Lino
Lino GmbH is a Mainz-based engineering-automation software vendor (founded 2006/2007, 11-50 employees) that builds CAD-integration and AI-assisted automation tools — including Lino Hub, Lino Automate, and the Lino AI Agent — for DACH mechanical and plant engineering manufacturers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersMainz, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Lino does
Lino GmbH is a private German software company, headquartered in Mainz, founded in 2006/2007, and operating with 11-50 employees. The company builds engineering-automation and CAD-integration software targeted at the DACH Maschinen- und Anlagenbau (mechanical and plant engineering) sector, with a customer base of mid-sized industrial manufacturers including GEA, Erhardt+Leimer, Schwingshandl, STEIN Automation, GC-heat, SOMIC Packaging, GEMÜ, and Gebhardt. Lino's products act as a middleware and automation layer that connects major CAD platforms (SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor/Revit, PTC Creo) with downstream PLM, ERP, and sales-configurator systems, enabling rule-based and AI-assisted workflows for sales engineering, configuration, and layout planning.
The product portfolio centers on Lino Hub (middleware integration platform), Lino Automate (CAD workflow automation), Lino AI Agent (generative-AI engineering agent built on third-party LLMs such as OpenAI ChatGPT/API and Google Gemini), Lino Simplify (3D model simplification), and the Lino 2D fix and Lino 3D layout products for factory and line layout planning. The company also resells complementary solutions through partnerships, including Tacton Design Automation and Tacton CPQ (under a Core Partnership with Tacton) and Cosling Configurator. Hosting infrastructure spans Hetzner and Amazon Web Services, supporting both on-prem and cloud-native delivery.
Lino operates a hybrid commercial model combining one-time software licenses, monthly subscriptions/rentals, and project-based professional services. Go-to-market is direct sales to industrial engineering and sales-engineering teams, supported by webinars, customer case studies, and partner-led distribution through Tacton and CAD vendors. As a founder-owned, bootstrapped GmbH with no disclosed external funding rounds, Lino's scaling has been funded internally over nearly two decades, positioning it as a specialist mid-sized DACH vendor rather than a venture-backed scale-up.
Lino firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lino
- Legal name
- Lino GmbH
- Website
- https://lino.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Lino GmbH is a Mainz-based engineering-automation software vendor (founded 2006/2007, 11-50 employees) that builds CAD-integration and AI-assisted automation tools — including Lino Hub, Lino Automate, and the Lino AI Agent — for DACH mechanical and plant engineering manufacturers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lino industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Engineering Automation Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian) (IMAHAHAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Control System Integration & Engineering Services (Design, Commissioning, Retrofits) (IMAGABAK), Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM)
Keywords
Where Lino is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mainz
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lino business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Software Licenses - One-time Payment: One-time payment for perpetual software license grants simple, unlimited, transferable usage rights.
- Software Subscriptions - Monthly Rental: Monthly fees and/or installment amounts for time-limited, non-transferable software usage rights during contract duration (rental/lease model). Minimum contract duration applies.
- Professional Services: Process consulting, proof-of-concept, software development, implementation, training and support services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
Lino product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lino GmbH develops and sells engineering automation software that connects product configurators, CAD, PDM, ERP and CRM systems to automate configuration, design, and manufacturing workflows for industrial manufacturers. The portfolio centers on the Lino Hub middleware platform and includes Lino Automate, Lino AI Agent, Lino Simplify, Lino 2D fix and Lino 3D layout, complemented by resold partner solutions such as Tacton Design Automation and Tacton CPQ, with implementation, consulting and support services delivered alongside.
Product overview
Lino is an engineering automation company offering a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on product configuration, CAD automation, and system integration for the machinery and plant engineering industry. The core platform is Lino Hub, a modular middleware that integrates configurators with CAD, PDM, ERP and CRM systems. Key products include Lino Automate for CAD workflow automation, Tacton Design Automation for rule-based CAD generation in SolidWorks/Autodesk Inventor/PTC Creo, and Tacton CPQ for configure-price-quote functionality. Additional modules include Lino AI Agent for AI-powered engineering support, Lino Simplify for 3D model simplification in SolidWorks, Lino 2D fix and Lino 3D layout for layout planning, and the partner solutions Cosling Configurator and Tacton Design Automation (partner product). The portfolio enables companies to automate configuration, construction and manufacturing processes under real complexity, delivering measurable results in under 30 days.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lino Hub Modular integration platform (middleware) that drives digital transformation in sales, engineering and manufacturing by connecting configurators, CAD, PDM, ERP and CRM systems into seamless, automated processes for industrial manufacturing companies.
- Lino Automate
- Lino AI Agent
- Lino Simplify
- Lino 2D fix
- Lino 3D layout
- Tacton Design Automation
- Tacton CPQ
- Cosling Configurator
- Professional Services
Quantifiable outcome
- ≥30% error reduction (target)
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Lino
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Lino technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature8 records
Lino partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Tacton SystemscoreTacton Systems is a strategic software partner providing Tacton Design Automation (CAD automation for SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, PTC Creo) and Tacton CPQ (Configure-Price-Quote). Lino integrates and resells these solutions as part of their engineering automation portfolio.
- SolidWorks (Dassault Systèmes)coreSolidWorks CAD integration is a core part of Lino's offering. Products like Lino Simplify run as Single-Window Integration directly in SolidWorks. Tacton Design Automation also supports SolidWorks.
- LinkedInminorLinkedIn is used for Page Insights analytics and social media marketing. Lino maintains a company profile on LinkedIn for B2B marketing and professional networking.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lino competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tacton Systems: Stockholm-based provider of CPQ and Design Automation for industrial manufacturers, including in DACH. Lino is both a reseller and integrator of Tacton, and Tacton represents the most direct overlap on product configuration and rule-based CAD automation.
- Configit: Provider of configuration lifecycle management and CPQ solutions for complex manufactured products. Competes with Lino's CPQ and product-configuration capabilities for industrial OEMs and machinery manufacturers.
- PROCAD GmbH & Co. KG: German PLM/CAD software and services vendor focused on machinery, plant engineering, and discrete manufacturing in DACH. Highly comparable in customer base (Maschinen- und Anlagenbau), channel (direct enterprise), and product area (CAD automation and PLM integration).
- CENIT AG: Stuttgart-based PLM/CAD consulting and software firm with strong DACH industrial-manufacturing customer base. Overlaps with Lino on engineering process automation, digital factory, and PLM/ERP integration for machinery and plant builders.
- DriveWorks: UK-based vendor of rule-based design automation and CPQ for SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor, targeting the same machinery and industrial customer profile. Competes head-to-head on CAD-driven product configuration in the same SolidWorks ecosystem Lino serves.
- COSLING AG: German vendor of product configuration and CPQ software, whose configurator Lino resells as part of its portfolio. Directly comparable on configure-price-quote functionality for complex industrial products.
- engineering IT GmbH: Aachen-based PLM and engineering-process consultancy serving German industrial manufacturers with CAD/PLM integration and automation projects. Directly comparable as a DACH engineering-automation specialist targeting similar Maschinen- und Anlagenbau customers.
Broad incumbents
- Siemens Digital Industries Software (Teamcenter / NX): Industrial software incumbent offering Teamcenter PLM and NX CAD with embedded automation and configuration capabilities for machinery and plant engineering. Represents a large-platform alternative Lino must position against in DACH enterprise accounts.
- PTC (Creo / Onshape): Global PLM/CAD vendor supporting Creo (one of Lino's three supported CAD systems) and the ThingWorx/Onshape cloud platforms. Competes broadly on CAD, PLM, and increasingly IoT-driven engineering automation for industrial manufacturers.
- Dassault Systèmes (3DEXPERIENCE / SOLIDWORKS): Global PLM/CAD incumbent whose SolidWorks platform underpins much of Lino's design-automation and simplification tooling. Competes broadly by bundling configuration, simulation, and collaboration capabilities into its 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lino social profiles
Digital presenceLino financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lino leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Lino funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lino 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 Lino
What does Lino do?
Lino GmbH develops and sells engineering automation software that connects product configurators, CAD, PDM, ERP and CRM systems to automate configuration, design, and manufacturing workflows for industrial manufacturers. The portfolio centers on the Lino Hub middleware platform and includes Lino Automate, Lino AI Agent, Lino Simplify, Lino 2D fix and Lino 3D layout, complemented by resold partner solutions such as Tacton Design Automation and Tacton CPQ, with implementation, consulting and support services delivered alongside.
Is Lino a public or private company?
Lino is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Lino founded?
Lino was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Lino based?
Lino is headquartered in Mainz, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Lino make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Software Licenses - One-time Payment is the primary driver. The others are software Subscriptions - Monthly Rental and professional Services.
Who are Lino's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tacton Systems, Configit, PROCAD GmbH & Co. KG, CENIT AG, DriveWorks, COSLING AG and engineering IT GmbH. Broad incumbents are Siemens Digital Industries Software (Teamcenter / NX), PTC (Creo / Onshape) and Dassault Systèmes (3DEXPERIENCE / SOLIDWORKS).
Does Lino have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lino.
What industry is Lino in?
Lino's product category is Engineering Automation Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAHAJ, Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian), with a secondary code of IMAGABAK, Control System Integration & Engineering Services (Design, Commissioning, Retrofits). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7373.