GPS Gesellschaft fur Produktionssysteme

What GPS Gesellschaft fur Produktionssysteme does

GPS Gesellschaft fur Produktionssysteme GmbH is a Stuttgart-based industrial software company that develops the SICON ecosystem, an open IIoT platform for digitizing heterogeneous machine fleets in manufacturing and process-industry environments. Founded in 1999 as a spin-off of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Engineering and Automation (Fraunhofer IPA), the firm has operated for more than 25 years and has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of J. Schmalz GmbH (Schmalz Group) since March 2017. It is managed by Thomas Holecek and Dr. Maik Fiedler.

The SICON ecosystem is anchored by SICON.OS, an edge computing operating system that aggregates pre-classified SmartData with timestamps and semantic metadata from machines across multiple vendors. It is complemented by SICON.PLUG hardware sensors (with a starter kit priced at EUR 980), SICON.APP for application extensions, the SICON.HW P50 edge gateway, and modules including VacuumAI, MachineIQ, FactoryDataHub, and the SCOUT maintenance assistant. The platform incorporates ML-driven anomaly detection (SenseIQ), acoustic sensing via the Bosch XDK, vibration and temperature monitoring, and digital-twin functionality tied to QR/NFC machine identification.

The company monetizes through a mix of hardware sales, SICON.OS software subscriptions, an app store, and professional services covering digital-strategy consulting and custom IIoT development. Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales, a self-serve e-commerce channel (shop.sicon.eco) targeting startups and small enterprises, and trade-show presence (e.g., Motek), supplemented by channel partnerships such as the Software AG Cumulocity IoT integration. GPS serves industrial manufacturers primarily in the DACH and broader European market, with named enterprise references including Bosch, STILL, and MAG-IAS, and participates in multiple BMWK-funded research consortia (CampusOS, DaLion 4.0, IC4F, SeRoNet).

Name

GPS Gesellschaft fur Produktionssysteme

Legal name

GPS Gesellschaft für Produktionssysteme GmbH

Website

https://gps-stuttgart.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GPS Gesellschaft fur Produktionssysteme GmbH is a Stuttgart-based industrial software firm that builds the SICON IIoT ecosystem — edge OS, sensors, and AI analytics for condition monitoring and predictive maintenance — serving enterprise manufacturers in DACH and Europe as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Schmalz Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial IoT Platform / Industry 4.0 Software

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance (8112)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Safety, Compliance & Worker Monitoring (IMAIAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Asset Tracking, RTLS & Equipment Monitoring (Facilities) (HSAPAPAJ), Industrial Network Management & Diagnostics (OT NMS/Topology/Monitoring) (HDAFAJAI)

Keywords

• Industrial IoT platform
• Condition monitoring
• Predictive maintenance
• Edge computing software
• Production digitalization

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SICON.OS Software Licenses / Subscriptions: Open IIoT operating system sold as software with open interfaces for connecting industrial automation. Revenue likely derives from software licenses, subscriptions, or platform fees for the edge software platform.
2. SICON.PLUG Hardware Sales: Sale of IIoT condition monitoring sensor hardware (AIoT devices) with integrated AI for predictive maintenance and anomaly detection.
3. SICON.APP and App Store: Additional apps and extensions for the SICON ecosystem available through the app store, providing modular functionality.
4. Consulting and Digital Strategy Services: Digital transformation consulting including potential analysis, strategy development, business model planning, and implementation support for digitalizing production.
5. Custom Development and Integration Services: Custom CPS, IoT, or AIoT device development; adapter, connector and app extensions for SICON; integration of IoT platforms and on-premises solutions; digital twin creation services.
6. Managed Services / Cloud Connectivity: Optional cloud connector services for secure global data usage, potentially integrated with Software AG's Cumulocity IoT platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GPS develops and sells the SICON Ecosystem, an open IIoT platform comprising SICON.OS (an edge-computing operating system providing a secure single point of access to heterogeneous industrial machines), SICON.PLUG (AIoT condition-monitoring sensor hardware with integrated AI for predictive maintenance), SICON.APP (application extensions via app store), and analytics platforms (VacuumAI, MachineIQ, FactoryDataHub). The company also delivers consulting, custom development, and integration services for digitalizing industrial production environments.

Product overview

GPS Gesellschaft für Produktionssysteme offers the SICON Ecosystem, an open IIoT platform architecture consisting of multiple integrated products. The core is SICON.OS, an edge computing platform providing secure data access from heterogeneous machines. This is complemented by SICON.PLUG (IIoT condition monitoring sensors), SICON.APP (application layer), and specialized analytics platforms including VacuumAI (vacuum system analysis), MachineIQ (machine monitoring), and FactoryDataHub (UNS/MQTT data platform). The ecosystem also includes SCOUT maintenance assistant, SenseIQ anomaly detection, LeakGuard, FilterGuard, and ImpactMonitor features. The platform enables data aggregation, predictive maintenance, and energy management across production environments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SICON: IIoT ecosystem comprising SICON.OS (edge software platform), SICON.PLUG (IoT sensor hardware), SICON.APP, and related digital services including VacuumAI, MachineIQ, and FactoryDataHub for condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, and energy management.
• VacuumAI
• MachineIQ
• FactoryDataHub
• SICON.OS
• SICON.PLUG
• SICON.HW P50

Products and services

• SICON Ecosystem
• SICON.OS
• SICON.PLUG
• SICON.APP
• SICON.HW P50
• VacuumAI
• MachineIQ
• FactoryDataHub
• Cloud-based Worker Assistance System (assembly.sicon.eco)
• Digital Strategy Consulting & Custom Development Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Cost savings of up to 50 percent through networking of heterogeneous machine landscapes with cloud connectivity
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability6 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered project partner, key / flagship, application partner and research consortium.

• Brown Ipossproject partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022GPS collaborates with Brown Iposs within the CampusOS research project to develop a radio heatmap application that identifies and visualizes weaknesses in factory and warehouse radio coverage to optimize radio-based use cases.
• Software AGkey / flagshipTechnology or IntegrationGPS and Software AG cooperate on digitalizing machine landscapes. GPS provides the SICON.OS edge platform as a secure single point of access to heterogeneous machines, while Software AG provides its Cumulocity IoT cloud platform for scalable visualization and global data usage. Optional cloud connectors enable secure worldwide data deployment. The partnership promises cost savings of up to 50% for machine operators implementing their digital roadmap.
• Boschapplication partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerBosch serves as an application partner in the IC4F (Industrial Communication for Factories) research project. GPS's SICON.OS integrates data from automated mobile transport vehicles (via cameras/laser scanners over 5G) and Bosch XDK sensor networks for acoustic anomaly detection on the shop floor.
• STILLapplication partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTILL serves as an application partner in the IC4F research project. GPS's SICON.OS provides localization of floor vehicles (indoor/outdoor) for collision warning and transport goods tracking, and supports crowd-sourced asset tracking using BLE technology.
• MAG-IASapplication partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAG-IAS is an application partner in the IC4F project. GPS's SICON.OS monitors machine parameters, visualizes axis movements of machine tools in real time, and provides historical data for predictive maintenance using URLLC radio technology.
• CampusOS Consortium (22 partners)research consortiumStrategic or Co-development PartnerGPS participates in the CampusOS ecosystem project (funded by BMWK with 30M EUR) alongside 22 partners from research and industry. The project aims to establish an ecosystem for open 5G campus networks through Open RAN and interoperable components. GPS contributes radio heatmap applications for factory environments.
• IC4F Consortium (15 partners)research consortiumStrategic or Co-development PartnerGPS participates in the IC4F (Industrial Communication for Factories) lighthouse project with 15 industry and research partners, developing secure, robust, and real-time communication solutions for manufacturing. GPS serves as the data integrator across multiple application use cases with partners Bosch, STILL, and MAG-IAS.
• DaLion 4.0 Consortiumresearch consortiumStrategic or Co-development PartnerGPS participates as a partner in DaLion 4.0 (Data-Mining as Basis for Cyber-Physical Systems in Lithium-Ion Battery Cell Production). SICON is used for decentralized data aggregation and analysis of extensive operating parameters in the complex process chain of lithium-ion cell production, including dry room monitoring and extrusion processes.
• SeRoNet Consortiumresearch consortiumStrategic or Co-development PartnerGPS participated in the SeRoNet (Service Robotics Network) research project funded by BMWK. GPS developed a hardware driver for an electric vacuum generator for handling vacuum-tight workpieces for robot grippers, using SeRoNet development tools.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bosch Connected Industry: Bosch's IIoT platform unit offering Nexeed/Connected Industry solutions, including condition monitoring, asset connectivity, and MES-adjacent software. Strong overlap with SICON's open-machinery-stack positioning; Bosch is also named as a partner in GPS's IC4F research project, making it both a competitor and collaborator.
• Siemens Digital Industries (MindSphere / Industrial Edge): Siemens sells MindSphere (now Insights Hub) and Industrial Edge as a closed-ecosystem IIoT platform for plant operators, with deep native PLC/MES/ERP integration. Direct competitor to GPS in the manufacturing-machinery IIoT space, but with a proprietary stack rather than SICON's open-API approach.
• Samsara: Publicly-listed IoT operator platform combining sensors and cloud for fleet/asset monitoring — a scaled comp for SICON's 'plug-and-work hardware + subscription software' model, though Samsara skews toward logistics/transport rather than industrial machinery.
• Schneider Electric EcoStruxure: Schneider's open IIoT architecture across plant operations, asset management, and analytics. A broad-incumbent peer offering open APIs and condition-monitoring modules that compete head-on with SICON in discrete/process manufacturing customers.
• PTC (ThingWorx): ThingWorx is a long-established industrial IoT platform for connecting machines, building dashboards, and driving analytics. Competes with SICON.OS in the broader manufacturing-IoT platform category, especially for digital-twin and AR-overlay workloads.
• Hitachi Vantara Lumada: Hitachi's industrial IoT/data-platform suite for asset monitoring, predictive maintenance, and digital twin in manufacturing. Comparable to SICON's end-to-end IIoT stack but bundled with Hitachi's broader OT/IT services footprint.

Direct peers

• Augury: Augury offers AI-based condition monitoring sensors and a reliability platform for manufacturing assets with vibration/temperature analytics — closely analogous to SICON.PLUG's SenseIQ, LeakGuard, FilterGuard, and ImpactMonitor capabilities for anomaly detection and predictive maintenance.
• Konux: Munich-based IIoT/AI platform focused on railway and industrial infrastructure predictive maintenance using sensors, edge, and software analytics. Direct comparable as a German/European IIoT scale-up with sensor-plus-AI-plus-cloud offering similar to SICON's value proposition.
• Relayr (Munich Re): Berlin/now-Munich-Re-owned IIoT platform provider delivering edge-to-cloud middleware, predictive maintenance, and analytics for industrial assets. Comparable to SICON.OS for heterogeneous machine connectivity and AI-driven insights, though with a stronger focus on enterprise IaaS-style deployments.

Emerging players

• Tulip Interfaces: Tulip builds frontline-operations apps and worker-guidance solutions for manufacturing, with a low-code cloud platform (similar in spirit to GPS's new Cloud-based Worker Assistance System on assembly.sicon.eco). Comparable user-facing software layer but without SICON's edge/sensor stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/gps_gmbh?lang=en
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCngrYMM_Z8q2RGwE08hp1XQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gaya-international

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 GPS Gesellschaft fur Produktionssysteme