MBS

What MBS does

MBS GmbH is a privately held German industrial and building automation company headquartered in Krefeld, Germany, founded in 1994. The company designs, manufactures, and sells universal gateways, routers, and software products that translate between heterogeneous building and industrial automation protocols, including BACnet, Modbus, KNX, LON, DALI, M-Bus, PROFIBUS, PROFINET, CAN, and recent IoT additions MQTT and Sparkplug. Its core product platform comprises the A-Serie (notably the maxi | Mk II family supporting up to 40,000 data points) and the modular X-Serie (Single-X, Double-X, Triple-X variants), complemented by Universal BACnet Routers (UBR-01 and UBR-02), BACnet software products (BTF, BACeye, BACnet Stack), I/O modules, and the LC30 level converter. All hardware is developed and manufactured in Germany.

MBS operates a DAkkS-accredited BACnet testing laboratory (accredited since 2012 per DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025) and a DALI-2 testing facility, generating recurring professional services revenue from approximately 20 test projects per year, with 80% from existing customers. Revenue is generated through five streams: hardware sales (one-time purchase of configurable gateways), software products (one-time licensing), training seminars (e.g., BACnet fundamentals at €595 per participant), DAkkS-accredited testing and certification services, and post-sale support and commissioning services. Distribution is sales-led and direct (phone, email, online product request forms), supplemented by a partner reseller program and OEM/embedded integration. The customer base spans building automation device manufacturers, system integrators, property owners, facility managers, and protocol planners/technicians in the DACH region, with a recent strategic push into broader European markets led by a newly appointed Head of Global Business Development and Sales.

The company is led by Managing Directors Melanie Loy and Nils-Gunnar Fritz, with Tobias Plath joining as Head of Global Business Development and Sales effective March 1, 2024. Ownership remains with founders and management, with no external institutional investors or parent company identified. The firm holds ISO 9001 quality management certification (valid through April 2026) and multiple product certifications including BTL, BACnet/SC Revision 22, PROFINET 2.3.5, AMEV, CB, and optional UL, reinforcing its positioning as a compliance-driven, protocol-certified specialist in the European building automation ecosystem.

Name

MBS

Legal name

MBS GmbH

Website

https://mbs-software.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

MBS GmbH is a Krefeld, Germany-based manufacturer founded in 1994 that designs, produces, and certifies universal gateways, routers, and software for industrial and building automation protocol translation, serving device manufacturers, system integrators, and facility managers across the DACH region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Krefeld

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, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Products: Sale of universal gateways, BACnet routers, I/O modules, level converters (Pegelwandler), and related hardware. Products sold directly with configurable protocol options.
2. Software Products: BACnet Test Framework (BTF), BACeye software, BACnet stack, and software solutions for building automation.
3. Training and Seminars: Technical seminars on BACnet, Modbus, and gateway applications. Conducted in Krefeld or on-site at customer locations.
4. Testing and Certification Services: DAkkS-accredited BACnet testing laboratory providing conformity testing, BTL certification support, and DALI testing services.
5. Support and Commissioning Services: Technical support, commissioning assistance, and test equipment services for product implementation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MBS GmbH manufactures and sells universal gateways, BACnet routers, I/O modules, and level converters for industrial and building automation protocol translation supporting BACnet, Modbus, KNX, LON, DALI, M-Bus, PROFIBUS, PROFINET, CAN, MQTT, and Sparkplug. The company also develops BACnet software products (Stack, Test Framework, BACeye visualization) and operates a DAkkS-accredited BACnet and DALI testing laboratory providing conformity testing and certification support services. Additionally, MBS delivers technical training seminars on BACnet, Modbus, and gateway applications.

Product overview

MBS GmbH is a German manufacturer of industrial and building automation hardware and software. The product portfolio centers on the Gateway Configurator platform enabling protocol translation between BACnet and other communication standards. Core products include the X-Serie (Single-X, Double-X, Triple-X) and A-Serie (maxi | Mk II family) universal gateways supporting protocols such as BACnet, Modbus, KNX, PROFIBUS, PROFINET, LON, DALI, M-Bus, CAN, and MQTT/Sparkplug for cloud integration. The company also offers Universal BACnet Routers (UBR-01, UBR-02), BACnet software products (Stack, Test Framework BTF, BACeye), LC30 level converters, I/O modules, and the BACnet/Sparkplug-enabled gateways for IoT/cloud connectivity. Services include a DAkkS-accredited BACnet testing laboratory, DALI testing laboratory, and technical training seminars. All products are developed and manufactured in Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• A-Serie: Universal Gateways product line featuring compact design with up to 40,000 data points, including maxi | Mk II variants.
• X-Serie

Products and services

• A-Serie Gateway Platform (maxi | Mk II family) Compact universal gateway series designed for industrial and building automation. The maxi | Mk II features one-third the dimensions of conventional devices, supports up to 40,000 data points, and includes ARM Cortex-A7 dual-core processor, real-time clock with capacitor buffering, and microSD card support up to 2GB. Available in Single-A, Double-A, and modular configurations. CB certified with optional UL certification for North American market. Made in Germany.
• X-Serie Gateway Platform (Single-X, Double-X, Triple-X) Flexible gateway platform based on modular architecture offering exceptional versatility and adaptability. The X-Serie includes Single-X (standard), Double-X (with one integrated protocol hardware adapter), and Triple-X (with two integrated protocol adapters) variants. Supports protocols including CAN, DALI, KNX, LON, M-Bus, PROFINET, USB, and x-link (3x LAN, 2x RS232, 2x RS485). ARM9 processor with web interface for configuration and analysis.
• UBR-01 Universal BACnet Router Universal BACnet router for cross-network data communication in industrial and building automation environments. Supports BACnet/IP, BACnet MS/TP, BACnet Ethernet, and BACnet Secure Connect (BACnet/SC) with BACnet Revision 22. Enables encrypted communication infrastructure for building automation networks.
• UBR-02 Universal BACnet Router Universal BACnet router with BACnet Secure Connect support. Features adapted web interface with pages for encrypted communication and certificate management. Backward compatible with BACnet MS/TP, BACnet/IP, and BACnet Ethernet installations.
• BACnet Stack BACnet protocol software stack developed by CS-Lab and distributed by MBS. Provides complete BACnet implementation for efficient market readiness of BACnet devices or software. Includes support and proven experience.
• BACnet Test Framework (BTF) Testing software for BACnet device conformance and interoperability validation. Supports BACnet protocol testing according to BTL requirements and ISO 16484-6 standard.
• BACeye BACnet visualization and monitoring software. Provides BACnet/SC support with extended handbook documentation available.
• LC30 Level Converter Level converter for M-Bus systems, providing power supply to connected devices. Cost-effective consumption data acquisition solution in proven MBS quality.
• I/O Modules Input/output module products for building and industrial automation system connectivity and signal processing.
• BACnet Test Laboratory (DAkkS-accredited) DAkkS-accredited testing laboratory (DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025) with approximately 10 staff members. Provides neutral BACnet conformance testing, BTL certification support, and approximately 20 test projects per year. Operational since 2012.
• DALI Testing Laboratory Accredited DALI testing facility for DALI-2 device certification. Provides conformance testing for DALI lighting control devices.
• Training Seminars Technical training seminars on BACnet, Modbus, and gateway applications. Held at MBS headquarters in Krefeld or on-site. Topics include BACnet fundamentals, BACnet/SC certificates, Modbus implementation, and gateway commissioning. Seminar fee: 595 EUR per participant (excl. VAT) with 50% student/working student discount.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hardware footprint reduced to one-third of conventional devices
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BAERIS (Baer Energie- & Messtechnik GmbH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 2022Strategic partnership combining BAERIS meter protocols (IEC 62056-21, SML, M-Bus, DSfG) with MBS Universal Gateways. Enables meter remote reading and building automation on single infrastructure using MQTT for internal communication between native firmware and BAERIS software.
• CS-LabcoreTechnology or IntegrationCS-Lab develops BACnet Stack distributed by MBS. Long-standing partnership for BACnet protocol implementation enabling efficient market readiness for BACnet devices and software.
• SE-ElektronicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint seminar delivery for BACnet training. Combined expertise for practical BACnet knowledge delivery for planning, integration, and operation.
• Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMBS is Patron Member of CIBSE, supporting promotion of best practices and development of talent in building automation.
• DALI AlliancecoreTechnology or IntegrationDALI-accredited testing facility for DALI-2 certification. Now offering DALI testing services alongside BACnet testing laboratory.
• Profibus & Profinet International (PI)coreTechnology or IntegrationFormal certification through PI (Dachverband) for PROFINET gateways according to GSDML Specification 2.3.5.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Phoenix Contact: Phoenix Contact is a major German industrial automation vendor with PLCs, I/O, and protocol-conversion networking products. Comparable to MBS in offering industrial protocol gateways, but operates at a much larger scale across a broader portfolio.
• Schneider Electric (EcoStruxure Building): Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure Building Operation integrates BACnet, KNX, Modbus, and LonWorks within a unified BMS. Competes with MBS in protocol-translation use cases, though Schneider's offering is bundled into a full building-management suite.
• WAGO: WAGO is a German industrial automation incumbent offering controllers, I/O and building automation gateways (BACnet, KNX, Modbus). Larger and broader than MBS, but overlapping in building-automation protocol translation and serving the same European system-integrator channel.
• Siemens (Desigo / Building Products): Siemens offers Desigo CC and building-automation controllers with integrated BACnet/KNX/Modbus support. As a global incumbent, it competes with MBS in mid-to-large building automation projects where MBS's pre-certified interoperability is a differentiator.
• Honeywell (Niagara Framework / BMS): Honeywell's Niagara Framework is a leading open building-automation integration platform supporting BACnet, Modbus, KNX, and LonWorks. Comparable to MBS in protocol integration, but part of a much larger BMS portfolio targeting enterprise customers.

Direct peers

• Moxa: Moxa is a Taiwanese manufacturer of industrial networking and protocol-conversion equipment with broad protocol coverage including BACnet, Modbus, and PROFINET. Comparable to MBS in targeting industrial automation system integrators with hardware gateways.
• Intesis (HMS Networks): Intesis, acquired by HMS Networks, specializes in building automation protocol gateways translating BACnet, KNX, Modbus, DALI, M-Bus, and LonWorks. It competes head-to-head with MBS Universal Gateways in the system-integrator channel across Europe.
• HMS Networks: HMS Networks (Anybus, Ewon, IXXAT) is a Swedish manufacturer of industrial communication gateways and remote-access solutions. It is the closest direct competitor to MBS, offering protocol-conversion gateways for BACnet, Modbus, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and other industrial protocols with a similar product/market profile.

Others

• DALI Alliance: The DALI Alliance maintains the DALI-2 lighting-control standard and accredits testing labs. MBS recently became an accredited DALI testing facility, making the alliance a direct counterpart rather than a competitor.
• BACnet Testing Laboratories (BTL): BTL is the standards-body program that certifies BACnet device conformance globally. MBS is an accredited BTL testing lab; comparable as an ecosystem participant and standards-adjacent service provider rather than a product competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCARCsqRld8aakbE7A0N04ZQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/MBS.GmbH.Krefeld
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/mbs-gmbh-krefeld
• Instagraminstagram.com/mbs_solutions_kr
• Xx.com/mbs_gmbh

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 MBS