M-Plan
FERCHAU Automotive is the automotive division of FERCHAU GmbH, providing engineering and IT services — software, E/E systems, product development, and production engineering — to German automotive OEMs from a decentralized branch network, with 1,430 staff and €150M in 2024 revenue.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersHarbke, Germany
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What M-Plan does
FERCHAU Automotive is the automotive division of FERCHAU GmbH, a privately held German engineering and IT services company headquartered in Köln. The division delivers engineering services to automotive manufacturers across four technical pillars: software (embedded systems, AI applications, cyber security, high-performance computing), electrics/electronics (ECU software development, IoT vehicle networking), full product development lifecycle (ideation through prototyping and testing), and production engineering (planning and commissioning of production facilities). With 1,430 employees and €150 million in 2024 revenue, it operates a decentralized model with branches co-located in Germany's principal automotive OEM clusters — Köln, Ingolstadt, München, Stuttgart, Weissach, and Wolfsburg.
The business monetizes through a multi-brand service portfolio covering the full engagement spectrum: traditional employee leasing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung), interdisciplinary project teams under work/service contracts, on-demand expert services (SUPPORT), freelancer engagement (CONTRACT), executive and professional search (DIRECT), and third-party provider management (SERVICES). An integrated digital portal called relaX provides a unified customer interface. Pricing is custom and quote-based, with multi-year project contracts the norm. The customer base is enterprise automotive OEMs navigating electrification, digitalization, and autonomy — though no specific OEM logos are disclosed in the source material. The division holds ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and TISAX certifications, with TISAX functioning as the practical information-security gate for OEM prototype and vehicle data. Leadership is anchored by CEO Bernd Gilgen.
M-Plan firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- M-Plan
- Legal name
- FERCHAU GmbH
- Website
- https://m-plan-ce.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- FERCHAU Automotive is the automotive division of FERCHAU GmbH, providing engineering and IT services — software, E/E systems, product development, and production engineering — to German automotive OEMs from a decentralized branch network, with 1,430 staff and €150M in 2024 revenue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where M-Plan is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Harbke
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
M-Plan business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Engineering and IT Staffing Services: Traditional employee leasing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung) placing qualified engineers and IT specialists at client sites. FERCHAU selects exactly the employees best suited for each project from their pool of 1,430 employees.
- Project-Based Contracts: Interdisciplinary teams that independently realize projects under work or service contracts, completely responsible for delivery
- FERCHAU SUPPORT - Experts on Demand: On-demand expert services allowing clients to access specialized talent as needed
- FERCHAU CONTRACT - Freelancer Flexibility: Flexible freelancer services for client projects
- FERCHAU DIRECT - Executive and Professional Search: Professional and executive search services for placing senior talent
- FERCHAU SERVICES - Third Party Management: Management of third-party providers and vendors
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
M-Plan product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FERCHAU Automotive provides engineering and IT services to automotive manufacturers through employee leasing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung) and project-based contracts, drawing from a pool of 1,430 employees to staff each client project. Services span embedded software, E/E systems (ECU development, IoT vehicle networking), full product development lifecycle, and production engineering for automotive facilities. Operations run through a decentralized nationwide branch network across Germany with multiple engagement models (SUPPORT, CONTRACT, COMPETENCE, DIRECT, SERVICES) and an integrated customer portal (relaX).
Product overview
FERCHAU Automotive operates as an engineering and IT services provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of workforce solutions and technical services. The core offerings include SUPPORT (on-demand experts), CONTRACT (freelancer access), COMPETENCE (project solutions), DIRECT (executive search), SERVICES (third-party management), and relaX (all-in-one customer portal). Technical automotive services span Software (embedded software, AI, cyber security, HPC), Electrics/Electronics (ECU development, IoT networking), Product Development (ideation through testing), and Production Engineering (facility planning and implementation). The company employs 1,430 staff and generated 150 million euros in annual revenue (2024).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FERCHAU Automotive: Automotive division of FERCHAU GmbH specializing in engineering services for the automotive industry including software, electronics, product development, and production engineering.
- FERCHAU SUPPORT
- FERCHAU CONTRACT
- FERCHAU COMPETENCE
- FERCHAU DIRECT
- FERCHAU SERVICES
Products and services
- SUPPORT – Experts on Demand On-demand access to engineering and IT experts for project staffing needs, providing flexible workforce solutions for automotive clients.
- CONTRACT – Flexibility with Freelancers Provides access to freelance professionals for engineering and IT projects, enabling flexible workforce arrangements under work or service contracts.
- COMPETENCE – Solutions for your Projects Comprehensive project solutions combining interdisciplinary teams that independently realize projects, taking full delivery responsibility under work or service contracts.
- DIRECT – Professional & Executive Search Professional and executive recruitment services for permanent placements in engineering and IT roles.
- SERVICES – Third Party Management Management and coordination of third-party service providers and contractors for complex engineering and IT projects.
- relaX – All-in-one Portal for Customers Integrated digital platform for managing all personnel needs and project requirements in one interface for automotive clients.
- Automotive Software Services Software expertise for automotive projects covering architecture and design for embedded software, applications of artificial intelligence, cyber security, and high performance computing.
- Automotive Electrics/Electronics Services Engineering services for vehicle electrical and electronic systems, including development of innovative ECU software and networking of IoT systems in vehicles.
- Automotive Product Development Services Full vehicle development lifecycle services from ideation and overall conception through component development, prototyping, and testing.
- Automotive Production Engineering Services Planning, development, and project management of state-of-the-art production facilities for the automotive industry, from first concept to commissioning.
Quantifiable outcome
- 150 million Euro annual revenue (2024)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use M-Plan
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
M-Plan technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
M-Plan partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
M-Plan competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- EDAG Engineering Group: Swiss-German engineering services firm offering full vehicle development, production solutions, and E/E systems work. Comparable as a direct competitor serving the same German automotive customer base with overlapping capabilities in product and production engineering.
- AVL List GmbH: Austrian mobility and powertrain engineering services company with strong German customer penetration. Comparable as a peer providing automotive engineering services including software, simulation, and vehicle development to the same OEM customer base.
- IAV GmbH: German automotive engineering services provider focused on powertrain, vehicle electronics, and software-defined vehicle development. Closely comparable given shared focus on E/E, embedded software, and digitalization projects for German OEMs.
- FEV Group: International engineering services provider with strong German presence, offering vehicle, powertrain, and software development. Comparable as a peer competing for similar engineering services contracts with German automotive OEMs.
- ESG (Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH): German electronics and systems engineering specialist serving automotive, defense, and aerospace. Comparable as a peer offering overlapping E/E, embedded software, and systems integration services to German automotive OEMs.
- Bertrandt AG: German engineering services provider specializing in automotive development across mobility, electronics, and digitalization. Directly comparable as both compete for the same German OEM engineering staffing and project contracts with similar service portfolios.
Broad incumbents
- Altran / Capgemini Engineering: Global engineering services and digital transformation firm (formerly Altran, now integrated into Capgemini) with a major automotive practice. Comparable as a larger, broader incumbent offering overlapping software, embedded systems, and E/E services to automotive clients.
- Porsche Engineering: Engineering services subsidiary of Porsche AG providing full-vehicle development, electronics, and software services to external clients. Comparable as a broader automotive engineering services provider, though with Porsche affiliation advantages on certain contracts.
- AKKA Technologies (Capgemini Engineering): Large European engineering and consulting firm, now part of Capgemini, with deep automotive expertise across software, electronics, and mechanical engineering. A broader incumbent peer offering overlapping automotive engineering services at greater scale and with deeper consulting capabilities.
Emerging players
- Vector Informatik: German automotive software tools and embedded systems specialist with growing services arm. Adjacent peer with overlapping E/E, ECU development, and automotive software expertise, though historically tools-focused rather than services-led.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights1 record
Customer concentration
M-Plan social profiles
Digital presenceM-Plan compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
M-Plan financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
M-Plan leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
M-Plan funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
M-Plan M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about M-Plan
What does M-Plan do?
FERCHAU Automotive provides engineering and IT services to automotive manufacturers through employee leasing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung) and project-based contracts, drawing from a pool of 1,430 employees to staff each client project. Services span embedded software, E/E systems (ECU development, IoT vehicle networking), full product development lifecycle, and production engineering for automotive facilities. Operations run through a decentralized nationwide branch network across Germany with multiple engagement models (SUPPORT, CONTRACT, COMPETENCE, DIRECT, SERVICES) and an integrated customer portal (relaX).
Is M-Plan a public or private company?
M-Plan is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was M-Plan founded?
M-Plan was founded in 1994. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is M-Plan based?
M-Plan is headquartered in Harbke, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does M-Plan make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Engineering and IT Staffing Services are the primary driver. The others are project-Based Contracts, FERCHAU SUPPORT - Experts on Demand, FERCHAU CONTRACT - Freelancer Flexibility, FERCHAU DIRECT - Executive and Professional Search and FERCHAU SERVICES - Third Party Management.
Who are M-Plan's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are EDAG Engineering Group, AVL List GmbH, IAV GmbH, FEV Group, ESG (Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH) and Bertrandt AG. Broad incumbents are Altran / Capgemini Engineering, Porsche Engineering and AKKA Technologies (Capgemini Engineering). Vector Informatik is listed as an emerging player.
Does M-Plan have an API?
No public API is recorded for M-Plan.