General Engine Management Systems
GEMS Performance Electronics is a UK electronics engineering firm founded in 1985 that designs and manufactures engine management systems, transmission controllers, data loggers, dash displays, and power management modules for motorsport, automotive, aviation, and R&D customers, including McLaren GT, FIA series, and VW Motorsport.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersEgham, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What General Engine Management Systems does
General Engine Management Systems Ltd (GEMS), trading as GEMS Performance Electronics, is a UK-based electronics engineering company founded in 1985 and headquartered in Egham, Surrey. The company designs, develops, and manufactures performance electronics systems—including engine management ECUs (EM80, EM80-M, EM112, GDi80, XCU8), transmission controllers (TC82), data loggers (DA3), digital dash displays (CD6, LDS4, GLW-43 steering wheel), and modular CAN-based power management modules (PM1/PM2/PM3)—for motorsport teams, automotive manufacturers, aviation/UAV integrators, and university R&D programs. Its architecture is modular and CAN-interconnected, allowing customers to assemble a complete control and data acquisition ecosystem rather than procuring point solutions, with the EM80-M variant enabling auto code-generation from MathWorks Simulink models.
GEMS generates revenue through three streams: (1) direct hardware sales of ECUs, controllers, loggers, displays, and power management modules, priced via quote only and sold primarily through direct sales engagement; (2) recurring software license revenue from GWv4 calibration software, GDA data analysis, and GEMS Dash Design display editor; and (3) professional services revenue from a full electronic design consultancy covering PCB design, 3D CAD, embedded and PC software, and OEM product lifecycle support. The go-to-market is sales-led, relying on the company website, an active phpBB-based technical support forum with 564+ members and 1,600+ posts, and direct relationships with named enterprise customers across global motorsport series (FIA F2, FIA F4, European Rallycross, Mazda MX5 Cup) and major OEMs (McLaren GT, VW Motorsport, Toyota Motorsport, Peugeot/Citroen Motorsport, BAC Mono).
The company holds ISO9001:2015 certification (since April 2010, certificate FM594058, assessed by BSI Group), is an official MathWorks connections partner, and is a member of ASAM (Association for Standardization of Automation and Measuring Systems). It is a privately held limited company registered in England and Wales (company number 1920884) with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or management team information, and operates with 11–50 employees from a single UK site.
General Engine Management Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- General Engine Management Systems
- Legal name
- General Engine Management Systems Ltd
- Website
- https://gems.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- GEMS Performance Electronics is a UK electronics engineering firm founded in 1985 that designs and manufactures engine management systems, transmission controllers, data loggers, dash displays, and power management modules for motorsport, automotive, aviation, and R&D customers, including McLaren GT, FIA series, and VW Motorsport.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
General Engine Management Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Motorsport Performance Electronics
- NAICS
- Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Passenger Vehicle Electrical & Electronics Manufacturing (ICE) (IMACAAAK)
Keywords
Where General Engine Management Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Egham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
General Engine Management Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Hardware Products: Sale of engine management systems, transmission controllers, data acquisition units, dash displays, and power management modules to motorsport, automotive, and aviation customers.
- Electronic Design Consultancy: Custom OEM product design and development services including PCB design, 3D CAD modeling, embedded software design, and full product lifecycle support from concept to series production.
- Software Licenses: Calibration software (GWv4), data analysis software (GDA), and display editing software (GEMS Dash Design) with license keys required for full operation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Quote-based pricing for hardware products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
General Engine Management Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
General Engine Management Systems (GEMS) designs, develops, and manufactures performance electronics for motorsport, automotive, aviation, and research applications. The portfolio includes engine management ECUs, transmission controllers, data loggers, digital dash displays, and modular power management systems, supported by proprietary calibration and data analysis software (GWv4, GDA, GEMS Dash Design). GEMS also offers electronic design consultancy for custom OEM product development from concept to series production.
Product overview
GEMS Performance Electronics is a product portfolio of General Engine Management Systems Ltd comprising six core hardware product lines — Engine Management Systems (EM112, EM80, EM80-M, GDi80, ID4), Dash Displays (CD6-43, CD6-50, LDS4, CD34, LDS3R, GLW-43 Steering Wheel, SL1), Data Acquisition (DA3, TC82), Transmission Control (TC82), Power Management (PM1, PM2, PM3), and Electronic Design Consultancy — supported by a suite of three proprietary software tools (GWv4 calibration software, GDA data analysis, GEMS Dash Design display editor). The EM80-M Simulink® Enabled Controller is a differentiated variant that enables auto code-generation from Simulink® models. All ECUs and controllers are calibrated via GWv4 software, and data is analysed using GDA. The company also provides full electronic design consultancy for custom OEM and bespoke product designs. The product architecture is modular and interconnected: ECUs share CAN bus networking with power management units and transmission controllers, and engine management products integrate data-logging as a standard feature.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Products used by top motorsport teams in FIA F2, F4, European Rallycross series
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use General Engine Management Systems
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
General Engine Management Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature5 records
General Engine Management Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- MathWorkscoreGEMS is an official MathWorks partner. The EM80-M and related products support auto code-generation from Simulink models using Embedded Coder. This partnership enables customers to use MathWorks tools for custom control system development on GEMS hardware.
- BSI GroupminorBSI Group conducted independent ISO9001 assessment and certification for GEMS. BSI is a leading certification body providing quality management system verification.
Scale indicators4 records
General Engine Management Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MoTeC: Australian specialist in engine management ECUs, data loggers, and displays for motorsport and performance automotive. Closely comparable niche, product portfolio, and customer base to GEMS Performance Electronics.
- Cosworth: UK-based motorsport electronics and engine management specialist with strong OEM and racing-series relationships. Targets the same engine management, data acquisition and control customers as GEMS, with broader aftermarket exposure.
- Link Engine Management: New Zealand-based aftermarket ECU and engine management specialist serving motorsport and performance automotive. Competes directly with GEMS in programmable ECUs, data loggers, and tuning software.
- AEM (Advanced Engine Management): US-based performance electronics maker of ECUs, data loggers, and wideband sensors for motorsport and tuning markets. Highly comparable product range and target customer base to GEMS.
- Haltech: Australian aftermarket engine management and engine control specialist with ECU, data logger, and display products. Overlaps with GEMS in motorsport ECUs and tuning hardware.
- Life Racing: UK motorsport electronics manufacturer of ECUs, displays, power management modules and data loggers for premier-class racing series. Directly comparable product mix and customer profile to GEMS.
- AiM Sports: Italian manufacturer of motorsport dashes, data loggers and lap-timer systems. Overlaps with GEMS' display and data-acquisition product lines across club-to-pro racing.
- Stack: UK-based motorsport instrumentation and data acquisition specialist supplying gauges, displays and data loggers to racing teams. Directly comparable to GEMS' LDS4, CD6 and DA3 product lines.
Broad incumbents
- Bosch Motorsport: Motorsport division of Bosch supplying ECUs, sensors, displays and stack-level electronics to global racing series and OEMs. Larger, broader portfolio than GEMS but directly competing for premium motorsport and OEM electronics programs.
- Marelli: Global Tier-1 automotive supplier with motorsport and performance electronics offerings including ECUs and instrument clusters. A larger incumbent competing for OEM production contracts adjacent to GEMS' niche.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
General Engine Management Systems social profiles
Digital presenceGeneral Engine Management Systems compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
General Engine Management Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
General Engine Management Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
General Engine Management Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
General Engine Management Systems 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 General Engine Management Systems
What does General Engine Management Systems do?
General Engine Management Systems (GEMS) designs, develops, and manufactures performance electronics for motorsport, automotive, aviation, and research applications. The portfolio includes engine management ECUs, transmission controllers, data loggers, digital dash displays, and modular power management systems, supported by proprietary calibration and data analysis software (GWv4, GDA, GEMS Dash Design). GEMS also offers electronic design consultancy for custom OEM product development from concept to series production.
Is General Engine Management Systems a public or private company?
General Engine Management Systems is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was General Engine Management Systems founded?
General Engine Management Systems was founded in 1985. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is General Engine Management Systems based?
General Engine Management Systems is headquartered in Egham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does General Engine Management Systems make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hardware Products are the primary driver. The others are electronic Design Consultancy and software Licenses.
Who are General Engine Management Systems's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MoTeC, Cosworth, Link Engine Management, AEM (Advanced Engine Management), Haltech, Life Racing, AiM Sports and Stack. Broad incumbents are Bosch Motorsport and Marelli.
Does General Engine Management Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for General Engine Management Systems.
What industry is General Engine Management Systems in?
General Engine Management Systems's product category is Motorsport Performance Electronics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACAAAK, Passenger Vehicle Electrical & Electronics Manufacturing (ICE). Its NAICS code is 334515 and its SIC code is 3823.