ilis
ilis gmbh is a privately held German industrial software and metrology company that develops real-time imaging polarimeters (StrainScope), color measurement software (Chroma), and batch recipe optimization software (BatchMaker) for glass manufacturers, pharmaceutical glass packagers, and optical component producers, selling through direct enterprise channels and international trade fairs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersErlangen, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What ilis does
ilis gmbh is a privately held German industrial software and metrology company, founded on May 14, 1998, in Clausthal-Zellerfeld and now headquartered at Henkestr. 91, 91052 Erlangen. The company develops, produces, and distributes precision measurement technology and automatic testing equipment focused on the glass and optical materials industries, operating with a small team of 1-10 employees under the leadership of CEO Henning Katte and COO Daniel Schreinert.
The core product portfolio consists of three families. StrainScope® is a line of real-time imaging polarimeters for objective measurement of mechanical stresses (stress birefringence) in transparent materials, available in six application-specific variants (Stepper, Flex, Optics Tester, Annealing Tester, Cord Tester, Pharma Tester) covering container glass, pharmaceutical glass packaging, and precision optical components. Chroma™ is device-independent software for transmittance and reflectance measurement with integrated color evaluation and data management, released in version 2023.1 with Windows 11 compatibility. BatchMaker™ is software for automatic calculation and optimization of batch recipes and glass properties, also refreshed in 2023.1. The underlying technology combines real-time imaging polarimetry with optical spectrum analysis and numerical batch-property optimization, with the company citing measurement results in under one minute per sample.
ilis generates revenue through one-time software licenses and specialized hardware sales to enterprise customers in glass manufacturing, pharmaceutical glass packaging, and optical components. Its go-to-market is event-driven: the company exhibits at major international trade fairs including glasstec (Düsseldorf), LASER World of Photonics (Munich), SPIE Photonics West (San Francisco), ICSCRM, OPIE (Japan), and W3+ Fair, where it offers live product demonstrations and sample test measurements. Distribution is direct to enterprise buyers globally, with operating geographies spanning Germany, the United States, Japan, and South Korea. The company is founder/management owned with no external funding or parent company.
ilis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ilis
- Legal name
- ilis gmbh
- Website
- https://ilis.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ilis gmbh is a privately held German industrial software and metrology company that develops real-time imaging polarimeters (StrainScope), color measurement software (Chroma), and batch recipe optimization software (BatchMaker) for glass manufacturers, pharmaceutical glass packagers, and optical component producers, selling through direct enterprise channels and international trade fairs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ilis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Metrology Software
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345)
- SIC
- Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Process Analytical Instrumentation (Gas analyzers, spectroscopy, pH/ORP, conductivity) (IMAGAFAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Industrial Vision & Quality Inspection (HDAAAEAG), Machine Vision & Inspection Lighting (Ring lights, bar lights, backlights, strobed illumination) (IMAGAIAG), Inspection, Checkweighing & Detection Systems (Vision, Metal, X-ray) (IMALAOAH)
Keywords
Where ilis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Erlangen
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
ilis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Software Licenses (StrainScope, Chroma, BatchMaker): ilis generates revenue primarily through the sale of its proprietary software products: StrainScope real-time polarimeters, Chroma optical spectrum analysis software, and BatchMaker batch calculation software. These appear to be perpetual or subscription-based software licenses for industrial metrology and quality control applications in the glass industry.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
ilis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ilis develops, produces, and distributes software and measuring technology for objective quality control in the glass and optical materials industries. Its offerings center on real-time imaging polarimeters (StrainScope family) that measure mechanical stresses in transparent materials such as container glass, pharmaceutical glass, and polymer films, complemented by Chroma optical spectrum analysis and color measurement software, and BatchMaker software for automatic batch recipe calculation and optimization.
Product overview
ilis offers a suite of precision measurement and analysis software products for the glass and optical materials industries. The core portfolio includes three main products: StrainScope® (real-time imaging polarimeters for stress measurement in transparent materials), Chroma™ (optical spectrum analysis and color measurement software), and BatchMaker™ (batch calculation and glass development software). StrainScope is available in multiple variants including Stepper, Flex, Optics Tester, Annealing Tester, Cord Tester, and Pharma Tester to address specific measurement applications. Chroma and BatchMaker are software products released in version 2023.1 with Windows 11 compatibility.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- StrainScope: Real-time imaging polarimeters for fast and easy measurement of mechanical stresses in transparent materials.
- Chroma
- BatchMaker
Products and services
- StrainScope Real-time imaging polarimeters for fast and objective measurement of mechanical stresses in transparent materials including container glass, pharmaceutical glass packages, optical materials, and technical polymer films.
- Chroma Universal, device-independent software for transmittance and reflectance measurement with integrated color evaluation and data management, including specialized functions for the glass industry.
- BatchMaker Software package for automatic calculation and optimization of batch recipes and glass properties for glass manufacturing.
Quantifiable outcome
- Measurement results delivered in under one minute per sample (ring section)
Companies that use ilis
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ilis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
ilis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
ilis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Schott AG: Schott is a leading specialty glass manufacturer and a natural customer-prospect for ilis's StrainScope products, especially in pharmaceutical glass packaging. As a major buyer of glass quality-control instrumentation, Schott is a commercially comparative adjacent player in the value chain.
Broad incumbents
- VITRONIC: VITRONIC is a German machine vision specialist serving industrial inspection, traffic monitoring, and pharmaceutical packaging. Its glass and packaging inspection capability competes with ilis's quality-control focus, particularly in container-glass and pharma-glass production lines.
- Mettler-Toledo: Mettler-Toledo is a global leader in precision instruments for industrial and laboratory measurement, including weighing, pipetting, and analytical instruments. Its process analytics and lab instrument lines overlap with ilis's measurement and color analysis products in regulated glass and pharmaceutical environments.
- ISRA VISION (Atlas Copco): ISRA VISION, now part of Atlas Copco, supplies machine vision and inspection systems for glass, automotive, and packaging applications. Its surface, defect, and container-inspection portfolio overlaps with ilis's quality-control focus on glass, though it operates at much larger scale and broader scope.
- Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology: Carl Zeiss offers industrial metrology, microscopy, and optical inspection systems under its Industrial Metrology division. While broader and far larger than ilis, its precision optical measurement capability competes with the same category of stress and dimensional inspection buyers.
- Keyence: Keyence is a Japanese manufacturer of industrial sensors, measurement systems, and machine vision equipment. Its profilometers, colour sensors, and optical inspection products compete with ilis's Chroma and StrainScope lines for industrial quality-control buyers in manufacturing environments.
Emerging players
- Hinds Instruments (Moxtek): Hinds Instruments, now part of Moxtek, develops polarimetry and birefringence measurement instruments for scientific and industrial use. Its technology competes with ilis's StrainScope in the optical stress measurement niche, particularly for research and advanced optical-component buyers.
- Photon etc. Photon etc. develops hyperspectral imaging and optical measurement instruments for industrial and scientific applications. Its real-time imaging capability and spectral analysis overlap technically with ilis's polarimetry and Chroma platforms, particularly for advanced optical inspection use cases.
Direct peers
- Strainoptics: Strainoptics is the closest direct competitor to ilis, manufacturing polarimeters and polariscopes for stress birefringence measurement in glass and transparent materials. Both companies target the same niche of glass quality-control labs with similar real-time imaging polarimetry products.
- Glass Service: Glass Service provides batch calculation software, glass modelling, and process optimization tools for the glass industry, directly comparable to ilis's BatchMaker™. Both companies serve the same glass-manufacturing customers with software that supports recipe formulation and furnace optimization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ilis social profiles
Digital presenceilis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ilis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
ilis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ilis 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 ilis
What does ilis do?
ilis develops, produces, and distributes software and measuring technology for objective quality control in the glass and optical materials industries. Its offerings center on real-time imaging polarimeters (StrainScope family) that measure mechanical stresses in transparent materials such as container glass, pharmaceutical glass, and polymer films, complemented by Chroma optical spectrum analysis and color measurement software, and BatchMaker software for automatic batch recipe calculation and optimization.
Is ilis a public or private company?
ilis is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ilis founded?
ilis was founded in 1998. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ilis based?
ilis is headquartered in Erlangen, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does ilis make money?
One revenue line is on record: software Licenses (StrainScope, Chroma, BatchMaker).
Who are ilis's main competitors?
Schott AG is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are VITRONIC, Mettler-Toledo, ISRA VISION (Atlas Copco), Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology and Keyence. Emerging players are Hinds Instruments (Moxtek) and Photon etc.. Direct peers are Strainoptics and Glass Service.
Does ilis have an API?
No public API is recorded for ilis.
What industry is ilis in?
ilis's product category is Industrial Metrology Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAFAE, Process Analytical Instrumentation (Gas analyzers, spectroscopy, pH/ORP, conductivity), with a secondary code of HDAAAEAG, Industrial Vision & Quality Inspection. Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3827.