CSAE

Industrial Automation Systemscsae.de

Company typePrivate
Founded1999
HeadquartersWolfsburg, Germany
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2B
OfferingHardware or Manufacturing

CSAE firmographics

Firmographics

Name: CSAE
Legal name: CSAE GmbH
Website: https://csae.de
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1999
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

CSAE industry classification

Industry

Product category: Industrial Automation Systems
NAICS: Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411), Switchgear and Switchboard Apparatus Manufacturing (335313), Electronic Computer Manufacturing (334111), Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (334)
SIC: Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Nec (3569), Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)
akta.pro primary industry: Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM)
akta.pro secondary industries: Industrial Controllers & Control Systems (PLCs, PACs, CNC Controllers) (IMAHAHAH), End-User Computing Outsourcing (EUC / Desktop Services) (BPAEAMAE)

Keywords

Industrial automation services
Pick-by-light systems
Industrial computing hardware
Custom software development
Electrical engineering services

Where CSAE is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Wolfsburg
HQ country: Germany
HQ region: Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

CSAE business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Hardware or Manufacturing
Cost components: Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

Hardware Sales: Sale of industrial computing hardware including Panel-PCs, Box-PCs, Rack-PCs, and Pick-by-Light components. One-time purchase model with potential volume discounts from 5 units.
Product Sales: Sale of proprietary products including Smart Light Touch, Smart Light Beam, and Oflasy systems. Products include both hardware components and software licenses.
Software Development Services: Custom web development, database development, and desktop application development services. Projects are quoted based on requirements with at least four-digit investment amounts.
Automation Technology Services: Planning, construction, and automation services for industrial applications. Includes SPS programming, robot programming, process visualization, and optimization.
Electrical Technology Services: Electrical installation services including industrial automation, retrofit, construction, process visualization, and commissioning. Also includes residential and office electrical work.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Unit Pricing	One time/ perpetual license	Oflasy Meet - Meeting room booking package
Unit Pricing	One time/ perpetual license	Oflasy Office - Digital office signage package
Unit Pricing	One time/ perpetual license	Rack-PC Volume Pricing
Unit Pricing	One time/ perpetual license	Panel-PC Volume Pricing
Other	Multi-year contract	Custom Software Development

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

CSAE product offering

Product offering

Core offering

CSAE GmbH is a German systemhaus that develops and sells proprietary industrial automation hardware (pick-by-light systems, light-guided employee assistance systems, industrial PCs, and digital room management) and provides engineering services including custom software development, automation technology, and electrical engineering. The company's flagship products are Smart Light Touch (modular pick-by-light commissioning system), Smart Light Beam (light-guided employee assistance), Oflasy (digital room management), and the Panel-PC, NANO BlackLine, and IPC 19" industrial computer families. Revenue is generated through product sales, hardware sales, and project-based professional services.

Product overview

CSAE GmbH offers a portfolio of proprietary industrial hardware products and software-controlled systems, complemented by engineering services. The core hardware lineup includes the Panel-PC (industrial HMI touch display), NANO BlackLine (compact fanless Box-PC), and IPC 19" Rack-PC (rack-mounted industrial computer). The two flagship software-driven systems are Smart Light Touch (pick-by-light commissioning system) and Smart Light Beam (light-guided employee assistance system), both controlled via proprietary software with dedicated control units (Smart Light Connect for ERP integration and Smart Light Active for standalone operation). Oflasy is the room management product line available in two variants: Oflasy Meet for meeting room booking and Oflasy Office as a digital door sign. The product ecosystem is supported by a customer portal (PortIn) for driver downloads, support, and project status tracking. All products are complemented by engineering services in software development, automation technology, and electrical engineering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Smart Light Touch: Modular picking system using light-guided components for efficient order picking and commissioning in industrial environments.
Smart Light Beam
Oflasy
Panel-PC
NANO BlackLine
IPC 19" (2HE und 4HE)
PortIn

Quantifiable outcome

40%+ productivity increase at Volkswagen
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use CSAE

Customer profile

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

CSAE technology and API

Technology

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature6 records

CSAE partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

Turck (Hans Turck GmbH & Co. KG)coreTechnology or IntegrationLong-standing partnership with Turck, a leading automation technology provider. Turck is a strategic partner and system partner for CSAE. CSAE's Pick-by-Light system Smart Light Touch was featured in Turck's customer magazine, indicating a co-marketing relationship and integration partnership for industrial automation solutions.
Volkswagen AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSAE has been a reliable partner for plant engineering in the automotive industry for over 20 years, working at Volkswagen headquarters in Wolfsburg. They have been involved in Hall 14 on joining tables, demonstrating deep integration with VW production processes. CSAE's systems have helped achieve 40%+ productivity increase at VW.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

CSAE competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

SICK AG: German global leader in industrial sensors and automation. Comparable through light-based sensing and operator guidance technologies that overlap with Smart Light Beam-style applications in production and logistics.
ifm electronic: German incumbent in industrial sensors, control, and IO-Link solutions. Overlaps with CSAE's automation hardware and controls, with much larger global footprint and broader product lines.
Balluff: German industrial sensor and connectivity specialist serving factory automation. Comparable in automation technology and German mid-market industrial customer focus, though at larger scale.
Phoenix Contact: Global incumbent in industrial automation, connectivity, and control cabinet solutions. Overlaps with CSAE's industrial PC, panel building, and PLC programming offerings, but operates at significantly larger scale across broader product portfolio.

Regional players

TQ-Systems: German embedded computing and industrial PC manufacturer. Direct overlap with CSAE's Panel-PC, Box-PC, and Rack-PC product lines, with broader embedded systems portfolio.
Wenglor Sensoric Group: German-based provider of industrial sensors, machine vision, and safety technology. Comparable through automation and sensor-based operator guidance in the DACH region, though primarily sensor-focused rather than systems integrator.

Direct peers

Banner Engineering: US-based industrial automation and Pick-to-Light specialist. Direct competitor in Pick-by-Light and light-guided operator systems, with broader product catalog and global distribution.
Beckhoff Automation: German manufacturer of PC-based control systems, PLCs, and industrial PCs. Direct competitor in industrial PC hardware and automation controllers; comparable German engineering heritage and target customers in machine building and plant engineering.
König KBS (KBS Industrieelektronik): German specialist in Pick-by-Light, Put-to-Light, and warehouse light guidance systems. Direct competitor in CSAE's core Smart Light Touch market, focused on intralogistics customers in the DACH region.
Hans Turck GmbH & Co. KG: Global industrial automation sensor and connectivity provider. Direct peer in Pick-by-Light and industrial automation integration; already a strategic partner of CSAE and a co-marketing channel for Smart Light Touch.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

CSAE financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

CSAE leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

CSAE funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

CSAE M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CSAE

What does CSAE do?

Is CSAE a public or private company?

CSAE is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.

When was CSAE founded?

CSAE was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is CSAE based?

CSAE is headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany, in the Europe region.

How does CSAE make money?

Five revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are product Sales, software Development Services, automation Technology Services and electrical Technology Services.

Who are CSAE's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are SICK AG, ifm electronic, Balluff and Phoenix Contact. Regional players are TQ-Systems and Wenglor Sensoric Group. Direct peers are Banner Engineering, Beckhoff Automation, König KBS (KBS Industrieelektronik) and Hans Turck GmbH & Co. KG.

Does CSAE have an API?

No public API is recorded for CSAE.

What industry is CSAE in?

CSAE's product category is Industrial Automation Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAIAM, Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting, with a secondary code of IMAHAHAH, Industrial Controllers & Control Systems (PLCs, PACs, CNC Controllers). Its NAICS code is 33451 and its SIC code is 3823.