What Telma does

Telma AG is a privately held Swiss electronics company founded in 1975 and headquartered in Seftigen, Switzerland, operating with approximately 36 employees including 2 apprentices. The company runs a dual business model combining custom Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) — covering development, industrialization, production, and lifecycle maintenance — with sales of its own proprietary industrial electronics products. Customers are enterprise industrial buyers across rail/transportation, industrial manufacturing, building automation, medical technology, and food and beverage, with named clients including SBB, Stadler, BLS, RhB, Schaerer, Bucher Hydraulics, Juice Technology, and Kummler+Matter.

Telma's proprietary portfolio includes water leak detectors (GL, GLW, and WD series), optical warning systems under the tevilux brand, silver-ion water disinfection systems under the SILWA brand, level controllers (NL series), measurement transducers (MUL series), motor load monitoring systems (PC series), and the ArcoGard contactless arc detection system for rail catenary applications. The technical foundation spans microcontroller-based controls (Microchip 8/16Bit, STM Cortex M4, Cypress/Fujitsu), analog and digital signal processing, and SMD/THT assembly, with demonstrated compliance expertise in EN 50155 (rail), EN 60601 (medical), and EN 60335 (household) standards. The company supports an unusually broad set of industrial communication protocols — RS232, RS485, USB, CAN, I/O-Link, Profibus DP, Profinet RT, Wireless M-Bus, GSM/UMTS, LoRaWAN, Ethernet TCP/IP, IBIS, and TRDP — and operates in-house EMC pre-testing.

The business operates a sales-led, direct-to-enterprise model supplemented by a regional distribution partner network for proprietary products, with quote-based pricing and multi-year contracts and no public price disclosure. Telma is family-controlled under CEO Adrian Bolla and Chairman Mario Bolla, with Simon Ryser as a board member; no external investors, private equity, or parent company affiliations are disclosed. Recent strategic actions include the 2012 integration of the Hermtech electronics division, the 2018 integration of Varitronic products to enter medical technology, ISO 9001:2015 certification through SQS and IQNet, and relocation in 2021 to a newly constructed headquarters building in Seftigen.

Name

Telma

Legal name

Telma AG

Website

https://telma.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Telma AG is a privately held Swiss electronics company, founded in 1975 and based in Seftigen, that develops and manufactures custom industrial electronics (EMS services) and proprietary products including water leak detectors, optical warning systems, railway arc detection (ArcoGard), and silver-ion water disinfection (SILWA) for enterprise customers in rail, industrial, medical, and building sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Electronics Manufacturing

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334290)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Truck Telematics, ADAS & Fleet Electronics Manufacturing (IMACABAM)

Keywords

• Industrial electronics manufacturing
• Custom electronics development
• Railway electronics
• Water leak detection systems
• Electronics manufacturing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Seengen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS): Full-service electronics manufacturing including development, industrialization, production, and maintenance. Component procurement, SMD and THT assembly, and testing of complete assemblies. Focused on Swiss customer requirements and medium-volume competitive manufacturing.
2. Proprietary Products: Own products including water leak detectors (GL, GLW, WD series), optical warning systems (tevilux), level controllers (NL series), measurement transducers (MUL series), motor load monitoring (PC series), arc detection (ArcoGard), water disinfection (SILWA), and LCD displays.
3. Product Analysis and Redesign Services: Free analysis services for electronic control systems, providing assessment of product status and approximate redesign costs for device manufacturers or investors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Telma AG is a Swiss contract electronics manufacturer and developer of proprietary industrial electronic products. It delivers custom electronics development, industrialization, SMD/THT assembly, and life-cycle management services to industrial customers, while also selling its own branded products including water leak detectors, optical warning systems, water disinfection systems, level controllers, measurement transducers, motor load monitoring devices, arc detection systems (ArcoGard), and custom relays and LCD displays. Customers are primarily in Swiss railway, industrial automation, building automation, medical technology, and food/beverage sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ArcoGard: Arc detection system for protecting railway vehicles from damage caused by arcing between overhead contact lines and pantographs.
• Tevilux
• SILWA

Products and services

• Water Leak Detectors (GL, GLW, WD series) Comprehensive water detection systems for detecting conductive fluids in commercial and industrial applications, with both wired and wireless sensor options. Used for water damage prevention in buildings, industrial facilities, and equipment rooms.
• Optical Warning Systems (Tevilux) Light string systems (tevilux brand) for visualizing catenary status in rail maintenance workshops and depots, providing safety signaling for rail personnel.
• SILWA Silver Ion Water Disinfection System Water disinfection system using silver ions to combat microorganisms including bacteria, providing effective disinfection without harmful chemicals for process and drinking water applications.
• Level Controllers (NL series) Level controllers for industrial level monitoring and regulation applications, part of Telma's proprietary measurement and control product portfolio.
• Measurement Transducers (MUL series) Measurement transducers for industrial process measurement and signal conversion in automation and process control applications.
• Motor Load Monitoring (PC series) Motor load monitoring systems for industrial equipment monitoring, preventive maintenance, and energy efficiency applications.
• ArcoGard Arc Detection System Contactless arc detection system that protects rail vehicles from damage caused by arcs between catenary and pantograph, using a current sensor and measurement unit to detect high-frequency noise patterns characteristic of arc formation.
• SYR93 Relay Specialized relay product for industrial control applications, part of Telma's proprietary electronics product line.
• LCD TS Display LCD touch screen display for industrial user interfaces and machine control applications.
• Custom Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Full-service electronics manufacturing services including development, industrialization, production, and maintenance. Component procurement, SMD and THT assembly, and testing of complete assemblies for industrial customers in Switzerland.
• Electronics Product Analysis and Redesign Service Analysis and assessment service for electronic control systems, providing evaluation of product status and approximate redesign costs for device manufacturers or investors.
• Electronics Project Initial Consultation Free initial consultation service for industrial customers planning electronics projects, providing expert guidance on feasibility, technology selection, and project approach.

Quantifiable outcome

• World Skills Vice World Champion 2017 - Jannic Schaeren
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Enotrac AGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner for interference current monitoring technology in rail vehicles. Enotrac holds project rights for this specific application of Telma-developed technology for traction vehicles operating in precise frequency ranges.
• Distribution PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCooperation partners for distribution of high-quality products including water detectors, level controllers, and measurement transducers. Interested partners contact Telma via email.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ABB Ltd: Swiss-headquartered global industrial and rail technology group with traction electronics, signaling, and power products. Overlaps with Telma's rail and industrial measurement/control offerings as a broad incumbent, though serving much larger global customers.
• Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG: German-based global manufacturer of industrial connectivity, electronics, and automation components. Comparable in industrial electronics manufacturing know-how and industrial customer base, with overlapping products in measurement/control interfaces relevant to Telma's transducer business.
• ifm electronic gmbh: German-based global manufacturer of industrial sensors, controllers, and condition monitoring systems. Comparable to Telma's measurement transducer, level controller, and motor load monitoring product families, with a broader industrial-customer reach.
• Knorr-Bremse AG: Global leader in braking and other rail systems, owner of Selectron. Broad incumbent whose rail electronics portfolio overlaps with Telma's rail segment, and whose scale and global footprint dwarf Telma's Swiss-only focus.

Direct peers

• Ingeteam S.A. Spanish-based manufacturer of electrical and electronic equipment with a dedicated rail traction and onboard electronics division. Comparable to Telma in rail-grade embedded power and control electronics serving European rail operators and OEMs.
• Cicor Technologies Ltd: Swiss-headquartered EMS provider offering development, industrialization, and manufacturing of electronics. Closely comparable to Telma's EMS revenue stream and Swiss manufacturing footprint, though larger and more diversified across medical, industrial, and aerospace.
• Medcom Sp. z o.o. Polish manufacturer of power electronics and control systems for rail vehicles. Directly comparable to Telma's rail electronics capabilities (drives, auxiliary power, train control) and competes for the same European rolling-stock OEM customers.
• Selectron Systems AG: Swiss-based specialist in rail vehicle control electronics and train communication systems. Directly comparable to Telma as a domestic rail-electronics supplier serving SBB and other Swiss operators, though owned by Knorr-Bremse.

Regional players

• Phoenix Mecano AG: Swiss-based industrial manufacturer of enclosures, drives, and electronic components. Comparable as a fellow Swiss specialty industrial electronics manufacturer, though Phoenix Mecano is materially larger and serves a more global customer base.

Emerging players

• Aradex AG: German specialist in power electronics and drive systems for rail and electric mobility applications. Comparable niche overlap with Telma's rail-electronics work, particularly motor/inverter-level controls, though smaller and more focused on drives than onboard electronics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/telmaelectronics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/telma-ag/about

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Telma