What Technical Software Engineering does

Technical Software Engineering is a German Test & Measurement (T&M) systems provider headquartered in Wolnzach. Founded in 1988 in Munich (moved to Wolnzach in 2008) and operating as a GmbH since 2021, the firm employs 40+ people and serves the automotive electronics, general electronics industry, and T&M industry segments. Its core platform is THEMIS, a modular, flexible system for test sequence creation and execution, complemented by a suite of specialized instruments: KERBEROS for LXI certification testing, CHRONOS for IEEE 1588 PTP time synchronization, HERAKLES, POSEIDON, and KRATOS for additional test scenarios, plus a USB-TMC Adapter.

The company generates revenue through a direct B2B model selling into enterprise customers with high-touch engineering integration; a multi-decade customer relationship with Volkswagen Group (since 2007) anchors the automotive revenue base, and the firm is increasingly extending reach through partnerships with Rohde & Schwarz (2025), TenAsys (2026), and IntervalZero (2017), as well as through consortium memberships in the LXI Consortium (since 2014) and IVI Consortium (since 2018). Differentiated by proprietary technology, deep standards expertise (LXI, IVI, IEEE 1588), and embedded customer workflows, the firm operates in a niche where switching costs and certification-driven adoption reinforce competitive position.

Name

Technical Software Engineering

Legal name

Technical Software Engineering Plazotta GmbH

Website

https://tsep.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Technical Software Engineering is a German Test & Measurement systems provider serving automotive and electronics industry customers with modular platforms including THEMIS and instruments such as KERBEROS and CHRONOS for standards-compliant test workflows.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wolnzach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom T&M Systems and Components: Development and sale of customized test and measurement systems including modular THEMIS platform components (hardware modules, software modules, and custom individual solutions). One-time project-based revenue for custom development.
2. Software Products: Sale of software products including CHRONOS (PTP implementation), KERBEROS (LXI certification), HERAKLES (test bench), and POSEIDON (remote system). Includes both initial licenses and updates.
3. Professional Services: Technical consulting, integration support, and development services for implementing TSEP products and custom T&M solutions. Includes technical advice and engineering support.
4. IEEE 1588 Stack Licensing: Licensing of IEEE 1588 implementation to companies, including both LXI members and non-members who require IEEE 1588 conformance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TSEP develops and sells modular Test & Measurement (T&M) systems for enterprise customers. The flagship THEMIS platform combines standardized hardware enclosures, modules, and boards with software components, complemented by standalone products such as the KERBEROS LXI 1.6 self-certification tool, the CHRONOS IEEE 1588 PTP implementation, the USB-TMC Adapter, and the HERAKLES test bench software. The company also delivers custom engineering services (TSEP Individual) and licenses its IEEE 1588 stack to third parties.

Product overview

TSEP (Technical Software Engineering Plazotta GmbH) is a German Test & Measurement systems provider offering a modular platform-plus-products architecture. The core offering is TSEP THEMIS, a modular measurement system combining standardized hardware enclosures, modules, and boards with software components. Supporting products include TSEP KERBEROS for LXI self-certification, the USB-TMC Adapter for USB-TMC connectivity, and software modules CHRONOS (IEEE 1588 PTP implementation), HERAKLES (test bench software), POSEIDON (remote system), and KRATOS (installation tool). The company provides both modular off-the-shelf solutions and custom individual development services, all developed and manufactured in Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• THEMIS: Modular hardware and software test and measurement system for product development, quality assurance, and functional testing
• KERBEROS
• CHRONOS
• HERAKLES
• POSEIDON

Products and services

• TSEP THEMIS Modular Test & Measurement platform combining standardized hardware enclosures, modules, and boards with custom software components (including HERAKLES test bench software, POSEIDON remote system, and KRATOS installation tool). THEMIS supports IEEE 1588, LXI, and IVI standards, is positioned as a more cost-effective alternative to standard PXI/PXIe systems, and is targeted at innovators in automotive electronics, electronics manufacturing, and the T&M industry for product development, quality assurance, and functional testing.
• TSEP KERBEROS Self-certification solution for verifying LXI functions on measuring instruments; currently the only tool worldwide for certifying LXI 1.6 devices. Includes hardware and software components for automated LXI conformance testing and is targeted at manufacturers of test and measurement devices that need to certify their LXI instruments.
• TSEP USB-TMC Adapter Adapter that converts a conventional USB 3.0 port into a USB-TMC port, enabling USB-TMC functionality for smaller measurement device manufacturers that would otherwise lack native USB-TMC support. The 2025 revision uses an FX5 microcontroller for higher data rates and faster communication.
• TSEP CHRONOS Software implementation of the IEEE 1588-2019 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) v2.1 standard for time-synchronous measurement, supporting sub-microsecond synchronization accuracy. CHRONOS is developed in C++ (C++11 standard) using Intel I21x network chips, is available as an IEEE 1588 Master Stack for Windows and RTX64, and is licensed to LXI members and non-members requiring IEEE 1588 conformance.
• TSEP Individual Custom development service for tailored Test & Measurement solutions that meet specific customer requirements, ranging from adapted hardware/software modules to fully customized measuring devices in small series. Targeted at enterprises and small-series measuring device manufacturers with requirements that off-the-shelf systems cannot meet.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nanosecond-level time synchronization accuracy achieved with IEEE 1588 implementation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TenAsyscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026Extended TSEP's PTP stack, CHRONOS, to include support for TenAsys' real-time operating system INtime. This enables TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) applications for real-time systems, allowing precise time synchronization in RTOS environments.
• Rohde & SchwarzcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Host of LXI Meeting and Plugfest 2025. TSEP actively participates in LXI consortium events hosted by industry leaders, demonstrating their commitment to LXI standardization and collaboration.
• IVI ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Member of the IVI consortium since 2018, contributing to interoperability standards in test and measurement instrumentation.
• IntervalZerocoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2017Technology partnership for porting TSEP's IEEE 1588 stack to RTX64. This cooperation enables users to develop new applications with exact time synchronization under Windows with real-time properties. The partnership combines PTP capabilities with IntervalZero's RTX64 real-time solution under Windows.
• LXI ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Member of the LXI consortium since 2014. TSEP has over 15 years of experience in LXI technology and actively contributes to the development of LXI standards including LXI Time Synchronization (IEEE 1588).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Keysight Technologies: Global T&M incumbent with broad electronic test instrumentation portfolio. Comparable on LXI/PTP instrument capability, IVI driver support, and custom T&M solutions for automotive and electronics.
• Rohde & Schwarz: Large German T&M player and named TSEP partner that hosted the LXI Meeting and Plugfest 2025. Overlaps on LXI instruments, IEEE 1588 timing, and EMC/automotive test, while operating at vastly larger scale.
• VTI Instruments (now part of AMETEK): Modular LXI-based data acquisition and T&M instruments with IEEE 1588 timing. Comparable to TSEP's modular measurement portfolio within a larger corporate parent.

Direct peers

• ADLINK Technology: Provider of modular PXI/PXIe platforms, DAQ cards, and T&M software. Competes with TSEP on modular measurement systems and IEEE 1588-based distributed measurement.
• Marvin Test Solutions: Specialist in functional test systems and PXI-based modular T&M for aerospace, defense and automotive — closely comparable to TSEP on modular custom T&M solutions.
• Pickering Interfaces: Modular PXI/LXI switching and instrumentation modules serving the same small-to-medium test bench customers as TSEP THEMIS, including LXI-compliant instruments and PXI modules.
• National Instruments (now Emerson Test & Measurement): Long-standing PXI/PXIe modular T&M platform provider that TSEP explicitly positions THEMIS against as a cost-effective alternative. Overlaps directly on hardware modules, software stacks, and IVI/LXI instrument drivers.

Emerging players

• Calnex Solutions: Specialist in PTP/synchronization testing and timing conformance tools — directly adjacent to TSEP CHRONOS and KERBEROS as a focused player in IEEE 1588 protocol testing and certification.
• Meinberg Funkuhren: German PTP grandmaster clocks and IEEE 1588 timing hardware/software vendor. Comparable to CHRONOS on the PTP timing side, though focused on time sources rather than measurement platforms.
• Conduant: Provider of high-speed data recording and PTP-synchronized distributed measurement systems, overlapping with TSEP on networked, time-synchronized measurement for applications like radar and physics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TSEP.Official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tsep

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Technical Software Engineering