, MEGA, NEO), accessories (pinheader caps, IDC sockets, screwless terminals, DIN rail mounts), kits (training kit), and relays. Products are sold as one-time purchases (perpetual hardware ownership) with prices ranging from €1.65 to €879.00 per unit. The company also offers custom OEM/White-Label solutions for bulk orders of 10+ units.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | MICRO – Entry-level 32-bit RP2040-based PLC |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | MINI – Compact 8-input/8-output PLC |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | MAXI – Mid-range PLC with up to 24 outputs and Ethernet |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | MEGA – High-capacity PLC with up to 30A and 61 I/Os |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pinheader Caps – Protective accessories |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Screwless Terminals – Wire connection accessories |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | IDC Sockets – Pinheader connector accessories |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Replacement Parts – DIN Rail Mounting |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | CONTROLLINO Training Kit – Educational bundle with MAXI Automation, training board, and 40+ exercises |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | OEM & White-Label – Customized PLC solutions |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels16 records
Marketing channels8 records
CONTROLLINO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CONTROLLINO designs, manufactures, and sells industry-grade, 100% Arduino-compatible open-source Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) for industrial automation, building automation, IoT, and educational use. The product family spans MICRO, MINI, MAXI, and MEGA controllers (plus the NEO line), supported by an embedded AI Studio for on-device inference, a Training Kit, and a range of accessories, with custom OEM/white-label solutions available for bulk buyers.
Product overview
CONTROLLINO offers a family of industry-grade PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) based on open-source software and fully compatible with Arduino. The product portfolio includes five main controller lines: MICRO (compact RP2040-based), MINI (entry-level 8/8 I/O), MAXI (mid-range versatile), and MEGA (high-capacity 30A), each available in variants (standard, pure, Automation, Power, Automation Power). The portfolio extends to AI STUDIO for embedded AI deployment, a Training Kit for education, and various accessories (sockets, terminals, pinheader caps, DIN rail mounts). The ecosystem is unified by 100% Arduino compatibility, CE/UL/IEC-61131 certifications, and support for communication interfaces including Ethernet, RS485, CAN, I2C, SPI, and USB. CONTROLLINO serves over 3,500 companies across 150+ countries since 2015.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CONTROLLINO AI STUDIO: Embedded AI platform that makes AI training, deployment and inferencing easy. Allows uploading sensor data or collecting real-time data over MQTT, automatically training AI models optimized for microcontroller inference.
Products and services
- CONTROLLINO MICRO Smallest CONTROLLINO PLC using a 32-bit RP2040 microcontroller from Raspberry Pi, with 18 I/Os, 6 analog inputs (24-bit), 4 analog/digital inputs (12-bit), 8 half-bridge outputs (max 3A), built-in current sensor with adjustable current limit (0.5A–3A), ECC608 crypto chip, RS485 or CAN communication, and Ethernet (W5500). Targeted at compact industrial automation and IoT applications.
- CONTROLLINO MINI Compact entry-level PLC in the CONTROLLINO family with 8 inputs and 8 outputs. Available in standard form (€149.00 excl VAT) and pure variant (€139.00 excl VAT, no relays). Most petite member of the CONTROLLINO family with a strong size-to-I/O ratio, including RTC and RS485.
- CONTROLLINO MAXI Top-selling mid-range PLC combining compact design with substantial I/O capacity. Available in multiple variants: MAXI (€259), MAXI pure (€249), MAXI Automation with 0-10V I/Os (€249), MAXI Automation pure (€249), MAXI Power with 5x 16A relays (€249), and MAXI Power Automation (€249). All variants include Ethernet and RS485.
- CONTROLLINO MEGA High-capacity PLC for large-scale and intricate automation projects, with up to 61 I/O channels, 30A maximum current, Ethernet, RS485, and half-bridge outputs. Available as MEGA (€329) and MEGA pure (€329).
- CONTROLLINO NEO Additional controller model in the CONTROLLINO product line for industrial automation and control applications.
- CONTROLLINO AI STUDIO Embedded AI solution enabling AI training, deployment and inferencing directly on CONTROLLINO microcontrollers. Users upload sensor data or collect real-time data via MQTT, automatically train AI models optimized for microcontroller inference, and deploy them on-device for predictive maintenance and anomaly detection use cases.
- CONTROLLINO Training Kit Complete educational bundle including CONTROLLINO MAXI Automation, training board, interface modules (traffic lights + external sensors), 24V power supply, industrial case, and learning cards supporting PLC Training Levels 100, 200, and 300. Targeted at technical schools, universities, vocational training, and corporate training programs. Price: €879.00 excl VAT.
- CONTROLLINO OEM & White-Label B2B customization service allowing customers to rebrand and modify CONTROLLINO PLCs with custom logos, labels, colors, interfaces, software/firmware, and full product creation. Minimum 10 units for standard customization (logo, labeling, software); minimum 100 units for fully custom electronics/hardware development.
- CONTROLLINO Accessories Hardware accessories supporting CONTROLLINO controllers, including 20-way and 26-way IDC sockets (€5.50 each), screwless terminal block plugs in 20-position (€16.50) and 26-position (€19.90), pinheader protection caps (€1.65 each), and DIN rail mounting replacement parts (€5.50 per 2-piece pack).
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 75,000 products sold globally
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use CONTROLLINO
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
CONTROLLINO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
AI capability4 records
Feature8 records
CONTROLLINO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Logicbus InccoreAuthorized distributor for CONTROLLINO products in the USA (Chula Vista, CA), providing local sales, support, and technical assistance to American customers.
- Automation Headquarters (Applied Automation Controls Inc)coreAuthorized distributor in Syracuse, NY (USA) serving the US industrial automation market with CONTROLLINO products and technical support.
- Technomart InccoreAuthorized distributor for CONTROLLINO products in Canada (Toronto, ON), providing local sales and distribution services.
- Logicbus SA de CVcoreAuthorized distributor in Mexico (Guadalajara) for CONTROLLINO products, providing local sales, technical support, and product availability for Mexican customers.
- Didácticas ElectrónicascoreAuthorized distributor in Colombia with multiple sales points (Medellín and Bogotá) providing CONTROLLINO products and technical support to the Colombian market.
- Stahljunge GmbHcoreDedicated German distributor operating controllino.shop, providing CONTROLLINO products to the German market with local sales and support.
- RobesolcoreAuthorized distributor in the Netherlands (Bleiswijk) operating controllino.nl, providing local sales and distribution for CONTROLLINO products.
- Conectino IOT, SLUcoreAuthorized distributor for Spain and Portugal (Vigo) operating controllino.es, providing CONTROLLINO products to the Iberian market.
- Electrapothiki ThessalonikiminorAuthorized distributor in Greece (Thessaloniki) for CONTROLLINO products, providing local sales and support.
- Gibson TeccoreAuthorized distributor in South Africa (Centurion) providing CONTROLLINO products to the Southern African market.
- Corpcord InvestmentsminorAuthorized distributor in Zimbabwe (Harare) for CONTROLLINO products, providing local sales and distribution.
- TalentsysminorAuthorized distributor in Egypt (Giza) providing sales, technical support, and repair services for CONTROLLINO products.
- RNC ValleyminorAuthorized distributor in Morocco (Tanger) for CONTROLLINO products, providing local sales and support.
- Mediaflow (Makezone)coreAuthorized distributor in South Korea operating controllino.co.kr, providing CONTROLLINO products to the Korean market.
- Beskar Materials LLPminorAuthorized distributor covering Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan (Almaty) for CONTROLLINO products.
- Arduino (open-source ecosystem)coreCONTROLLINO is 100% compatible with the Arduino ecosystem, using Arduino IDE, libraries, and development patterns. The company maintains an official CONTROLLINO library on GitHub and supports all major Arduino-compatible development environments including PlatformIO, Visual Studio Code with Visual Micro, Visuino, and Atmel Studio.
- OpenPLC ProjectcoreCONTROLLINO supports the OpenPLC runtime, editor, and HMI Builder, enabling IEC 61131-3 standard PLC programming on CONTROLLINO hardware. CONTROLLINO provides official OpenPLC examples and tutorials on its GitHub repository.
- Raspberry Pi (RP2040 ecosystem)coreCONTROLLINO MICRO uses the Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller, integrating with the broad RP2040 hardware and software ecosystem including PIO, SDK, and third-party tools.
- WIZnet (W5100/W5500 Ethernet)coreCONTROLLINO MAXI, MEGA, and MICRO use WIZnet Ethernet chips (W5100 and W5500) for TCP/IP and Modbus TCP connectivity, enabling seamless integration with existing Ethernet networks and IoT applications.
- MailChimpminorCONTROLLINO uses MailChimp for email newsletter distribution and campaign analytics, organizing and analyzing newsletter distribution to subscribers.
- Google AnalyticsminorCONTROLLINO uses Google Analytics for web analytics, tracking visitor behavior, demographic data, and conversion tracking for its online shop.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
CONTROLLINO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- WAGO: Manufacturer of PFC200 controllers and modular I/O used as PLC substitutes. Comparable industrial controller category and customer base, particularly in building automation and process industries.
- Siemens (SIMATIC): Global market leader in industrial PLCs (S7-1200, S7-1500, ET 200). Overlaps with CONTROLLINO's industrial automation use cases but targets high-end, proprietary projects — serves as the entrenched alternative CONTROLLINO positions against.
- Rockwell Automation / Allen-Bradley: Dominant North American PLC vendor (ControlLogix, CompactLogix, MicroLogix). Competes with CONTROLLINO for the same industrial control applications, especially in the Fortune 500 customer cohort CONTROLLINO references.
- Schneider Electric (Modicon / EcoStruxure): Major PLC and industrial automation vendor (Modicon M340/M580, EcoStruxure platform). Competes across the same industrial automation and building-automation niches CONTROLLINO addresses, with deep channel and software ecosystems.
- Beckhoff Automation: German PC-based control specialist (TwinCAT, CX series). Overlaps with CONTROLLINO on automation use cases, particularly in machine building, and is an established open-tooling alternative.
- Phoenix Contact (PLCnext): PLCnext is an open, Linux-based industrial controller platform — directly comparable positioning to CONTROLLINO (open ecosystem + industrial certification) but with Phoenix Contact's incumbent channel and engineering depth.
- Opto 22: US-based vendor of SNAP PAC controllers and I/O with open Ethernet/MQTT interfaces. Comparable industrial-control positioning with an open-protocol stance, competing for integrators looking for non-proprietary alternatives.
Direct peers
- Industrial Shields: Spanish manufacturer of Arduino-based industrial PLCs (MDuino, Ardbox, Touchberry). Most direct comparable: open-source industrial controllers for makers transitioning to production, similar price points, and competing head-to-head with CONTROLLINO across Europe.
- Arduino (Arduino Pro / Opta): Parent ecosystem CONTROLLINO builds on; Arduino's Opta line is an industrial-grade PLC leveraging the same ecosystem. Directly comparable on Arduino compatibility and developer audience, with significantly more resources and brand reach.
- Revolution Pi (Kunbus): German vendor of industrial PCs and PLCs built on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module. Comparable open-source/industrial positioning, similar target market of integrators, and overlapping use of Raspberry Pi silicon (also used in CONTROLLINO MICRO).
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CONTROLLINO social profiles
Digital presenceCONTROLLINO compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
CONTROLLINO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CONTROLLINO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CONTROLLINO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CONTROLLINO 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 CONTROLLINO
What does CONTROLLINO do?
CONTROLLINO designs, manufactures, and sells industry-grade, 100% Arduino-compatible open-source Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) for industrial automation, building automation, IoT, and educational use. The product family spans MICRO, MINI, MAXI, and MEGA controllers (plus the NEO line), supported by an embedded AI Studio for on-device inference, a Training Kit, and a range of accessories, with custom OEM/white-label solutions available for bulk buyers.
Is CONTROLLINO a public or private company?
CONTROLLINO is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CONTROLLINO founded?
CONTROLLINO was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CONTROLLINO based?
CONTROLLINO is headquartered in Innsbruck, Austria, in the Europe region.
How does CONTROLLINO make money?
One revenue line is on record: hardware Product Sales.
Who are CONTROLLINO's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are WAGO, Siemens (SIMATIC), Rockwell Automation / Allen-Bradley, Schneider Electric (Modicon / EcoStruxure), Beckhoff Automation, Phoenix Contact (PLCnext) and Opto 22. Direct peers are Industrial Shields, Arduino (Arduino Pro / Opta) and Revolution Pi (Kunbus).
Does CONTROLLINO have an API?
No public API is recorded for CONTROLLINO.
What industry is CONTROLLINO in?
CONTROLLINO's product category is Industrial Automation PLCs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAHAH, Industrial Controllers & Control Systems (PLCs, PACs, CNC Controllers), with a secondary code of IMAGABAG, Motion & Machine Control (CNC, Robotics Controllers, Servo/Motion Controllers). Its NAICS code is 334513 and its SIC code is 3823.