ELESTA building automation

What ELESTA building automation does

ELESTA building automation GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer of building automation systems headquartered in Konstanz (registered in Freiburg), with roots in control technology dating to the early 1970s and a dedicated building automation practice since the early 1990s. The company designs and produces, in-house within the EU, the Controlesta RCO-D product family — freely programmable master and compact controllers (RCO 800D and 900D series), modular I/O expansion modules connected via a proprietary T-BUS plug-and-play bus, bus-capable room controllers, and Android-based touch panels — built around ARM9 450MHz controllers with 64MB DDR2 RAM and integrated HTML5 embedded web servers. Native protocol coverage (license-free) spans BACnet/IP, BACnet/Ethernet, BACnet/MSTP, BACnet/PTP, Modbus RTU/TCP, M-Bus, and pump-specific protocols from Wilo and Grundfos, and the controllers carry BACnet B-BC certification per ISO 16484-5:2012 Rev. 12, CE marking, and ISO 9001:2015. Software attaches to the hardware as RCO-tool (engineering and programming, with documentation automation added in version 3.0.0 of December 2024) and RCO-view (web-based building management system on Microsoft .NET), with TOSIBOX-based secure VPN remote access distributed alongside.

Revenue is generated primarily from hardware sales — controllers, I/O modules, room controllers, actuators, valves, and sensors — supplemented by software licenses and a managed system-partner program. The company operates a 100% indirect go-to-market: products reach end customers exclusively through a curated worldwide network of certified system partners who handle project execution, engineering, programming, commissioning, and lifecycle maintenance. ELESTA supports partners with pre-sales assistance, technician-led training courses (basic 600 EUR, advanced 400 EUR), a partner portal for software and firmware distribution, and remote-support tooling including AnyDesk. Customer concentration is spread across large commercial and public buildings — government/corrections (JVA Düsseldorf), healthcare (St. Vincent University Hospital Dublin), education (Asian School of Business Kerala, Dudley College, Gewerbliche Schule Göppingen), hospitality/casino (Haus Ober Zürich), commercial real estate (Four Elements Düsseldorf, abc-Tower Köln, ENECO Shanghai HQ), and transportation infrastructure (Zugspitzbahn at 2,962m) — with active market presence documented in Germany, Switzerland, the UK, Ireland, India, China, Turkey, and the UAE. Headcount sits in the 51-100 range, ownership is concentrated with Managing Director Johannes Laichinger, and the company has no disclosed external funding, M&A activity, or parent-company affiliation.

Name

ELESTA building automation

Legal name

ELESTA building automation GmbH

Website

https://elesta.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ELESTA building automation GmbH is a Konstanz-based, privately held German manufacturer of BACnet-certified building automation controllers, I/O modules, room controllers, and engineering software (RCO-tool, RCO-view), sold exclusively through a worldwide network of certified system partners for HVAC applications in commercial, public, healthcare, and infrastructure buildings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Automation Systems

NAICS

Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512), Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415)

SIC

Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

Building Automation & Controls (BAS/BMS, HVAC Controls) (IMAIABAD)

Headquarters

HQ city

Konstanz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Hardware Products: Sale of building automation controllers (RCO 800D, 900D series), I/O modules, room controllers, field devices, touch panels, and operating units. 90% of hardware stock items available for next-day delivery. Revenue generated from one-time product sales to system partners and end customers.
2. Software Licenses and Tools: RCO-tool project management and programming software and RCO-view building management system are included with software licenses. Additional revenue from software updates and releases distributed via partner portal.
3. System Partner Program: Certification and ongoing support revenue from a global network of certified system partners who integrate and deploy ELESTA products for end customers. Partners handle project execution while ELESTA provides training, remote support, and project assistance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ELESTA develops, manufactures and distributes building automation and building management systems for HVAC applications. The core offering comprises freely programmable RCO 800D and RCO 900D master/network controllers with integrated HTML5 web servers, modular T-BUS I/O expansion modules, BACnet-capable room controllers, Android touch panels, the RCO-tool programming software and the RCO-view web-based building management system. ELESTA also supplies a comprehensive range of HVAC field devices (actuators, valves, sensors, thermostats) and distributes TOSIBOX secure VPN remote access hardware. Products are sold exclusively through a worldwide network of certified system partners.

Product overview

ELESTA building automation offers an integrated building automation and management system for HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) applications. The portfolio is structured as a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on freely programmable RCO-D controller series. The core RCO 800D and 900D master controllers provide the central intelligence with integrated I/O layers and embedded HTML5 web servers. These are expanded via modular I/O modules (RCO110D/120D series) connected via T-BUS. The system includes room controllers (RCO ER series) and touch panels (RCO Webpanels) for human-machine interface, while RCO-tool provides project engineering software and RCO-view offers web-based building management system visualization. TOSIBOX provides secure VPN remote access. The ecosystem is completed with comprehensive field devices including valves, actuators, sensors, and thermostats. Native protocol support includes BACnet/IP, BACnet/Ethernet, BACnet/MSTP, Modbus RTU/TCP, M-Bus, and pump protocols from Wilo and Grundfos.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RCO 800D Series Master/Compact Controllers

Quantifiable outcome

• CO₂ emissions reduced by factor of 100 at Kunsteisbahn Dolder project through waste heat recovery from NH3 refrigeration machines
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TOSIBOX (Tosibox Oy, Finland)coreTechnology or IntegrationTOSIBOX® is a secure VPN remote access solution that ELESTA integrates into its product portfolio. The TOSIBOX Lock (switch with 5xRJ45 sockets) and Key form a secure 128-bit encrypted VPN tunnel for remote BMS access. ELESTA is a TOSIBOX distributor, offering the complete TOSIBOX product range alongside its own controllers.
• JOKO Gebäudeautomation (Jochen Koppers)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSystem partner executing the JVA Düsseldorf project (2011) with 24 RCO-D Master Controllers and 4,173 hardware data points for complete building automation across a 125,000 m² corrections facility.
• Scharr Tec GmbH & Co.KG (Stuttgart, Germany)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSystem partner executing the Gewerbliche Schule Göppingen project (2011) with 24 RCO 7xxD-series controllers, I/O modules, and 350 individual room controllers for a comprehensive building automation renewal.
• elfero AG (Zurich, Switzerland)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSystem partner executing both the Kunsteisbahn Dolder project (2017) and the DS Lötschberg steamship project (2018). The Dolder project achieved a 100x reduction in CO₂ emissions through waste heat recovery.
• Larsen & Toubro Ltd. (India)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerELESTA's Indian technology partner executing the Asian School of Business project in Kerala — India's first LEED-certified academic green building campus. Project involved 15 RCO 7xxD-series controllers and ~2,200 total data points.
• McCool Controls & Engineering (Dublin, Ireland)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSystem partner executing the St. Vincent University Hospital cystic fibrosis extension building (2012) in Dublin. Project of national importance for Ireland's healthcare infrastructure, completed in May 2012 with 120 beds across 7 floors.
• GTS (Istanbul, Turkey)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSystem partner executing the Titanic City Hotel project (2008) in Istanbul. Equipped the four-star-plus hotel with 183 rooms and RCO ER140A02 network-capable individual room controllers for Fan Coil system automation.
• AnyDesk (Germany)coreTechnology or IntegrationELESTA uses AnyDesk remote desktop software for secure remote support to system partners. Downloads are available from the ELESTA website for Windows and macOS. No installation required. Download links connect directly to AnyDesk to ensure always-up-to-date versions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Siemens Smart Infrastructure: Operates the Desigo and APOGEE building automation platforms that compete head-to-head with ELESTA's RCO controllers and RCO-view BMS in mid- and large-scale commercial buildings globally.
• Honeywell Building Technologies: Enterprise Buildings Integrator and ComfortPoint/Comfort controllers target the same large commercial, healthcare, and public-sector projects as ELESTA, with a comparable protocol-rich approach.
• Johnson Controls (Metasys): Metasys BAS and Field Equipment Controllers cover the same large-building automation use cases — HVAC integration, multi-protocol support, web-based visualization — that ELESTA sells via its RCO platform.
• Schneider Electric EcoStruxure Building: Provides BACnet/IP-based BMS and controllers (SpaceLogic, SmartX) directly contesting ELESTA in European commercial buildings, hospitals, and data centers.

Direct peers

• Automated Logic (Carrier): WebCTRL BAS and associated controllers compete for the same large-building automation projects, particularly in North America, with a comparable protocol-rich approach.
• Phoenix Contact: Offers I/O and PLC-based building automation with BACnet/Modbus support and a similar Europe-centric channel-partner model to ELESTA.
• Beckhoff Automation: German automation specialist offering programmable controllers, I/O systems, and BACnet-capable building automation — sharing ELESTA's home market, mid-market OEM/integrator GTM, and freely programmable controller philosophy.
• LOYTEC: Specialist in BACnet/LonWorks building automation with freely programmable controllers and a web-based visualization/management tool — directly comparable niche mid-market peer to ELESTA.
• WAGO Kontakttechnik: Provides freely programmable building automation controllers and I/O modules with native BACnet support — a direct substitute for ELESTA's RCO 800D/900D platforms in Europe.

Regional players

• Sauter (Fr. Sauter AG): Swiss-headquartered BAS manufacturer offering EY-modulo and SAV controllers with BACnet support — overlapping regional DACH footprint and competing for similar green-building and healthcare projects.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCG_guJF3coBIQ_2jPHZZilw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elesta-building-automation

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 ELESTA building automation