Equicon

What Equicon does

EQUIcon Software GmbH Jena is a privately held German software company founded in 1992, headquartered in Jena, and operating a wholly owned service subsidiary (EQUIcon Service GmbH) that runs the sim cargo support brand. The firm develops control, automation, and operations software across three largely independent product lines: (1) ePLACE, a mask data preparation platform for electron beam lithography that includes the licensed PROXECCO proximity-effect correction module and EQUIcon's patented GIDC contrast-improvement process; (2) niceLAB, a SiLA-compliant dynamic scheduling software for laboratory automation, accompanied by SiLA device drivers for robots, pumps, dispensers, incubators, barcode readers, and cameras from vendors including Hamilton, Stäubli, and Thermo Fisher Scientific; and (3) the EQ-Sped family for freight forwarders and transport companies, covering cargo management, scheduling, invoicing, barcode scanning, proof of delivery, track & trace, web order management (EQ-Sped.isa), and structure planning (EQ-Sped.plan) — alongside a sim cargo service center. The underlying technology stack is broad and explicitly multi-OS, covering Windows, Linux, Unix, OpenVMS, VxWorks, LynxOS, and RT-11, which is unusual for a firm of its size and reflects its roots in legacy industrial control.

Revenue mechanics are a mix of one-time and recurring license fees (niceLAB scheduling, ePLACE data preparation, EQ-Sped modules), SiLA device driver licensing, recurring subscriptions for EQ-Sped.web customers, and ongoing custom software development services spanning requirements analysis, implementation, and validation for individual industrial customers. EQUIcon goes to market via direct enterprise field sales targeting precision equipment manufacturers (e.g., Vistec / Kisi Corp), pharmaceutical and biotech labs (e.g., PerkinElmer Cellular Technologies Germany, Q.Instruments), European freight forwarders and logistics networks (sim cargo, LEIPZIGER Logistik & Lagerhaus, GEL Express Logistik), and adjacent custom-development clients in security (Cross Match Technologies) and rail control (Metro Trains Melbourne). The company is founder/management-owned with three Managing Directors (Ronny Arnold, Martin Sülzle, Frank Thierbach), no disclosed external investors, and no funding rounds in the record. Public marketing is limited to the corporate website, SiLA Consortium participation, and trade-fair appearances.

Customer concentration is structurally high: a small set of anchor accounts — notably Vistec over 20+ years and PerkinElmer — sit alongside a long but thin tail of freight forwarders using EQ-Sped modules, while custom-development customers (Metro Trains Melbourne, Cross Match, H. Stoll) come and go project-by-project. The firm reports ongoing operational activity through 2026 product releases (EQ-Sped 4.5.2.9 server/workstation update and the EQ-Sped ScanServer 2.0.192 with Android Scan App), but also transitioned its legacy EQ-Sped.cargo product to End-of-Life, signalling that the logistics franchise is being re-architected rather than expanded.

Name

Equicon

Legal name

EQUIcon Software GmbH Jena

Website

https://equicon.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EQUIcon Software GmbH Jena (founded 1992, Jena, Germany) develops niche B2B software for electron beam lithography data preparation (ePLACE), SiLA-compliant laboratory automation scheduling (niceLAB), and freight-forwarding logistics (EQ-Sped), serving precision equipment manufacturers, pharmaceutical and biotech labs, and European transport companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Laboratory Automation and Equipment Control Software

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

iBPMS (Intelligent BPM Suites) & Process Automation Suites (HDAEAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

B2B/EDI & Supply Chain Process Automation Platforms (HDAEAHAK), B2B/EDI & Partner Integration (BPAMAOAJ)

Keywords

• Laboratory automation software
• Electron beam lithography
• Freight forwarding software
• SiLA device drivers
• Equipment control software

Headquarters

HQ city

Jena

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Software Development Services: Individual software solutions for technical applications, equipment control, and complex processes. Services span from requirements analysis through validation and deployment.
2. niceLAB Scheduling Software Licenses: SiLA-conform dynamic scheduling software for laboratory automation systems sold as licensed software products.
3. ePLACE Data Preparation Software: Enterprise software for electron beam lithography data preparation with scalable client/server architecture.
4. EQ-Sped Logistics Software Suite: Complete logistics and freight forwarding software product family with multiple modules for order entry, scheduling, invoicing, and tracking.
5. SiLA Device Drivers: Standard-compliant device drivers for laboratory automation equipment, available for Windows operating systems. Custom driver development also offered.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

EQUIcon Software GmbH Jena develops specialized B2B enterprise software across three domains: equipment control software for high-technology machines (notably electron beam lithography data preparation via ePLACE), SiLA-conform laboratory automation scheduling software (niceLAB and device drivers), and logistics software for freight forwarders (EQ-Sped suite covering order entry, scheduling, invoicing, scanning, tracking, and route planning). The company also delivers individual custom software development services for industrial applications requiring cross-platform expertise.

Product overview

EQUIcon offers a portfolio of specialized software products across three main domains: Equipment Control (ePLACE for electron beam lithography data preparation), Laboratory Automation (niceLAB scheduling software with SiLA device drivers), and Logistics (EQ-Sped product family for freight forwarders). The EQ-Sped family includes the core EQ-Sped.cargo logistics software plus specialized modules for network cooperation (EQ-Sped.net), barcode scanning (EQ-Sped.scan), delivery documentation (EQ-Sped.pod), tracking (EQ-Sped.track), web orders (EQ-Sped.isa), and route planning (EQ-Sped.plan). niceLAB serves as the core laboratory automation platform with SiLA-compliant device drivers for integrating laboratory equipment. Additionally, EQUIcon provides custom software development services for specialized industrial applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• niceLAB: Dynamic Scheduling Software for Laboratory Automation - A SiLA-conform scheduling software for laboratory automation systems.
• ePLACE
• EQ-Sped.cargo
• EQ-Sped.net
• EQ-Sped.scan
• EQ-Sped.pod
• EQ-Sped.track
• EQ-Sped.isa
• EQ-Sped.plan
• sim cargo

Products and services

• niceLAB SiLA-conform dynamic scheduling software for laboratory automation systems that creates, processes, and analyzes workflows for laboratory devices. Targets pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies requiring automated workflow execution, event/timer-controlled processing, deadlock prevention, and runtime workflow redirection. Supports drag-and-drop procedure design, SiLA standard error handling, data visualization, and database storage of workflow execution data.
• ePLACE (Dataprep Package) Software for data preparation in electron beam lithography systems that fractures layout data into shapes compatible with electron beam writers. Targets semiconductor and e-beam equipment manufacturers including Vistec Electron Beam. Includes boolean operations, shifting and scaling, PROXECCO proximity effect correction, GIDC contrast improvement, and physical exposure simulation. Client/server architecture enables distributed processing across hundreds of CPUs.
• EQ-Sped.cargo Core logistics software for freight forwarders, transport companies, and transport service providers. Covers master data management, order entry, scheduling/disposition, cargo handling accounts, invoicing, and conditions/price calculation. Status: End-of-Life product, with EQ-Sped Server and Workstation updated through version 4.5.2.9 in 2026.
• EQ-Sped.net Alliance software and service package for cooperation between carriers, freight forwarders, and group freight forwarders. Handles transfer orders, transfer monitoring, and clearing across distributed logistics networks.
• EQ-Sped.scan Barcode scan solution for data acquisition in freight forwarder operations. Supports parallel scanning, online/offline operation, and inventory management. Includes the EQ-Sped ScanServer and Android Scan App for mobile barcode scanning.
• EQ-Sped.pod Proof of delivery software for digitalization and archival of delivery notes in freight forwarding operations. Supports various scanning systems and automatic transfer status allocation.
• EQ-Sped.track Web-based transfer tracking system for customers. Provides secure shipment tracking with status progression, delivery notes management, and configurable customer screens.
• EQ-Sped.isa Web order management software enabling customers to create transfer orders online via browser without software installation. Includes printout facilities and external system interfaces.
• EQ-Sped.plan Structure planning software for evaluation of transport routes and optimization of scheduling. Enables simulation of transfer scenarios and comparison of various simulations.
• SiLA Device Driver SiLA standard-compliant device drivers for laboratory automation equipment. Supports integration of robots, pumps, dispensers, incubators, barcode readers, and cameras from manufacturers including Hamilton, Stäubli, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Enables integration of any SiLA-conform device without custom software development using configuration tools.
• Individual Software Development Custom software development services for industrial applications including laboratory equipment integration (pipettes, dispensers, readers), ergonomic GUI design, and distributed applications using web services. Targets partners requiring custom solutions for specialized industrial applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ultra High Throughput Screening enabled up to 100,000 samples per day (vs 20,000 previously)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SiLA Consortium (Association Consortium Standardization in Lab Automation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008SiLA Consortium develops standards for laboratory automation. EQUIcon has been a member since 2008 and actively participates in standard development including SiLA Device Control & Data Interface Specification (DCDIS). Currently participating in development of further SiLA standards (Data Capture, PMS, Certification).
• Vistec Electron Beam GmbH (now part of Kisi Corp)coreTechnology or IntegrationPROXECCO proximity effect correction software licensed from Vistec Electron Beam GmbH, embedded in ePLACE data preparation software. EQUIcon has developed software for Vistec electron beam writer systems for more than 20 years across all device generations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Raith GmbH: Raith is a direct competitor to Vistec/Kisi in electron beam lithography systems. While EQUIcon is a software supplier to Vistec, Raith represents the most direct peer in the same e-beam lithography equipment category and shares the same semiconductor R&D customer base.
• Riege Software: Riege Software is a German provider of freight forwarding and logistics software (Scope), with a comparable product portfolio to EQ-Sped.cargo, .net, .track, and .isa. Both target mid-market German and European freight forwarders.
• LabWare: LabWare provides laboratory informatics (LIMS/ELN) and workflow software for regulated laboratory environments. It is directly comparable to EQUIcon's niceLAB scheduling and laboratory automation offerings from a workflow-software perspective, though with broader enterprise LIMS focus.
• Tecan: Tecan is a major lab automation platform provider offering instruments, software, and workflow solutions for pharmaceutical and biotech customers — directly overlapping with EQUIcon's niceLAB scheduling and SiLA device integration offerings for drug discovery and screening.
• Hamilton Company: Hamilton manufactures laboratory automation robotics and integrates SiLA-compliant devices across the same lab automation ecosystem EQUIcon serves with niceLAB and its SiLA device drivers. Both companies operate at the same intersection of lab robotics, scheduling, and device interoperability.
• Beckman Coulter Life Sciences: Beckman Coulter provides laboratory automation instruments and integrated workflow software used in pharma/biotech screening applications that EQUIcon's niceLAB platform also targets. Both compete for the same high-throughput screening budgets at pharmaceutical customers.
• AEB GmbH: AEB is a German-headquartered provider of logistics and freight forwarding software (Speditionssoftware), directly comparable to EQUIcon's EQ-Sped product family. Both target the same German and European freight forwarder customer base with overlapping modules for order management, invoicing, and tracking.

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher is a broad life-sciences incumbent offering laboratory instruments, automation, and informatics. EQUIcon's niceLAB and SiLA drivers integrate with Thermo Fisher devices, and Thermo Fisher's broader portfolio positions it as both a partner and potential competitor in lab workflow software.
• PerkinElmer: PerkinElmer is a named EQUIcon customer (UHTS system) and a broader life-sciences and lab automation incumbent with comparable reach into pharmaceutical screening and analytical workflows. Its scale makes it both a key reference customer and a long-term competitive threat.

Emerging players

• LabVantage Solutions: LabVantage provides laboratory informatics and workflow automation software with growing reach into pharmaceutical and biotech customers. It overlaps with EQUIcon's niceLAB scheduling and SiLA integration capabilities at the lab workflow software layer, though with a LIMS-led go-to-market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Equicon