Backer Group

What Backer Group does

Backer Group, headquartered in Sösdala, Sweden, is a global manufacturer of electrical heating solutions and control products, tracing its core technology to Christian Backer's 1921 tubular heating element patent and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of NIBE Industrier (Nasdaq Stockholm). Backer AB serves as the group's headquarters entity with approximately 350 employees in Sweden, while the broader Backer Group comprises more than 80 companies in roughly 70 countries with approximately 11,400 employees worldwide. Production capacity at the Sösdala site spans 22,000–36,000 m². The company's portfolio spans six categories: heating elements (tubular, foil, thick film, immersion, IR, PTC, micanite, steatite, ring/band), heating systems (heat pumps, flow heaters, steam generators, heat exchangers, duct heaters), sensors (PT100/PT1000/PT10,000 variants), control products (controllers, panels, thermostats, thermal cut-offs, IoT smart temperature controller), resistors (aluminum-housed, ceramic wire-wound, brake resistors for EVs), and components/accessories. Services include engineering (CFD simulation, prototype testing in climate chambers and vibration tables), aftermarket maintenance/repair, and knowledge support.

Revenue is generated primarily through customized hardware sales to OEM manufacturers across seven vertical segments: Transportation (automotive Tier 1/Tier 2 supply for EVs/hybrids/fuel cell vehicles, railway infrastructure and rolling stock), HVAC (heat pumps, boilers, radiators, ventilation), Energy (wind turbine resistors, solar), Home Appliances, Industrial & Process (ATEX/CSA/IECEx/UL/CE-certified), Advanced Technology (semiconductors, life science/medical), and Commercial Equipment. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales with dedicated technical sales engineers per industry sector, supported by 80+ local subsidiaries that provide regional engineering, manufacturing, and aftermarket service. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Backer Calesco operates as a specialized unit for foil elements, and NIBE Railway (a strategic partner/subsidiary) integrates Backer heating components into railway infrastructure solutions.

Name

Backer Group

Legal name

Backer AB

Website

https://backergroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Backer Group is a global Swedish manufacturer of electrical heating elements, heating systems, sensors, controls, and resistors serving OEM customers across transportation, HVAC, home appliances, industrial, semiconductor, and medical sectors, operating through 80+ companies in approximately 70 countries with about 11,400 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Heating Elements

NAICS

Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341), Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing (333414), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512), Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing (3359)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Heating Equipment, Except Electric & Warm Air Furnaces (3433), Electronic Components & Accessories (3670)

akta.pro primary industry

Heat Exchangers & Thermal Transfer Equipment (IMAHAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

HVAC Equipment (Heating, Cooling & Air Handling) (IMAHAKAB), Automotive PTC Heaters, Heat Pumps & Auxiliary Heating Systems (IMACALAI), Automotive Coolant & Refrigerant Circuit Components (Pumps/Valves/Reservoirs/Expansion Devices) (IMACALAE), Heat Exchangers, Coils & Hydronic HVAC Components (IMADANAF), Heat Pump Repair & Maintenance (HSAOAHAD), Thermal Management Components (Heat sinks, TIMs, fans/blowers, thermal pads) (IMAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Heating element manufacturing
• Industrial heating solutions
• Electric heating components
• Thermal management systems
• OEM heating supplier

Headquarters

HQ city

Sösdala

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Heating Elements: Sale of physical heating products including tubular elements, immersion heaters, barrel/IBC heaters, foil elements, PTC elements, IR elements, and specialty elements. One-time product sales with potential for repeat orders based on customer manufacturing needs.
2. Heating Systems: Complete heating system solutions including condensate tray heaters, duct heaters, flow heaters, heat exchangers, heat pumps, and steam generators. Customized OEM solutions for specific applications.
3. Control Products: Controllers, control panels, terminal boxes, thermal cut-offs, and thermostats for temperature regulation and safety control.
4. Sensors: Temperature sensors including PT100, PT1000, PT10,000 for measurement and regulation. Available as cable sensors, jacket sensors, screw-in sensors, bayonet sensors, and surface sensors.
5. Resistors: Aluminum housed resistors, ceramic wire wound resistors, brake resistors for automotive/EV applications (90kW and 250kW), and custom resistor solutions.
6. Engineering Services: Product development and customization services including thermal design calculations, CFD simulation, prototype building and testing in advanced lab facilities.
7. Aftermarket Services: Maintenance, renovation, repair services including replacement of wear parts, upgrade of control systems, and performance testing and certification.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Backer Group manufactures and supplies customized electrical heating solutions for OEM customers across multiple industries. Core offerings include heating elements (tubular, foil, thick film, immersion, PTC, IR, heating cables, jackets), complete heating systems (heat pumps, steam generators, flow heaters, heat exchangers), temperature sensors, control products, and resistors (including brake resistors for EVs). Products are embedded into customer manufacturing processes as Tier 1 and Tier 2 components and are supported by engineering, prototype testing, and aftermarket services.

Product overview

Backer Group is a comprehensive heating solutions company offering a broad portfolio of heating products and systems. The core offerings span six main product categories: Heating Elements (including tubular elements, immersion heaters, foil elements, heating cables, heating jackets, IR elements, PTC elements, thickfilm elements, and specialty elements like micanite, steatite, ring, and band elements); Heating Systems (comprising condensate tray heaters, duct heaters, flow heaters, heat exchangers, heat pumps, and steam generators); Sensors (temperature sensors including PT100, PT1000 and PT10,000 variants); Control Products (controllers, control panels, terminal boxes, thermal cut-offs, and thermostats including the IoT Smart Temperature Controller); Resistors (aluminum housed, ceramic wire wound, and custom resistors including brake resistors for EVs); and Components & Accessories (cables, pipes, and assembly tools). The portfolio is complemented by engineering, aftermarket, and knowledge services. Backer Group serves industries including HVAC, Transportation (automotive, rail, aerospace), Energy, Home Appliances, Industrial & Process, Advanced Technology (semiconductors, life science), and Commercial Equipment. The company operates as part of the Backer Group with over 80 companies worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Backer Calesco: A separate unit within Backer AB that specializes in foil elements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Weather-based railway heating systems can save between 40% up to 80% energy by heating tracks only when there is risk of snow or frost
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NIBE RailwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBacker works with NIBE Railway for railway infrastructure heating solutions. NIBE Railway provides heating solutions for railway switches, overhead lines, and conductor rails. Backer serves as the heating components supplier within this partnership, providing heating elements and control systems integrated into NIBE Railway's complete infrastructure solutions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Watlow: US-headquartered global manufacturer of industrial heating elements, thermal systems, and temperature sensors serving semiconductor, medical, aerospace, and process industries. Directly comparable to Backer in tubular heating elements, custom thermal solutions, and OEM engineering service model.
• Chromalox: US-based manufacturer of electric heating elements, heat transfer systems, and temperature controls for industrial and commercial applications. Directly overlaps with Backer's tubular elements, immersion heaters, heat exchangers, and process heating portfolio.
• Tutco Heating Solutions: US-based manufacturer of tubular heating elements and thermal assemblies for industrial, medical, and aerospace OEMs. Highly comparable to Backer's core tubular element business and custom OEM design-in motion.
• Hotset GmbH: German manufacturer of heating elements, heating cartridges, and thermal sensors for plastics processing, packaging, and industrial OEMs. Direct European competitor with overlapping technology base and customer verticals.
• Friedr. Freek GmbH: German manufacturer of tubular heating elements, heating coils, and special-purpose resistance heating products. Direct European peer in tubular and custom heating elements for appliance, HVAC, and industrial customers.
• Heatron: US-based manufacturer of heating elements, thick film heaters, and thermal management solutions for medical, transit, semiconductor, and industrial OEMs. Closely comparable to Backer's thick film, foil, and high-reliability custom heating business.
• Vulcanic: French-headquartered manufacturer of industrial heating elements, heat exchangers, and thermal process solutions. Direct European peer serving similar process, energy, and rail customers with comparable engineering and customization model.

Broad incumbents

• Spirax Group: UK-listed global provider of steam and thermal energy solutions, including electric heating, heat exchangers, and process controls. Broader and larger incumbent operating across overlapping thermal transfer and process heating end markets with deeper steam specialization.
• Honeywell International: US-listed industrial conglomerate whose Performance Materials and Technologies segment includes thermal solutions, sensing, and control products relevant to industrial heating and process automation. Large, diversified incumbent that overlaps with Backer's sensing and control business rather than its core tubular elements.

Regional players

• Stiebel Eltron: German-headquartered manufacturer of heat pumps, water heaters, and building heating systems. Operates downstream of Backer in the HVAC value chain with overlapping geographic focus in Germany and Europe; comparable on heat pump and water heating system side but not on component-level heating elements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC41dYk1TNN7g9XdOicuob3g
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/backer-bhv-ab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Backer Group