HELP TEC AUTOMATION AG

What HELP TEC AUTOMATION AG does

Help-Tec Automation AG is a privately held Swiss industrial automation company headquartered in Pieterlen, Switzerland, founded in June 1993 by four former managers and two partners in the wake of a recession. The founders positioned the firm around the principle of human-automation symbiosis—automating to optimize rather than eliminate jobs—and the company has since operated continuously for over 30 years with a stable headcount of approximately 25 employees and a cumulative track record of more than 750 completed projects.

The company designs and builds customer-specific industrial automation systems, with a core portfolio spanning custom assembly machines (Montageautomaten), portal loaders and unloaders for machining centers and grinding machines (Schleifmaschinen), and supporting peripheral equipment including palletizing devices and feeding systems (vibrators, hub loaders, elevators). A more recent addition is the Multifunctional Automated Robotic Cell (MARC), documented in a brochure dated June 2020, which extends the offering toward flexible robotic work cells. Underlying capabilities are delivered by an in-house team covering project engineering, software development, mechanical assembly, and electrical installation, with software for automation control and touchscreen interfaces now developed internally.

Help-Tec generates revenue through project-based, quote-priced contracts for custom industrial automation systems, sold primarily via direct B2B enterprise field sales to clients in Switzerland and internationally. The customer base spans six verticals: automotive, pharmaceutical, watchmaking, food, and electronics/electrical engineering. The company is privately held with no disclosed external investors, operates without subsidiaries or a parent entity, and markets itself through a multilingual website (DE/EN/FR/IT), specialized engineering and production subsites, and a presence on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook under a dedicated Digital Marketing function.

Name

HELP TEC AUTOMATION AG

Legal name

Help-Tec Automation AG

Website

https://help-tec.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Help-Tec Automation AG is a privately held Swiss industrial automation firm in Pieterlen that designs custom assembly machines, portal loaders/unloaders, and robotic cells for industrial clients across automotive, pharmaceutical, watchmaking, food, and electronics sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Equipment

NAICS

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332), All Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (333248)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Nec (3569)

akta.pro primary industry

Factory Automation Cells & Integrated Systems (Assembly, Welding, Painting Lines) (IMAHAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Control System Integration & Engineering Services (Design, Commissioning, Retrofits) (IMAGABAK), CNC Machine Tools (Turning, Milling, Machining Centers) (IMAHADAA)

Keywords

• Industrial automation systems
• Custom assembly machines
• Robotic cell automation
• Machine loading equipment
• Peripheral automation devices

Headquarters

HQ city

Pieterlen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Automation Systems and Equipment: Design, development, and delivery of customer-specific industrial automation systems including assembly machines, portal loaders/unloaders, and peripheral equipment. Revenue is generated through project-based custom automation solutions delivered to industrial clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Help-Tec Automation AG designs, engineers, and manufactures custom industrial automation systems including assembly machines (Montageautomaten), portal loaders and unloaders for machining centers and grinding machines, and peripheral equipment such as palletizers, vibrators, hub loaders, and elevators. The company also builds multifunctional automated robotic cells for flexible manufacturing applications, serving industrial manufacturers in automotive, pharmaceutical, watchmaking, food, and electronics sectors.

Product overview

Help Tec Automation AG is a Swiss industrial automation company with over 30 years of experience and 750+ completed projects. The company develops custom automation solutions primarily in the form of assembly machines (Montageautomaten), portal loaders and unloaders for machining centers including grinding machines, and peripheral equipment such as palletizing devices, vibrators, hub loaders, and elevators. The product portfolio centers on customized industrial automation systems for sectors including automotive, pharmaceuticals, watchmaking, food, electronics, and electrical engineering. Key offerings include the Multifunctional Automated Robotic Cell and specialized Hublader Solutions for loading operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Industrial Automation Solutions

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mikron Group: Swiss precision machining and automation solutions provider serving automotive, pharmaceutical, and general industrial customers. Comparable for Swiss-anchored, mid-sized automation and assembly machinery offerings to demanding end markets.
• Stäubli: Swiss-headquartered manufacturer of industrial robotics and automation solutions, including SCARA and 6-axis robots used in assembly, material handling, and precision manufacturing. Comparable as a Swiss-rooted automation specialist serving similar end markets including watchmaking-adjacent precision production.
• Schubert Group: German family-owned manufacturer of custom automated packaging and assembly systems for pharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetics. Comparable for project-based custom automation systems integration with similar end-market and project-size profile.
• Heitec AG: German automation specialist delivering customized assembly systems, production lines, and digital solutions for industrial customers. Comparable as a similarly-sized custom automation systems integrator with project-based revenue model.

Broad incumbents

• ABB: Global industrial automation and robotics leader offering controllers, drives, robots, and integrated automation solutions. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose automation portfolio spans the same assembly, material handling, and machine-tending use cases Help-Tec serves.
• Festo: German-headquartered automation technology supplier of pneumatic and electric automation components, systems, and integrated solutions for factory and process automation. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving similar industrial customer needs, though predominantly component-based.
• KUKA AG: Major global supplier of industrial robots, automated production systems, and integrated automation solutions. Comparable as a dominant automation incumbent whose portfolio overlaps Help-Tec's assembly and material-handling solutions, though at vastly larger scale.
• Bosch Rexroth: Global supplier of drive and control technologies, factory automation components, and assembly systems for factory automation. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping assembly, material handling, and machine-tending offerings.
• Yaskawa: Major Japanese manufacturer of industrial robots (Motoman), motion control, and AC drives widely used in assembly automation and machine tending. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose robotics and motion products support the same end-use applications Help-Tec addresses.
• Siemens (Digital Industries): Global industrial automation incumbent offering PLCs, drives, motion control, and integrated automation systems under the SIMATIC and SINUMERIK brands. Comparable as the broadest incumbent whose automation stack overlaps Help-Tec's machine-tending and assembly applications.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@helptec
• Facebookfacebook.com/helptecautomation
• Instagraminstagram.com/help.tec
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/help-tec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 HELP TEC AUTOMATION AG