SimPlan
SimPlan AG, founded in 1992 and headquartered in Hanau, Germany, is the leading independent simulation service provider in the DACH region. It combines proprietary simulation software, third-party platform distribution, virtual commissioning, and digital twin consulting for enterprise customers in automotive, logistics, and manufacturing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersHanau, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SimPlan does
SimPlan AG, headquartered in Hanau, Germany, is a private Aktiengesellschaft founded in 1992 and one of the leading independent simulation service providers in the DACH region for production and logistics processes. The company operates across four business lines: (1) simulation consulting and studies, including virtual commissioning/emulation and digital twin creation, delivered as professional services; (2) proprietary software products—SimVSM, SimPacSi, SimQueue, and SimAssist—including freemium mobile apps distributed through Apple, Google, and Microsoft app stores; (3) vendor-neutral distribution of third-party simulation platforms (AnyLogic, anyLogistix, AutoMod, Emulate3D, Plant Simulation, Siemens Supply Chain Suite, Simio, Simul8) with associated training; and (4) training and coaching services for both beginners and advanced users.
The company's technology stack centers on discrete-event simulation, material flow modeling, and digital-twin emulation that connects real PLC/SPS control software to simulation models for virtual commissioning. SimPlan employs 120 staff across branches in Braunschweig, Dresden, Bremen, Munich, Regensburg, and Sindelfingen, plus Austrian and Chinese subsidiaries, and claims 400+ accumulated man-years of project experience. The group is led by an Executive Board of three PhD-level members—Dr. Sven Spieckermann (Spokesperson), Dr. Ulrich Burges, and Dr. Harry Kestenbaum—with a Supervisory Board chaired by Prof. Dr. Stefan Nickel and including Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alice Kirchheim of Fraunhofer IML (appointed May 2026). Customer base spans automotive, logistics, retail, mechanical engineering, food processing, agriculture, and healthcare, with named references including S.Oliver, Frontmatec, Fruitmasters, and IntraLogistik Beratung GmbH. Marketing relies on direct sales, trade shows (LogiMAT, Hannover Messe, FachPack, LOG.NET), a SimBlog, the SimTalk podcast, a quarterly SimNews newsletter, and active LinkedIn/XING presence, with ISO 9001 quality certification held since 2015.
SimPlan firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SimPlan
- Legal name
- SimPlan AG
- Website
- https://simplan.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- SimPlan AG, founded in 1992 and headquartered in Hanau, Germany, is the leading independent simulation service provider in the DACH region. It combines proprietary simulation software, third-party platform distribution, virtual commissioning, and digital twin consulting for enterprise customers in automotive, logistics, and manufacturing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SimPlan industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Simulation & Virtual Commissioning Services
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374), Wholesale-Computers & Peripheral Equipment & Software (5045), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Robot Software, Autonomy Stacks & Simulation (ROS, digital twins) (HDAAAIAK)
Keywords
Where SimPlan is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hanau
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
SimPlan business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Simulation Consulting Services: Professional execution of simulation projects, coaching, and project support. Core business as a simulation service provider with more than 30 years experience and over 400 man-years of project experience.
- Proprietary Software Sales: Sale of own software products including SimVSM, SimPacSi, SimQueue, and SimAssist for value stream analysis, packaging simulation, queueing analysis, and simulation project support.
- Third-Party Simulation Software Distribution: Reseller and distributor of third-party simulation software including AnyLogic, anyLogistix, AutoMod, Emulate3D, Plant Simulation, Simio, Simul8. Neutral, manufacturer-independent software selection consulting.
- Training Services: Basic and expert training on various simulation software products as well as special training for different applications. Includes webinars and workshops.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Emulate3D Workshop - 5-day online training |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | SimVSM, SimQueue, SimPacSi Mobile Apps |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Simulation Training Courses |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
SimPlan product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SimPlan AG is a simulation service provider that delivers consulting studies, virtual commissioning/emulation, and digital twin solutions for production and logistics processes. The company also develops proprietary software tools (SimVSM, SimPacSi, SimQueue, SimAssist) and resells third-party simulation software from Siemens, AnyLogic, Emulate3D, Simio, Simul8, and AutoMod on a manufacturer-independent basis.
Product overview
SimPlan is a simulation services company offering a comprehensive portfolio combining proprietary software tools, third-party simulation software distribution, and professional consulting services. The core offering includes both proprietary mobile apps (SimVSM, SimQueue, SimPacSi for mobile value stream and packaging analysis) and professional simulation software (AnyLogic, anyLogistix, AutoMod, Emulate3D, Plant Simulation, Simio, Simul8) distributed as a vendor-neutral reseller. Services span simulation studies, virtual commissioning/emulation, coaching, training, digital twin creation, and 3D animation for production and logistics processes. Recent additions include Siemens Supply Chain Suite (SCS) distribution and AI-powered image recognition in the SimVSM app for automatic value stream component detection. The company operates internationally with 120 staff across Germany, Austria, and China.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Simulation Consulting Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced commissioning time through virtual commissioning
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SimPlan
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles5 records
SimPlan technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
SimPlan partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- 4flowminorJoint presence at LOG.NET 2026 conference with 4flow. Shared booth and collaborative presentation on digitalization in logistics.
- Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Frankfurt UAS)coreResearch partnership in SIMOBOT project developing predictive simulation approaches for mobile transport robots in intralogistics. SimPlan contributes simulation expertise to the two-year project with Continental Automotive Technologies and SYNAOS GmbH.
- Continental Automotive Technologies GmbHcoreIndustry partner in SIMOBOT research project for mobile transport robot simulation. Real-time scenarios evaluated directly at production facilities to validate simulation results.
- SYNAOS GmbHcoreTechnology partner in SIMOBOT research project contributing to development of predictive simulation approaches for autonomous transport robots.
- NeroSuBiancominorPartnership established in Italy for simulation services and solutions distribution in the Italian market.
- C-P-SminorPartnership to bundle activities in China, expanding SimPlan's presence and capabilities in the Chinese market.
- SiemenscoreSimPlan serves as German distributor for Siemens Supply Chain Suite (SCS), a powerful software for supply chain and logistics planning, design, simulation, and optimization. SCS enables complex use cases with hundreds of technical components.
- SiemenscoreDistribution partner for Plant Simulation software and Siemens Supply Chain Suite. Long-standing relationship as authorized distributor.
- AnyLogiccoreAuthorized reseller and consultant for AnyLogic simulation software in German-speaking markets.
- Emulate3DcoreAuthorized reseller and training provider for Emulate3D digital twin and emulation software.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SimPlan competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Visual Components: Finnish manufacturing simulation software vendor with a strong footprint in Europe. Comparable to SimPlan's Plant Simulation and AutoMod practice, with overlapping customer base in automotive and discrete manufacturing.
- FlexSim Software: US-based discrete-event simulation software vendor with a 3D modeling focus. Comparable to SimPlan's distribution of AutoMod and Simio in material flow simulation, and competes for the same industrial consulting engagements.
- Simio Software: Provider of simulation and scheduling software for manufacturing and logistics. Both a SimPlan distribution partner and a competitor in the same German-speaking and European market.
- Lanner Group: UK-based simulation consultancy and software provider focused on industrial and business process simulation. Closely comparable service-led model to SimPlan, with vendor-neutral tool selection.
- MOSIMTEC: US-headquartered simulation consulting firm specializing in discrete-event simulation and digital twin projects for manufacturing and logistics. Closely comparable to SimPlan in service-led model, vendor-neutral tool selection, and project-based delivery.
Broad incumbents
- Dassault Systèmes DELMIA: Dassault's manufacturing, logistics, and production simulation portfolio. Competes with SimPlan on large industrial simulation engagements and benefits from integration with the broader 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
- Rockwell Automation (Arena Simulation): Industrial automation incumbent with Arena Simulation in its portfolio. Competes for large-scale manufacturing simulation projects and benefits from installed automation customer base.
- Tecnomatix (Siemens): Siemens's manufacturing simulation and digital twin portfolio. Overlaps SimPlan's core offering (Plant Simulation, virtual commissioning) but is a software vendor, not a consulting-led partner; SimPlan both competes with and distributes parts of this portfolio.
- ESI Group: French industrial simulation software vendor with broader virtual prototyping focus. Comparable in providing industrial simulation tools and services, with a wider product portfolio across multiple physics domains.
Regional players
- Tetrix Simulation: German simulation consultancy focused on production and logistics. Closest direct German competitor to SimPlan in services-led simulation delivery and customer overlap in industrial Germany.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SimPlan social profiles
Digital presenceSimPlan compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
SimPlan financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SimPlan leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
SimPlan subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
SimPlan funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SimPlan 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 SimPlan
What does SimPlan do?
SimPlan AG is a simulation service provider that delivers consulting studies, virtual commissioning/emulation, and digital twin solutions for production and logistics processes. The company also develops proprietary software tools (SimVSM, SimPacSi, SimQueue, SimAssist) and resells third-party simulation software from Siemens, AnyLogic, Emulate3D, Simio, Simul8, and AutoMod on a manufacturer-independent basis.
Is SimPlan a public or private company?
SimPlan is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SimPlan founded?
SimPlan was founded in 1992. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is SimPlan based?
SimPlan is headquartered in Hanau, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does SimPlan make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Simulation Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are proprietary Software Sales, third-Party Simulation Software Distribution and training Services.
Who are SimPlan's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Visual Components, FlexSim Software, Simio Software, Lanner Group and MOSIMTEC. Broad incumbents are Dassault Systèmes DELMIA, Rockwell Automation (Arena Simulation), Tecnomatix (Siemens) and ESI Group. Tetrix Simulation is listed as a regional player.
Does SimPlan have an API?
No public API is recorded for SimPlan.
What industry is SimPlan in?
SimPlan's product category is Industrial Simulation & Virtual Commissioning Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAAAIAK, Robot Software, Autonomy Stacks & Simulation (ROS, digital twins). Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7374.