QA Systems

What QA Systems does

QA Systems GmbH is a privately held German software vendor, founded in 1991 and headquartered in Waiblingen (Stuttgart area), that develops certified static analysis and software testing tools for embedded C/C++ and Ada developers in safety-critical industries. Its tool portfolio covers the full verification workflow: QA-MISRA performs automated coding-standards compliance (MISRA, AUTOSAR, CERT, CWE, ISO TS 17961) with over 900 checks; Cantata provides automated unit and integration testing with proprietary Wrapping technology, AutoTest for automatic test-vector generation, and MC/DC coverage analysis; Cantata Hybrid is a 2024-launched certification engine that converts existing GoogleTest/GoogleMock suites into certified test results; Astrée is a NIST-approved sound parametric static analyzer that proves the absence of runtime errors and data races; AdaTEST 95 handles unit/integration testing for Ada code; and Cantata Team Reporting is a web-based management dashboard add-on. Tools integrate with Eclipse IDE, Jenkins CI, Visual Studio Code, and bidirectional requirements traceability into Polarion, DOORs, PTC Integrity, CodeBeamer, and ReqIF.

QA Systems serves customers in seven verticals — automotive, aerospace/defense, energy (including nuclear), medical devices, industrial automation, railways, and business-critical software/telecom — with reference customers that include Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, US Army, ESA, Bosch, Continental, Hitachi, NVIDIA, GE Healthcare, Philips, Siemens Healthineers, ABB, Alstom, and Bombardier. All core tools (QA-MISRA, Cantata, Cantata Hybrid) are independently certified by SGS-TÜV SAAR GmbH at the highest integrity levels of ISO 26262 (ASIL D, TCL1), IEC 61508, IEC 62304 (SW Safety Class C), IEC 60880 (nuclear), EN 50716 (railways up to SW-SIL 4), and qualifiable for DO-178C/DO-330 — a regulatory moat that is the central pillar of the company's competitive position.

The company operates a quote-based B2B enterprise sales motion through direct field sales at six regional offices (Germany HQ, UK, US/Boston, Italy, Vietnam/Da Nang, India/Bengaluru) plus a global reseller network, with revenue streams spanning perpetual and term software licenses, annual maintenance and support subscriptions, training through the QA Systems Academy, on-site certification consultancy, and tool certification/qualification kits. The company is founder-led by CEO Andreas Sczepansky, self-funded (no disclosed external capital events, no parent company, no M&A history), and supported by 11-50 employees.

Name

QA Systems

Legal name

QA Systems GmbH

Website

https://qa-systems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

QA Systems GmbH provides certified static analysis and software testing tools (QA-MISRA, Cantata, Cantata Hybrid, Astrée, AdaTEST 95) for embedded C/C++ and Ada developers in safety-critical industries, enabling compliance with ISO 26262, IEC 61508, IEC 62304, IEC 60880, EN 50716, and DO-178C.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Embedded Software Testing and Static Analysis

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Quality Engineering & Test Automation (QE/QA) (BPAEAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Testing, QA & Release/Deployment Enablement (BPAEAAAN)

Keywords

• Embedded software testing
• Static analysis tools
• Safety critical compliance
• Coding standards compliance
• Unit integration testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Tool Licenses: QA Systems sells perpetual and term software licenses for its testing and static analysis tools (QA-MISRA, Cantata, Cantata Hybrid, Astrée, AdaTEST 95). Licenses are available as individual tool licenses or as a shared concurrent license bundle for QA-MISRA and Cantata combined.
2. Maintenance and Support Services: Annual maintenance and support contracts are offered, providing technical assistance via email, secure file transfer, and live webinar, along with maintenance updates and all new version tool releases. Resellers provide local technical support to their customers.
3. Training and Consultancy Services: The QA Systems Academy provides seminars and webinars for tool training. On-site consultancy services are also offered to help customers achieve certification compliance.
4. Tool Certification and Qualification Kits: Standard-specific tool certification kits and Qualification Support Kits (QSK) are provided free of charge or as paid kits to help customers achieve certification for device software under safety standards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

QA Systems develops and sells certified static analysis and automated software testing tools for embedded C/C++ and Ada code. The portfolio covers the full safety-critical verification workflow: coding standards compliance (QA-MISRA), unit and integration testing with code coverage (Cantata, AdaTEST 95, Cantata Hybrid), and sound static analysis proving absence of runtime errors (Astrée). Tools are sold as perpetual or term licenses, with bundled concurrent licensing available for QA-MISRA and Cantata combined.

Product overview

QA Systems provides a comprehensive suite of certified static analysis and software testing tools for embedded software development. The product portfolio consists of two primary tool categories: Static Analysis tools including QA-MISRA (coding standards compliance) and Astrée (sound static analysis for proving absence of runtime errors); and Software Testing tools including Cantata (automated unit and integration testing for C/C++), Cantata Hybrid (certification engine for GoogleTest suites), Cantata Team Reporting (management dashboard add-on), and AdaTEST 95 (unit and integration testing for Ada). These tools work together in a sequential verification workflow—QA-MISRA for coding standards compliance, Cantata for dynamic testing, and Astrée for proving absence of errors—with optional bundle licensing for shared concurrent licenses and Eclipse IDE integration across the QA-MISRA and Cantata tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cantata: Automated unit and integration testing tool for C and C++ languages
• Cantata Hybrid
• Cantata Team Reporting
• QA-MISRA
• Astrée
• AdaTEST 95

Products and services

• QA-MISRA Automated static code analysis and coding standards compliance tool for C/C++ code with over 900 checks identifying potential software errors, security vulnerabilities, and code quality issues against MISRA, AUTOSAR, CERT, CWE, HIS Metrics, JSF AV C++, and ISO TS 17961. SGS-TÜV certified for the highest integrity level of safety-related software development.
• Astrée Sound parametric static analyzer that proves the absence of runtime errors and data races in C/C++ code. Reports program defects caused by unspecified and undefined behaviours per C and C++ language standards, computes program properties relevant for functional safety, and delivers zero false negatives and zero false positives with NIST approval.
• Cantata Automated unit and integration testing tool for C and C++ languages. Verifies standard-compliant or business-critical code on host native and embedded target platforms with automated test framework generation, test execution, results diagnostics, report generation, over 300 source code metrics, deep code coverage analysis up to MC/DC, Cantata Wrapping for hard-to-reach code areas, AutoTest for automatic test case generation, and SGS-TÜV certification for ISO 26262, IEC 61508, IEC 62304, IEC 60880, and DO-178C.
• Cantata Hybrid Specialized subset of Cantata that enables existing GoogleTest and GoogleMock test suites to generate certified Cantata test results and code coverage metrics, allowing safety-critical standards compliance without migrating test suites. Delivers full code coverage up to MC/DC from existing GoogleTest suites.
• Cantata Team Reporting Web-based dashboard add-on for Cantata that provides managers with actionable testing data, monitoring of current testing status, historical data, trends over multiple codebases, aggregate test results, custom report generation, and a REST API (JSON and XML) for accessing test results. Integrates with Jenkins for continuous integration builds.
• AdaTEST 95 Automated unit and integration testing tool for Ada code. Enables developers to verify standard-compliant or business-critical Ada code on host native and embedded target platforms with over 100 static code metrics and automated test framework generation.
• QA Systems Academy Training and Consultancy Services Training seminars and webinars delivered via the QA Systems Academy for tool training, plus on-site consultancy services helping customers achieve certification compliance with safety standards such as ISO 26262, IEC 61508, IEC 62304, EN 50716, and DO-178C.
• Tool Certification and Qualification Support Kits (QSK) Standard-specific tool certification kits and Qualification Support Kits (QSK) for QA-MISRA and Cantata, available free of charge or as paid kits, to help customers achieve certification for device software under major safety standards including ISO 26262, IEC 61508, IEC 62304, EN 50716, IEC 60880, and DO-178C/DO-330.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 900 checks for coding standards compliance in QA-MISRA, with zero false negatives and zero false positives on syntactic coding rules.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers49 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SGS-TÜV SAAR GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSGS-TÜV SAAR GmbH is an independent third-party certification body for functional safety, accredited by Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH (DAkkS). They independently certify QA-MISRA and Cantata for use at the highest integrity level of safety-related software development across all major safety standards including ISO 26262, IEC 61508, IEC 62304, EN 50716, and IEC 60880. QA Systems tools are qualifiable for DO-178C and DO-330.
• Eclipse FoundationcoreTechnology or IntegrationCantata integrates with the Eclipse-based IDE, allowing seamless use within the Eclipse development environment. The Cantata Eclipse client interface is used to manage tests, configurations, and results within the Eclipse GUI.
• Embedded Development Toolchain PartnerscoreTechnology or IntegrationQA Systems tools are integrated with an extensive set of embedded development toolchains, including cross-compilers, build tools, static analysis tools, requirements management tools (ReqIF, Excel, Polarion, DOORs, PTC Integrity, CodeBeamer), and continuous integration tools (Jenkins).
• MISRA ConsortiumminorOthersQA-MISRA is an independent tool of QA Systems and is not associated with the MISRA Consortium Limited. MISRA and MISRA C are registered trademarks owned by MISRA Consortium Limited. QA-MISRA checks code for MISRA compliance.
• GooglecoreTechnology or IntegrationCantata Hybrid integrates with GoogleTest and GoogleMock frameworks, enabling existing GoogleTest suites to generate certified Cantata test results and code coverage metrics for safety-critical standards compliance. Google does not provide certification for GoogleTest in safety-critical contexts.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GrammaTech (CodeSonar): CodeSonar is a static analysis tool for embedded C/C++ that competes with QA-MISRA and Astrée. GrammaTech focuses on safety-critical and security-critical code analysis, including MISRA compliance, overlapping with QA Systems' automotive and aerospace customer base.
• LDRA: LDRA is a direct competitor offering a complete suite for safety-critical software verification (TBvision, TBrun, TÜV-certified). LDRA competes head-to-head with QA Systems' Cantata and QA-MISRA in automotive, aerospace, medical device, and industrial verticals.
• IAR Systems: IAR provides embedded development toolchains (compilers, debuggers, static analysis) including C-STAT for MISRA compliance, directly competing with QA-MISRA in safety-critical embedded development across automotive, industrial, and medical device verticals.
• Parasoft: Parasoft offers C/C++ static analysis, unit testing, and MISRA compliance tools that compete directly with Cantata and QA-MISRA. Particularly active in automotive (ISO 26262) and aerospace/defense verticals.
• AdaCore: AdaCore offers GNAT Pro compiler and static analysis tools (GNATcheck) for Ada safety-critical development, directly competing with QA Systems' AdaTEST 95 in aerospace/defense and railway verticals where Ada is still prevalent.
• Vector Informatik: Vector Informatik is a German automotive embedded software tool vendor (CANalyzer, vTESTstudio, MICROSAR) with testing and static analysis offerings that overlap with Cantata in automotive ECU development and ISO 26262 workflows.
• TASKING (Altium): TASKING provides embedded development tools (compilers, debuggers) for safety-critical automotive and industrial applications. Its toolchain integration and certification positioning compete with QA Systems' bundled Eclipse-based workflow.
• Perforce (Klocwork / Helix QAC): Perforce's Klocwork and Helix QAC (formerly PRQA) provide C/C++ static analysis and MISRA compliance checking, directly competing with QA-MISRA across automotive, aerospace, medical device, and industrial safety-critical customers.
• MathWorks (Polyspace): MathWorks' Polyspace static analysis products compete directly with Astrée for proving absence of runtime errors in embedded C/C++ code. Both target safety-critical automotive, aerospace, and industrial automation customers with formal-methods positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Synopsys (Software Integrity Group / Coverity): Synopsys' Coverity static analysis and broader Software Integrity portfolio competes with Astrée and QA-MISRA across embedded C/C++. As a much larger incumbent, it bundles testing and static analysis into enterprise SDLC platforms but lacks QA Systems' depth in safety-critical certification.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/qa_systems
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CantataPlusPlus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qa-systems
• Facebookfacebook.com/qasystems.de

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 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 QA Systems