What EKF Elektronik does

EKF Elektronik GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer of modular industrial embedded computing systems, founded in 1972 and headquartered in Hamm, Germany. The company designs and produces boards, systems, and housings based on PICMG standards — primarily CompactPCI Serial, CompactPCI PlusIO/Classic, and CompactPCI Express/PXIe — and is a co-developer of the newer ModBlox7 modular IPC standard ratified in 2024. Its proprietary Embedded Blue and Embedded Gold product lines provide industrial-PC boxed solutions and board-level PCB assemblies respectively, both designed for harsh-environment operation and qualified for interoperability across the EKF ecosystem, with cloud integration available through partners for device management and updates. EKF operates an in-house SMT manufacturing line and an environmental and quality test laboratory at its headquarters, and has held ISO-9001 certification since 1996.

EKF generates revenue primarily through direct enterprise field sales of standard modular boards and systems, customized embedded computing solutions tailored to specific CPU, I/O, memory, and housing requirements, and complete industrial PC or board-level systems. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set through consultative engagement rather than a published price list. The company sells to nine named verticals — railway (its primary segment), public transport, industrial automation and test, avionic and space, telecom and power, automotive, medical, extreme environments, and defense — with a global customer base reached through direct sales from Germany and participation in industry trade shows such as InnoTrans, where it co-exhibits with Ci4Rail in 2026. EKF maintains core technology partnerships with PICMG, PCI-SIG, the EtherCAT Technology Group, and the Intel Partner Alliance at Gold tier, giving it direct influence over the standards its products and its competitors' products are built on.

Name

EKF Elektronik

Legal name

EKF Elektronik GmbH

Website

https://ekf.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Short description

EKF Elektronik is a privately held German manufacturer of modular industrial embedded computing systems based on PICMG standards including CompactPCI Serial and ModBlox7, serving railway, industrial automation, defense, medical, and other harsh-environment verticals through direct enterprise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Embedded Computing Hardware

NAICS

Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Embedded & Compute Modules (SoMs, COM Express/SMARC, industrial SBC modules) (IMAGAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Embedded Computers (Box PCs) (HDACALAF), Embedded & Industrial Network Interfaces (PCIe/M.2/SOM/SoC NICs) (HDAFAEAI)

Keywords

• Industrial embedded computing
• CompactPCI Serial boards
• Modular embedded systems
• Industrial PC hardware
• Ruggedized computing platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - Standard Products: Sale of standard modular embedded boards and systems including CPU cards, peripheral boards, carrier cards, and I/O modules following PICMG standards (CompactPCI Serial, PlusIO, Express/PXIe).
2. Customized Solutions: Individually customized embedded computing solutions based on latest CPU and communication technologies. Customers can specify I/O, memory options, and housing configurations for their specific industrial applications.
3. Industrial PC Systems: Sale of complete Embedded Blue boxed solutions (Industrial PCs) and Embedded Gold board-level modules with various enclosure options for standalone use or integration into custom systems.
4. Enclosures and Housings: Wide range of standard and customized housings from full 19" racks to customized boxes for system integration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EKF Elektronik designs and manufactures modular industrial embedded microcomputers, boards, and systems built on PICMG standards including CompactPCI Serial, CompactPCI PlusIO/Classic, CompactPCI Express/PXIe, and the proprietary ModBlox7 standard. The product range spans CPU cards (high performance to low power), peripheral boards, bridging modules, carrier cards, mass storage arrays, and complete Industrial PC boxed solutions (Embedded Blue) and board-level modules (Embedded Gold), supported by in-house SMT manufacturing in Germany for both standard catalog products and individually customized configurations targeting harsh industrial environments.

Product overview

EKF Elektronik is a manufacturer of modular industrial embedded microcomputers offering a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core product lines include CompactPCI Serial (the broadest portfolio at market, with CPU cards from high performance to low power, peripheral boards, bridging modules, and various housing options), CompactPCI PlusIO/Classic and Express/PXIe variants, and the newer ModBlox7 standard (PICMG-based modular BoxPC). These are complemented by the Embedded Blue (IoT Boxed Solutions as Industrial PCs) and Embedded Gold (board-level PCB assemblies) product families, all designed for harsh industrial environments with options for cloud integration. Key CPU products include the SC9 Tiger Lake Intel XEON and PC9 Intel XEON cards. Customers can choose from standard products or customized solutions, with the company providing in-house development and manufacturing in Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Blue®: IoT Boxed Solutions - Industrial PC product line designed for harsh industrial environments
• Gold

Products and services

• CompactPCI Serial product line Modular boards and systems according to PICMG CPCI-S.0 standard, including CPU cards (from high performance to low power) and peripheral boards for industrial applications, with bridging modules, carrier cards, mass storage arrays, and housing options from 19-inch racks to customized boxes. Targeted at industrial computing applications requiring reliable modular architectures.
• CompactPCI PlusIO / Classic product line Cards according to PICMG 2.30 (CompactPCI PlusIO) and cards and systems according to PICMG 2.0 CompactPCI standard, providing established modular computing platforms for industrial applications.
• CompactPCI Express / PXIe product line Cards and systems according to PICMG EXP.0 CompactPCI Express standard, providing high-speed serial modular computing for measurement, test, and industrial applications.
• Embedded Blue product line IoT Boxed Solutions (Industrial PCs) available as standalone units or for integration into custom systems, designed for harsh industrial environments with cloud integration capability for centralized management and updates.
• Embedded Gold product line Ready-for-use industrial PCB assemblies (board-level modules) with various enclosure options for standalone use or integration into existing custom systems, designed for harsh industrial environments.
• ModBlox7 standard product line PICMG standard for open modular computing using standardized 7 HP units that can be flexibly combined, with versatile mounting options and redundant architectures for high availability. Eliminates the need for a backplane, enabling cost-efficient, freely configurable production in small, medium, and large quantities.
• SC9 - Tiger Lake Intel XEON CompactPCI Serial CPU Card High-performance CompactPCI Serial CPU card powered by Intel Tiger Lake XEON processor for industrial computing applications.
• PC9 - Intel XEON CompactPCI PlusIO CPU Card CompactPCI PlusIO CPU card featuring Intel XEON processor for industrial computing applications.
• SPV-MYSTIC - CompactPCI Serial WWAN Module Carrier CompactPCI Serial WWAN module carrier providing wireless connectivity integration for industrial applications.
• SE5-CLUB - U.2 NVMe SSD Carrier Board U.2 NVMe SSD carrier board for high-speed mass storage integration in CompactPCI Serial systems.
• AC600 - Embedded Blue Boxed Solution Embedded Blue boxed industrial PC solution for industrial IoT applications, available as standalone unit or for system integration.
• 7L600 - Single-Pair Ethernet Switch Robust single-pair Ethernet switch combining modularity with high computing power and state-of-the-art interfaces, designed as the first product based on EKF's ModBlox7 standard for industrial applications.
• SN4 - High-Performance Quad 10GbE CompactPCI Serial I/O Board High-performance quad 10GbE CompactPCI Serial I/O board for high-speed network applications in industrial computing systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fast project implementation
• +2 more outcomes

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ci4RailcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 September 2026Co-exhibitor partnership at InnoTrans 2026 trade fair (September 22-25, Berlin). Ci4Rail joins EKF at booth 565 to showcase joint railway solutions and innovations.
• PICMGcoreTechnology or IntegrationEKF holds leading roles in PICMG (PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group) standardization groups, actively driving innovation in modular computing standards. The company contributed to the development of CompactPCI Serial spec rev3 and ModBlox7 standard.
• PCI-SIGcoreTechnology or IntegrationMember of PCI-SIG (PCI Special Interest Group), enabling participation in PCI Express standard development and compliance.
• EtherCAT Technology GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationMember of EtherCAT Technology Group, supporting industrial Ethernet communication standards in embedded products.
• Intel Partner AlliancecoreTechnology or IntegrationGold tier member of Intel Partner Alliance, providing access to Intel technologies, support, and co-marketing opportunities for Intel-based embedded solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ADLINK Technology: ADLINK offers CompactPCI, PXI/PXIe, and modular embedded computing platforms for industrial automation, transportation, and defense — closely aligned with EKF on PICMG-based product lines and target customer segments.
• Kontron: Kontron is one of the largest European manufacturers of embedded computing modules and systems, including CompactPCI, Computer-on-Modules, and rugged industrial platforms — directly comparable in product breadth, standards participation, and target verticals (railway, industrial automation, defense).
• SECO: SECO produces embedded computing modules, edge platforms, and customized industrial systems for transportation, industrial, and medical markets — directly comparable to EKF as a Europe-headquartered embedded hardware specialist targeting mission-critical applications.
• Eurotech: Eurotech designs rugged embedded boards, edge computing gateways, and IoT platforms for industrial, transportation, and defense — competing with EKF in modular embedded hardware for harsh-environment verticals.
• Advantech: Advantech is a global embedded computing platform provider offering industrial motherboards, CompactPCI systems, and IoT gateways across factory automation, transportation, and medical — competing with EKF in the same modular embedded board and IPC categories.
• congatec: congatec specializes in embedded computer modules (COM Express, SMARC) and industrial SBCs, serving similar industrial automation, railway, and medical customers. Comparable as a board-level embedded vendor with deep German engineering roots and a focus on standardized form factors.
• MEN Micro: Germany-based MEN Micro designs and manufactures modular embedded boards and systems in CompactPCI/CompactPCI Serial formats for railway, industrial, and safety-critical applications — overlapping with EKF on form factor, customer base, and German Mittelstand positioning.

Emerging players

• Radisys: Radisys provides embedded computing platforms and communication infrastructure for telecom and industrial applications. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but overlapping in telecom/embedded infrastructure customer segments.

Broad incumbents

• Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions: Curtiss-Wright is a much larger defense-focused embedded computing vendor supplying rugged boards and systems to aerospace and military customers. Overlaps with EKF in the defense/avionics segment but operates as a broad incumbent with a much wider product portfolio.
• Abaco Systems (Honeywell): Abaco Systems (now part of Honeywell) provides high-performance rugged embedded computing for defense, industrial, and commercial avionics. Comparable to EKF in rugged board-level embedded computing, but operates at significantly greater scale and broader scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/people/EKF-Elektronik-GmbH/100072473387577
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ekf
• Instagraminstagram.com/ekf_elektronik

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 EKF Elektronik