celano GmbH

What celano GmbH does

celano GmbH is a privately held German software and services company headquartered in Bottrop (Ruhr region), founded in October 2002. It develops tailor-made IT solutions for industrial production, primarily serving the metals and steel production value chain (melting/casting, heating/reheating, rolling/forming, levelling, cooling, quenching/tempering, coating, flaming/cutting, quality control, picking/finishing). The company's core offering is the celCAP 4.0 (celano Common Application Platform) — a modular IT framework providing data acquisition, storage, communication, visualisation, alarm processing, and report generation — onto which a family of specialised products is built: celSCADA and celMES for supervisory control and manufacturing execution at Level 2/Level 3 of the automation pyramid, celSPC for statistical process control, celWMS for warehouse management with 2D/3D visualisation, the celFCS suite (celFCS-sim, -tef, -rhf, -bas, -cal) for furnace optimisation using linear and non-linear algorithms with Navier-Stokes-based flow simulation, celSSR for production scheduling, and an image-sensor module using GPGPU algorithms for material recognition and tracking. Technical differentiation is built on domain specialisation in metallurgical processes and the clear separation of process from system components, with platform independence and provided source code underpinning the upgrade proposition.

The company's business model combines professional services — feasibility studies, process simulation, system design consultation, project support, system integration, and training — with recurring revenue from software licensing of the celCAP framework and product modules, plus ongoing maintenance and support delivered through a telephone hotline and an Atlassian Jira-based support portal. Pricing is opaque, quote-based, and project-specific. Go-to-market is primarily direct enterprise sales to industrial manufacturers in Germany, supplemented by system-integration partner relationships, industry trade-show presence (e.g., Thermprocess 2019), and LinkedIn engagement. The company is bootstrapped and independently owned, with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, subsidiary, or acquisition activity.

Governance is led by Managing Director Dipl.-Ing. Lorenzo Croce (founder) with HR handled by Maria Niehoff. Operating scope is regional (Germany); the company has participated in a 2021 BMBF-funded research project (DigiMin, funding code 01LY2104B) exploring data models and graph-based optimisation for the climate-friendly construction industry, signalling tentative vertical diversification beyond metals/steel. Headcount sits in the 11–50 employee band, consistent with a focused Mittelstand vendor.

Name

celano GmbH

Legal name

celano GmbH

Website

https://celano.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

celano GmbH is a privately held German software and services company, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Bottrop, that develops tailor-made Level 2/Level 3 industrial software — anchored by the celCAP 4.0 platform and a family of SCADA/MES, furnace-control, scheduling, and warehouse-management products — primarily for metals and steel production customers in Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bottrop

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Software Development & Implementation: celano provides tailor-made software solutions for industrial production companies, including design, implementation and commissioning of customer-specific IT solutions. Services include feasibility studies, process simulations, requirement specifications, system design consultation, project support, system integration, and modification of existing systems.
2. Software Licensing (celCAP and Product Modules): The company licenses its proprietary software platforms including celCAP 4.0 framework, SCADA/MES systems (celMES, celSPC), warehouse management (celWMS), furnace control systems (celFCS family), and production planning tools (celSSR).
3. Maintenance and Support Services: Ongoing maintenance and support services for deployed systems, including telephone support (Mon-Thu 9am-5pm, Fri 9am-3pm) and access to technical support portal for registered clients.
4. Training Services: Training services for customer personnel on the operation and use of deployed systems.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

celano GmbH is a service company in the software sector that provides tailor-made IT solutions for industrial production processes, primarily serving the metals and steel production industries at automation Levels 2 and 3. The company develops and licenses the celCAP 4.0 (celano Common Application Platform) IT framework and a suite of specialised products including celSCADA, celMES, celSPC, celWMS, the celFCS furnace control family, and celSSR for production scheduling. They also offer custom software development, implementation, system integration, maintenance/support, and training services for industrial customers.

Product overview

celano GmbH offers a modular platform-plus-products architecture anchored by the celCAP 4.0 (celano Common Application Platform) IT framework. celCAP 4.0 is the foundational layer providing data acquisition, storage, communication, visualisation, alarm processing, and report generation. Built on this platform are multiple specialised products: celSCADA for supervisory control and data acquisition (Level 2), celMES for manufacturing execution (Level 3), celWMS for warehouse management, celFCS (a suite including celFCS-sim, celFCS-tef, celFCS-rhf, celFCS-bas, celFCS-cal) for furnace control and optimisation, celSSR for production scheduling and resource optimisation, and celSPC for statistical process control. Supporting infrastructure components include celDSP (Dispatcher), celTA (Transport Adapter), celBL (Business Logic), and celWebConnect (Middleware). The company also provides professional services including feasibility studies, process simulation, system integration, and maintenance/support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• celCAP 4.0: celano Common Application Platform - basic IT framework and system architecture for industrial solutions. Provides data acquisition, storage, communication, visualization, error message processing, and report generation.
• celWMS
• celFCS
• celSSR
• celSPC
• celMES

Products and services

• celCAP 4.0 The foundational IT framework serving as the backbone platform for all celano solutions, independent of task type or industry. Provides data acquisition, storage, communication, visualisation, error message processing, and report generation with a modular structure supporting SCADA, MES, warehouse management, and material tracking across industries including metals and environmental technology.
• celSCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for visualisation, control, and optimisation of complex industrial plants in real time. Covers Level 2 and Level 3 of the automation pyramid.
• celMES Manufacturing Execution System that manages and controls production in real time, receiving process data (machine utilisation, downtimes, production quantities) and forwarding it to higher-level ERP systems. Operates at automation Level 3.
• celSPC Statistical Process Control tool for real-time monitoring and statistical analysis of production processes, supporting all standard control chart types with freely configurable trend rules and associated actions for anomaly detection.
• celWMS Warehouse Management System for intermediate and final products (coils, slabs, billets, blocks, production means). Supports chaotic, space-related, multi-layer, and high-rack storage with 2D/3D visualisation via web browser, free configuration of storage locations, WLAN communication, and integration with crane controls.
• celFCS celano Furnace Control System — a suite of optimisation modules for furnace management including celFCS-sim (furnace simulator), celFCS-tef (tempering furnace), celFCS-rhf (reheating furnace), celFCS-bas (batch annealing shop), and celFCS-cal (continuous annealing line). Controls gas quantities, temperatures, material velocities and gaps using linear and non-linear optimisation algorithms.
• celSSR celano Scheduling Scarce Resources — production planning tool for optimal resource utilisation and production order distribution to existing aggregates and production plants. Includes a graphical editor for capturing production rules and displays results as tables or Gantt charts.
• celano Support Portal Technical support portal (tsp.celano.de) powered by Atlassian Jira, providing registered business customers with project-specific services, technical support, and issue tracking. Telephone support is available Mon-Thu 9am-5pm and Fri 9am-3pm.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy consumption and scaling minimisation in reheating furnaces through celFCS-rhf optimisation
• +4 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability10 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Hochschule Ruhr West (HRW)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Hochschule Ruhr West (Campus Bottrop) for dual study programmes in Applied Computer Science and Human-Machine Interaction, providing practical experience opportunities for students.
• Qualified System Integration PartnersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partnercelano works with qualified partners as a system integrator to deliver complete logistics and warehouse management solutions including WLAN components, crane position detection and assembly, crane/truck terminals, and tablets/mobile terminals.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• PSI Software AG: German software vendor specializing in production management (PSImetals), energy, and logistics solutions for metals and adjacent process industries. Directly comparable to celano on vertical focus (metals), SCADA/MES/optimization functionality, and Mittelstand profile.
• MPDV Mikrolab GmbH: German MES/MOM software specialist with deep footprint in German Mittelstand manufacturing, including metals processing. Closely comparable on product scope (MES for discrete and process manufacturing) and customer segment.
• FORCAM GmbH: German MES vendor focused on smart factory solutions for discrete and process manufacturing, with metals sector customers. Comparable on MES functionality and Mittelstand target market.
• COPA-DATA GmbH: Austrian-headquartered provider of the zenon SCADA/MES platform, serving industrial automation customers including metals, energy, and manufacturing. Comparable on SCADA/MES product architecture and mid-market enterprise customer profile.

Broad incumbents

• AVEVA (Schneider Electric): Global industrial software incumbent combining AVEVA MES, Wonderware SCADA, and PI System assets. Targets overlapping process-industry buyers including metals producers with much broader product portfolio.
• Rockwell Automation (FactoryTalk): Global industrial automation provider whose FactoryTalk MES/SCADA suites compete for the same metals manufacturing wallets. Significantly larger vendor with broader geographic coverage.
• GE Digital (Proficy): Industrial software unit offering Proficy MES/SCADA and asset performance solutions for discrete and process manufacturers, including metals. Overlapping product capabilities with much broader portfolio and global reach.
• Siemens AG (SIMATIC IT / Opcenter): Global industrial automation incumbent offering SIMATIC IT / Opcenter MES and SCADA stacks that compete with celCAP at large metals customers. Broader portfolio and significantly larger scale, but overlapping product functionality and target buyers.
• ABB (Ability MOM / 800xA): Global OT incumbent offering ABB Ability Manufacturing Operations Management and 800xA systems for process industries including metals. Comparable product overlap but vastly larger scale and broader solution portfolio.
• Honeywell Forge (Manufacturing Operations): Global industrial software suite from Honeywell serving process manufacturers including metals, with MES, SCADA, and optimization capabilities. Competes for the same enterprise wallets at much larger scale.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/celano-gmbh

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 celano GmbH