Oswald
Oswald Elektromotoren is a fourth-generation German family-owned manufacturer of custom-engineered electric motors and direct drives, including torque, synchronous, asynchronous, linear, and superconducting motors, serving industrial customers in marine, test stands, forming, energy, amusement, and transportation sectors from its Miltenberg, Bavaria headquarters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1909
- HeadquartersMiltenberg, Germany
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Oswald does
Oswald Elektromotoren GmbH is a 116-year-old, fourth-generation family-owned German manufacturer of custom-engineered electric motors and direct drives, headquartered in Miltenberg, Bavaria. Its core product portfolio spans torque motors (100 to 1,000,000 Nm, up to 5,000 kW), synchronous and asynchronous motors, linear motors, and superconducting motor systems (Supraleitende Motoren) utilizing modular stators with cryogenic cooling to deliver 10-20x the current density of conventional copper technology. The company has flagship engineering references including the world's largest direct drive for cable cars built for Doppelmayr (4-meter diameter, 27 tons) and 80 type-approved PM propulsion motors for Project Parsifal inland tankers certified by Lloyd's Register.
The business operates a project-based, custom B2B model: technically trained sales engineers consult directly with industrial customers on specifications, prices are quote-based with no public list, and orders frequently span multiple years (e.g., 80 motors over 3 years for inland vessels). Manufacturing is fully in-house, combining CNC machining, laser technology, 3D printing, coil winding, robotics, and 100% product testing, supporting both one-off engineering projects and series production of up to 500+ identical motors per year. Customers span marine propulsion (Schottel, NOV, Hybrid Ship Propulsion), test stands (HORIBA, ZF, INSTRON), forming technology (Schuler), amusement rides (Intamin, ZIERER), energy generation (DIVE Turbinen, Bühler), textile machinery (Karl Mayer), and port equipment (KONECRANES).
Distribution runs through direct enterprise field sales, complementary system integration partnerships (notably Hybrid Ship Propulsion in the Netherlands), and international trade shows (SPS Nuremberg, Electric & Hybrid Marine World Expo Amsterdam, Automotive Testing Expo Stuttgart). Revenue is augmented by aftermarket service, a 24-hour support offering, the 2022-launched LIGHTTAG mobile laser marking sub-brand, and a 3D Service (oswald-3d.de) unit for scanning, processing, and printing. The firm has been CO2-neutral since 2020, certified its CO2 footprint across all products by 2024, and received the 2017 German Environment Award, positioning sustainability as a commercial differentiator alongside its core electric powertrain technology.
Oswald firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Oswald
- Legal name
- OSWALD Elektromotoren GmbH
- Website
- https://oswald.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1909
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Oswald Elektromotoren is a fourth-generation German family-owned manufacturer of custom-engineered electric motors and direct drives, including torque, synchronous, asynchronous, linear, and superconducting motors, serving industrial customers in marine, test stands, forming, energy, amusement, and transportation sectors from its Miltenberg, Bavaria headquarters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Oswald industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Industrial Electric Motors and Direct Drives
- NAICS
- Motor and Generator Manufacturing (335312)
- SIC
- Motors & Generators (3621), Electronic Coils, Transformers & Other Inductors (3677)
- akta.pro primary industry
- AC Motors (Induction, Synchronous) (IMAGACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- DC Motors (Brushed, Brushless DC) (IMAGACAB), Electric Drive Unit / E-Axle Manufacturing (Motors/Inverters/Gearboxes) (IMACACAC), Transformers & Magnetics (Power/Signal) (HDAHANAD)
Keywords
Where Oswald is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Miltenberg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Oswald business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Custom Motor and Drive Sales: Oswald generates revenue primarily from the sale of custom-engineered electric motors and direct drives. Products include torque motors, synchronous motors, asynchronous motors, linear motors, and superconducting motors. The company produces both individual custom units and series production runs (e.g., up to 500+ identical motors per year for some customers). Revenue is earned through direct project-based sales, typically with long sales cycles and large order values. Aftermarket service, testing, and 24-hour service support also contribute to revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing - no public price list |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Oswald product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Oswald Elektromotoren GmbH designs, engineers, and manufactures custom-built electric motors and direct-drive systems for industrial customers worldwide. The product range spans torque motors (100 to 1,000,000 Nm), synchronous motors, asynchronous motors, linear motors (1,000 to 40,000 N), and superconducting motors based on a modular stator system with cryogenic cooling. The portfolio is complemented by the LIGHTTAG mobile laser marking system and dedicated 3D scanning and printing services, with all motors produced and 100% tested in-house at the company's Miltenberg facility.
Product overview
Oswald Elektromotoren is a medium-sized high-tech company offering a comprehensive portfolio of electric motors and related products. The core product line includes five main motor types: TORQUE motors (high-torque direct drives from 100-1,000,000 Nm), SYNCHRON motors (10-20,000 Nm, up to 30,000 rpm), ASYNCHRON motors (10-30,000 Nm, up to 25,000 rpm), LINEAR motors (1,000-40,000 N force), and MAGNETFELD products (up to 16 Tesla). These are complemented by the LIGHTTAG mobile laser marking system (launched 2022) and 3D service offerings. The company also develops advanced superconducting motors and torque motors for aerospace and industrial applications. Products serve diverse industries including marine, test benches, forming technology, plastics, energy generation, and transportation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LIGHTTAG: Mobile laser marking system launched in 2022
Products and services
- TORQUE Motors High-torque direct drive electric motors with torque from 100 to 1,000,000 Nm, power from 100 to 5,000 kW, and speeds from 0 to 1,000 rpm. Designed for industrial applications including driving, pressing, testing, cutting, shaking, pulling, pushing, smoothing, positioning, turning, injecting, switching, packaging, flying, generating, mixing, shredding, extruding, dosing, blowing, rolling, coiling, and winding. Targeted at enterprise OEMs and integrators that need compact gearless high-torque drives.
- SYNCHRON Motors Synchronous electric motors with torque from 100 to 20,000 Nm, power from 10 to 4,000 kW, and speeds from 0 to 30,000 rpm. Available as TFS and MFS series, with water, oil, or air cooling and modular pole-count configurations. Targeted at industrial customers requiring high-speed synchronous drive solutions.
- ASYNCHRON Motors Asynchronous electric motors with torque from 10 to 30,000 Nm and speeds from 0 to 25,000 rpm. Available as QDi and QD motor types. Targeted at industrial customers seeking robust, low-maintenance asynchronous drive solutions across a wide performance range.
- LINEAR Motors Linear electric motors with forces from 1,000 to 40,000 N, strokes from 60 to 250 mm, and speeds from 0 to 5 m/s. Available as LP series. Targeted at industrial customers requiring precise linear motion without mechanical transmission elements.
- MAGNETFELD Products (Magnetic Field Coils) Magnetic field coils and superconducting coils with field strengths up to 16 Tesla. Targeted at research institutions and industrial customers needing high-field magnet technology.
- Superconducting Motors (Supraleitende Motoren) Custom superconducting electric motors and torque motors with HTS windings and cryogenic cooling, delivering 10-20x higher current density than conventional copper technology. Targeted at aviation propulsion (ASuMED), maritime, and other frontier applications where ultra-high power density and 10-20x material savings are required.
- LIGHTTAG Mobile Laser Marking System Portable, mobile laser marking device for on-site marking, labeling, and identification of components. Targeted at industrial customers needing flexible on-site part marking without moving components to a fixed marking station.
- 3D Service 3D scanning, processing (CAD/CAM), and additive manufacturing/printing services for rapid prototyping and custom part production, including post-processing. Targeted at industrial customers needing prototyping, reverse engineering, or small-series custom parts.
Quantifiable outcome
- CO2-neutral company operations since 2020, with CO2 footprint certified for all products since 2024
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Oswald
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Oswald technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Oswald partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- DLR ProjektträgercoreDLR (German Aerospace Center) project carrier that administers and manages publicly funded research projects on behalf of BMBF. Provides administrative and technical oversight for OSWALD's funded research projects including superconducting motor development.
- TH Aschaffenburg (Technische Hochschule Aschaffenburg)coreProject partner in the ROKSS superconducting motor project. Contributes academic expertise in superconducting winding technology and cryogenic cooling systems for the development of stator modules with superconducting windings.
- Hybrid Ship PropulsioncoreDutch system integrator and key commercial partner for marine propulsion. Manufactures and delivers complete electric and hybrid propulsion systems to shipbuilders including Damen Shipyards (Netherlands) and other European shipyards. Integrates OSWALD PM motors and generators into propulsion packages. Delivered initial hybrid tugboat (Telsa) and pusher boat (Cygnus), and is executing Project Parsifal (40 inland tankers, 80 motors).
- TU DarmstadtcoreAcademic research partner in superconducting motor and aviation propulsion development. Contributes to EPROREF (electric propulsion for regional aircraft) and ASuMED (fully superconducting motor for aviation) projects. TU Darmstadt brings expertise in electric machine design and superconducting materials.
- TU Braunschweig (multiple institutes: IFAS, IFL, IMAB)coreMultiple institutes at TU Braunschweig collaborate with OSWALD on electric drive research, superconducting motor development, and aviation propulsion projects including EPROREF and ASuMED.
- Airbus UpNextcoreAirbus subsidiary focused on advanced innovation projects. Partner in the ASuMED project developing fully superconducting electric drives for aviation. Airbus UpNext brings aviation safety standards, certification pathways, and application requirements for aircraft propulsion systems.
- IFW Dresden (Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research)minorMaterials research institute contributing expertise in superconducting materials and their application in electrical machines for the ROKSS and ASuMED projects.
- KIT (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie)minorContributes to superconducting motor research projects including ROKSS, providing expertise in high-temperature superconductors and cryogenic systems.
- Leibniz IPHT (Institute of Photonic Technology)minorResearch partner in superconducting technology applications, contributing expertise in photonic and cryogenic measurement systems for superconducting motor diagnostics.
- HS OsnabrückminorUniversity of Applied Sciences contributing to superconducting motor research with expertise in electrical machine design and cryogenic engineering.
- Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI)minorInternational research partner contributing to aviation propulsion projects including EPROREF, bringing expertise in Russian and international aviation standards.
- Faraday InstitutionminorUK-based institution focused on electrochemical energy storage and conversion, contributing to superconducting motor development for electric aviation applications.
- IVSupra (International Superconductivity Consortium)minorConsortium of companies and research institutions working on superconducting technologies. OSWALD participates as part of IVSupra at the Week of the Environment 2024, showcasing superconducting motor innovations alongside Nobel laureate Johannes Georg Bednorz.
- EIRICHminorMixing technology company for industrial applications including cement mixers and battery acid mixers. OSWALD supplies motors for their mixing equipment.
- VecoplanminorShredding and recycling equipment manufacturer. OSWALD supplies motors for shredder and chain mill applications in the recycling industry.
- 3D Service (oswald-3d.de)minorOSWALD operates a 3D service (scan – process – print) through a dedicated website oswald-3d.de, offering 3D scanning, additive manufacturing, and post-processing services. This extends the company's capabilities beyond motors into broader additive manufacturing services.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves16 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Oswald competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Nidec: Global motor manufacturer with extensive industrial and automotive motor lines. Overlaps with Oswald on asynchronous and synchronous motors but at much higher volume and broader catalog scale.
- Siemens: Global industrial conglomerate with a large motors and drives portfolio (SIMOTICS, SINAMICS). Competes broadly with Oswald across asynchronous and synchronous motors, but does not match Oswald's custom-engineered high-torque direct drives or superconducting specialization.
- WEG: Large Brazilian-origin manufacturer of industrial electric motors, generators and drives with global reach. Competes with Oswald on general-purpose industrial motors but does not specialize in the same high-torque direct-drive niche.
- ABB: Major industrial motor and drives manufacturer (ABB Motors, ACS drives). Overlaps with Oswald on industrial asynchronous and synchronous motors but lacks the niche direct-drive and superconducting focus.
Direct peers
- Bosch Rexroth: Large drive and control specialist (formerly Rexroth Indramat) with a broad portfolio of electric drives, motors and motion control. Competes with Oswald in industrial direct drives and high-performance motors for factory and test-stand applications.
- Bühler Motor: German custom electric motor and mechatronic drive manufacturer serving automotive, medical and industrial customers. Similar profile to Oswald as a mid-sized German Mittelstand motor specialist focused on application-specific designs rather than catalog volume.
- Kollmorgen: Specialist in high-performance servo motors, frameless direct-drive torque motors and motion control. Direct competitor to Oswald in torque motors, frameless motors and motion-centric custom solutions.
- SEW-Eurodrive: German-headquartered specialist in drive technology, gearmotors and mechatronic systems. Closely comparable to Oswald in custom drive engineering, factory automation and project-based industrial sales, with similar direct-drive and modular system offerings.
- Moog: High-performance motion control and motor specialist serving industrial, aerospace and test applications. Comparable to Oswald in custom-engineered, high-precision motors for demanding environments including aerospace, defense and test stands.
- Wittenstein: German specialist in servo gearmotors, linear systems and mechatronic drive technology. Closely comparable to Oswald as a German Mittelstand engineering firm serving high-precision industrial and aerospace drive applications.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Oswald social profiles
Digital presenceOswald compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Oswald financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Oswald leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Oswald funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Oswald 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 Oswald
What does Oswald do?
Oswald Elektromotoren GmbH designs, engineers, and manufactures custom-built electric motors and direct-drive systems for industrial customers worldwide. The product range spans torque motors (100 to 1,000,000 Nm), synchronous motors, asynchronous motors, linear motors (1,000 to 40,000 N), and superconducting motors based on a modular stator system with cryogenic cooling. The portfolio is complemented by the LIGHTTAG mobile laser marking system and dedicated 3D scanning and printing services, with all motors produced and 100% tested in-house at the company's Miltenberg facility.
Is Oswald a public or private company?
Oswald is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Oswald founded?
Oswald was founded in 1909. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Oswald based?
Oswald is headquartered in Miltenberg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Oswald make money?
One revenue line is on record: custom Motor and Drive Sales.
Who are Oswald's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Nidec, Siemens, WEG and ABB. Direct peers are Bosch Rexroth, Bühler Motor, Kollmorgen, SEW-Eurodrive, Moog and Wittenstein.
Does Oswald have an API?
No public API is recorded for Oswald.
What industry is Oswald in?
Oswald's product category is Custom Industrial Electric Motors and Direct Drives. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGACAA, AC Motors (Induction, Synchronous), with a secondary code of IMAGACAB, DC Motors (Brushed, Brushless DC). Its NAICS code is 335312 and its SIC code is 3621.