SAE

What SAE does

SAE S.r.l. is a family-owned Italian wholesale distributor of electrical materials headquartered in Cortona (province of Arezzo) on the Tuscany–Umbria border. Founded in 1979 as S.A.E. S.n.c. of Rossi and Luconi and reincorporated as an S.r.l. in 2012 under the Checcarini family, the company operates from a 5,000+ sqm warehouse and stocks civil electrical series, lighting, anti-intrusion and video-surveillance systems, and cables. Its service area covers four contiguous provinces — Arezzo and Siena in Tuscany and Perugia and Terni in Umbria — and it has held ISO 9001 certification continuously since 1998, an unusual credential among regional Italian wholesalers.

The business model is straightforward wholesale-to-trade: SAE sells in mixed pallets and project quantities to professional installers, electricians, and technical buyers, generating margin through distribution spread and on-time availability rather than through exclusivity or IP. Membership in the ANTARES National Distributor network provides procurement scale and product breadth that a sub-national operator could not achieve on its own. Recent moves — a new E-Mobility & Marketing function, a distribution agreement with Arcluce for architectural lighting, and a multilingual public website — indicate incremental expansion into higher-margin adjacent categories (EV charging, spec-grade lighting) and a tentative broadening of addressable customer scope beyond the four-province core.

Operationally the company remains a classic regional distributor: minimal disclosed technology stack, no evidence of proprietary software, e-commerce is not positioned as a primary channel, and the management team visible on the corporate site numbers in the high single digits. Revenue scales with construction and refurbishment activity in central Italy, and competitive position rests on local logistics, installer relationships built over multiple decades, and the ANTARES procurement umbrella rather than on technology differentiation.

Name

SAE

Legal name

SAE S.r.l.

Website

https://sae-srl.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electrical Materials Wholesale Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Electronic Parts & Equipment, Nec (5065), Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAOAFAG

Lighting & Electrical Supplies for Home Distribution

Consumer Products & Retail/Wholesale, Distribution & Category Management/Home, Furniture & Home Improvement Distribution

Keywords

• Wholesale electrical distribution
• Electrical materials supply
• Lighting systems wholesale
• Security systems distribution
• Cable and wiring supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Camucia

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Electrical Materials Sales: SAE generates revenue through wholesale distribution of electrical materials to installers and professional users. The company stocks and sells a wide range of products including civil electrical series, lighting, alarm systems, video surveillance, video door entry systems, and electric cables. The business operates as a distributor earning margins on product sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SAE S.r.l. is a wholesale distributor of electrical materials operating from a 5,000+ square meter warehouse in Camucia di Cortona, Italy. The company stocks and sells civil electrical series (plates, switches), lighting products, alarm systems, video surveillance systems, video door entry systems, and electric cables from major Italian and international brands (BTicino, Legrand, Vimar, Ave, Gewiss, Arcluce) to installers and professional users in the provinces of Arezzo, Siena, Perugia, and Terni. Additional services include lighting consulting with 3D rendering, electrical system design, and site inspection support.

Product overview

SAE S.r.l. is a wholesale electrical equipment distributor operating since 1979, offering a comprehensive range of products for civil and industrial electrical systems. The core product portfolio includes Serie Civili (electric plates and switches from brands like BTicino, Legrand, Vimar, Ave, Gewiss), Lighting Products, Alarm Systems, Video Surveillance Systems, Video Door Entry Systems, and Electric Cables. The company provides complementary services including lighting consulting with 3D rendering, electrical system design, and direct sale with shipping. SAE operates as an affiliated member of ANTARES National Distributor network, distributing major Italian and international electrical equipment brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Serie Civili (Civil Series) Electric plates, switches, and related wiring accessories for civil electrical installations, sourced from major Italian and international brands including BTicino, Legrand, Vimar, Ave, Gewiss, and porcelain product lines. Sold at wholesale to professional electrical installers and contractors.
• Lighting Products Wholesale lighting solutions for civil and industrial applications, including luminaires and lighting fixtures from brands including Arcluce. Sold to electrical installers and project clients with optional design and 3D rendering consultation.
• Alarm Systems Wholesale anti-intrusion alarm systems for residential and commercial security applications, supplied to professional installers for installation projects.
• Video Surveillance Systems Wholesale video surveillance (CCTV) systems for monitoring and security in civil and industrial settings, distributed to installers for deployment in customer projects.
• Video Door Entry Systems Wholesale video intercom and door entry systems for residential and commercial buildings, supplied to installers for new construction and retrofit projects.
• Electric Cables Wholesale electric cables and wiring for civil and industrial electrical system installations, distributed to electrical installers and contractors.
• Lighting Consulting and System Design Technical consulting service including lighting design with 3D rendering, electrical system design, and on-site inspection support, delivered to installers and project clients (including collaborations with manufacturers such as Arcluce).

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ANTARES National DistributorcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSAE is affiliated with ANTARES National Distributor of Electrical Materials Distributors. This network membership enhances SAE's purchasing power and competitive positioning, allowing the company to offer more competitive pricing to customers through collective buying power.
• ArcluceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Arcluce for the Corte dei Papi project in Cortona, involving design and supply of lighting solutions. This represents a project-specific partnership for lighting system specification and supply.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Gewiss: Italian electrical equipment manufacturer whose products (civil series, lighting, distribution boards) are stocked by SAE. Acts as a supplier rather than competitor, but its vertical integration into distribution channels represents a structural consideration for SAE's business model.
• ANTARES Distributor Network: National consortium of Italian electrical materials distributors of which SAE is a member. Not a direct competitor but a critical ecosystem partner that provides collective purchasing power and supplier negotiations shared with SAE's competitors.

Regional players

• Elettroveneta: Italian regional electrical materials distributor serving the Veneto region with a similar multi-brand installer-focused model. Comparable to SAE in scale and operating philosophy, but geographically distinct (northeastern vs. central Italy).
• Rosi Materiale Elettrico: Italian regional distributor of electrical materials serving professional installers across multiple provinces. Similar product mix and installer-focused approach to SAE, though based in a different Italian region with its own local market dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• Sonepar Italia: Italian subsidiary of global electrical distribution leader Sonepar, offering the breadth of products SAE carries across civil and industrial electrical installations. Operates as a broad incumbent with national coverage, well-resourced digital ordering, and significantly larger purchasing power than SAE.
• Rexel Italia: Italian arm of the global electrical distributor Rexel, distributing the same major brands (BTicino, Legrand, Vimar) to installer and professional customers. A broad incumbent with nation-wide coverage and digital commerce capabilities that exceed SAE's regional model.
• Würth Italia: Italian subsidiary of the German Würth Group, a broad industrial supplies and electrical products distributor. Overlaps with SAE in selling electrical components and accessories to trade professionals, but operates far more broadly across industrial and construction supplies.

Direct peers

• Salvadori Srl: Italian regional electrical materials wholesaler serving installers and professional users with a multi-brand product portfolio. Comparable to SAE's business model and scale, with similar geographic specialization in a defined Italian region.
• Comel Group: Italian electrical materials distributor with installer-focused operations across central and southern Italy. Comparable to SAE in product range (civil series, lighting, security systems) and target customer profile of professional installers.
• Comoli Ferrari: One of Italy's largest independent electrical materials wholesalers, operating across multiple Italian regions with a multi-brand distribution model. Directly comparable to SAE in product assortment (civil series, lighting, cables, security) and installer-focused B2B value proposition, though at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SAE.elettrodistribuzione.srl
• Instagraminstagram.com/sae.elettrodistribuzione
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sae-srl-elettrodistribuzione

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 SAE