What Eltra does

Eltra S.p.a. Unipersonale is an Italian designer and manufacturer of position control sensors, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Sarego (Vicenza), with wholly-owned sales subsidiaries in Slovakia and China. The company is privately held and subject to direction and coordination by Avago Technologies Holdings B.V. (a Broadcom group entity), operating from a stated share capital of €7,000,000 i.v. Eltra carries ISO 9001:2015, ATEX, UL/CSA, CE/UKCA and fieldbus conformance certifications, and sells under a hybrid direct-sales plus regional-agency and global distributor go-to-market model covering 35+ countries.

The product portfolio comprises over 90 active SKUs across five families: incremental rotary encoders (ER series 30–115mm), absolute rotary encoders (singleturn and multiturn in optical, magnetic and potentiometric variants using SSI, BiSS-C, Profinet, EtherCAT, Modbus RTU, CANopen and analog interfaces), linear transducers (potentiometric EPL series, magnetostrictive EMS series for hydraulic/pneumatic duty, and magnetic TMAA/ETMA sensors), rope encoders (FE/FES up to 15 metres), and accessories such as couplings, USB programmers and signal splitters. A proprietary Energy-Harvesting (Wiegand-based) multi-turn platform (EAM 36, AAM 20 M) eliminates gears and batteries.

Revenue is generated from B2B hardware sales on a quote-based, multi-year contract model, primarily to industrial automation OEMs and motor-feedback integrators across factory automation, CNC, robotics, packaging, renewable energy, off-highway vehicles, lifting mechanisms, hazardous areas and specialty applications. Reported revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company does not raise external funding and operates as a stable SME subsidiary within the Broadcom group.

Name

Eltra

Legal name

Eltra S.p.a. Unipersonale

Website

https://eltra.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Eltra is an Italian (Sarego, Vicenza) designer and manufacturer of rotary encoders, linear transducers and rope position sensors serving industrial automation, motor feedback, packaging, renewable energy, off-highway and ATEX-certified hazardous-area applications worldwide since 1985.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Position Sensors

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Motor Encoders, Feedback & Condition Monitoring (Encoders, Vibration, Predictive) (IMAGACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Electromechanical Components (Relays, Switches, Potentiometers, Encoders) (IMAGAJAB), Instrumentation, Controls & Automation (DCS/PLC/SCADA, SIS, Metering) (EUAEAFAC)

Keywords

• Position sensors
• Rotary encoders
• Linear transducers
• Incremental encoders
• Absolute encoders

Headquarters

HQ city

Vicenza

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Product Sales: Eltra generates revenue through the sale of position control sensors including rotary encoders (incremental and absolute), linear transducers, and accessories. Products are sold directly and through distribution channels globally.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Eltra designs and manufactures position control sensors for industrial automation, including incremental and absolute rotary encoders, linear transducers (potentiometric, magnetostrictive, and magnetic), and rope encoders using optical, magnetic, magnetostrictive, and potentiometric sensing principles. Products support multiple industrial communication protocols (SSI, BiSS-C, EtherCAT, Profinet, CANopen, Modbus RTU, analog) and include ATEX-certified variants for hazardous environments and energy-harvesting multiturn encoders that eliminate gears and batteries.

Product overview

Eltra is a manufacturer of position control sensors and encoders with over 40 years of experience. The product portfolio comprises five main product categories: rotary incremental encoders (ER series), rotary absolute encoders (EAR, EAL, EAM, EAMR, EAML, AAM series), linear transducers (potentiometric, magnetostrictive, magnetic linear sensors), rope encoders (FE, FES series), and accessories (couplings, USB programmers, signal adapters). The rotary absolute encoder line includes both singleturn and multiturn variants using optical and magnetic technologies, with various mechanical interfaces (solid shaft, blind hollow shaft) and communication interfaces (analog, SSI, BiSS-C, Profinet, EtherCAT, Modbus RTU). The linear transducer offerings include magnetostrictive transducers (EMSx series) for hydraulic/pneumatic applications, potentiometric transducers (EPLx series) for industrial automation, and magnetic linear sensors (TMAA, ETMA) with incremental or absolute output. Specialty products include ATEX-certified flameproof encoders (EAX, EAMX series) for hazardous environments, energy harvesting multiturn encoders (EAM 36 series) that eliminate gears and batteries, and rope encoders for extended stroke measurement. The company also offers accessories including elastic couplings, USB programming tools, signal splitters, and metric wheels for linear measurement applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rotary Incremental Encoders (ER series) Incremental rotary encoders (ER 30 E-H, ER 38 F-G, ER 40, EL-ER 53 A-B, ER 58 B-C-H-T, ER 63 A-D-E, ER 72 A-B, ER 90-115 A) with solid or hollow shafts, available in multiple flanges and electronic output configurations for high resolution and high mechanical resistance applications including direct motor mounting.
• Rotary Absolute Encoders (EAR, EAL, EMA, EAM, EAMR, EAML, AAM series) Absolute rotary encoders available in singleturn and multiturn variants using optical or magnetic sensing, supporting analog, SSI, BiSS-C, EtherCAT, Profinet, and Modbus RTU outputs across 36-115mm form factors with solid shaft or blind hollow shaft mounting for motor feedback, robotics and CNC applications.
• AAM 20 M Energy Harvesting Kit Encoder

Quantifiable outcome

• Elimination of gear wear in multi-turn encoders through battery-backed/energy harvesting technology
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Avago Technologies Holdings B.V.coreOthersAvago Technologies Holdings B.V. exercises direction and coordination over Eltra S.p.a Unipersonale as the parent company, providing corporate governance and strategic oversight.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Heidenhain: Heidenhain is a leading German manufacturer of high-precision linear and angle encoders, including rotary encoders and motor feedback systems — directly competing with Eltra in optical and magnetic encoder categories for CNC, robotics, and motion control applications.
• Wachendorff Automation: Wachendorff is a German encoder specialist offering incremental and absolute rotary encoders, draw-wire (rope) encoders, and linear measurement systems — directly comparable to Eltra across rotary encoders and rope-encoder product lines.
• SICK AG: SICK is a major German sensor manufacturer with a dedicated encoder portfolio (formerly SICK Stegmann) covering rotary and linear encoders with Profinet, EtherCAT, and SSI interfaces — directly competing with Eltra in motor feedback and industrial automation encoder segments.
• FRABA / Posital: Posital (a brand of FRABA) is a German-based encoder manufacturer specializing in magnetic absolute rotary encoders, multiturn designs with energy harvesting alternatives, and a broad interface portfolio — closely comparable to Eltra's magnetic multiturn product lines.
• Hengstler: Hengstler (part of Fortive) is a long-established German encoder specialist offering incremental and absolute rotary encoders, linear encoders, and ATEX-certified products — directly comparable to Eltra's portfolio across industrial automation, motor feedback, and hazardous-area applications.
• Baumer Group: Baumer is a Swiss sensor and encoder manufacturer offering a broad rotary and linear encoder portfolio with Profinet, EtherCAT, SSI and BiSS-C interfaces, directly competing with Eltra in factory automation, motor feedback, and heavy-duty applications.
• Kübler Group: Kübler is a German encoder and slip-ring manufacturer with rotary and linear encoders across incremental and absolute technologies, serving motor feedback, packaging, and general industrial automation — overlapping materially with Eltra's product range.
• Pepperl+Fuchs: Pepperl+Fuchs is a German industrial sensor specialist with a dedicated encoder product line (incremental, absolute, ATEX-certified) and strong presence in factory automation and process industries — directly comparable to Eltra across motor feedback and hazardous-location encoders.
• TR-Electronic: TR-Electronic is a German manufacturer of absolute rotary encoders, linear encoders, and motion control sensors, with strong Profinet and EtherCAT offerings — directly competing with Eltra in motor feedback and industrial automation markets.

Broad incumbents

• Balluff: Balluff is a German broad-line industrial sensor manufacturer including encoders, position sensors, and IO-Link devices serving factory automation — overlapping with Eltra's encoder portfolio as part of a wider sensor and connectivity portfolio rather than pure encoder specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Eltra