ISA GmbH Industrielle Steuerungen und Automation

What ISA GmbH Industrielle Steuerungen und Automation does

iSA GmbH is a privately held Swiss engineering services firm headquartered in Oberriet, St. Gallen, that designs and programs custom industrial automation solutions based on PLC (SPS) controllers and SCADA/leitsystem platforms. Founded in 1997 by Daniel Ursella (Geschäftsführer und Inhaber) and Gustav Brugger (Inhaber), the firm operates with a six-person team and is entirely founder/owner-managed, with no external investment, no subsidiaries, no parent company, and no public funding history. Operations are confined to a single Swiss headquarters with no additional offices or documented geographic expansion beyond the regional European (CHE) market.

The company's core offering is custom PLC programming and control system development, with primary competency in Siemens Simatic technologies (TIA Portal, Step 7, Step 5, PCS7) and supporting capability across Rockwell/Allen Bradley Studio 5000, Beckhoff, Mitsubishi, Telemecanique, and Omron controllers. Adjacent services include HMI/SCADA visualization (Siemens WinCC, WinCC flexible, ProTool, Wonderware Intouch), commissioning, ongoing support, retrofits and upgrades, consulting/conceptualization, and modularization. Electrical cabinet construction (Schaltschrankbau) and on-site installation (Baustelleninstallation) are delivered through external partners rather than in-house, allowing the firm to remain a focused software and integration practice. Technology is described as multi-vendor and flexible, with the firm selecting the optimal control platform per customer requirement.

iSA generates revenue through project-based professional services engagements and software development for enterprise industrial customers across four primary verticals: coating and thin-film technology (Evatec AG, including Sprinter CD/DVD/Blu-Ray and Solaris wafer-based crystalline solar cell coating platforms), cryogenic engineering (Linde Kryotechnik AG, a continuous software engagement since 2000 covering helium, hydrogen, and neon liquefiers plus 1.5K helium refrigeration systems), sanitary and plumbing manufacturing (Geberit Produktions AG, with multiple electrowelding sleeve, Mepla robot-cell, metal fitting, packaging, and FlowFit press-body production lines), and food and beverage production (conveyor, palletizing, depalletizing, and bottle-merging systems exceeding 60,000 bottles/hour). Distribution is direct and sales-led, with no public pricing, limited digital marketing, and no external capital. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the firm appears to operate as a stable, relationship-driven boutique engineering practice rather than a scaling business.

Name

ISA GmbH Industrielle Steuerungen und Automation

Legal name

iSA GmbH

Website

https://isa-gmbh.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

iSA GmbH is a 6-person Swiss engineering firm that develops custom PLC-based industrial automation solutions, HMI/SCADA visualization, and commissioning services for enterprise customers in coating, cryogenics, sanitary manufacturing, and food and beverage sectors across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Services

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Control System Integration & Engineering Services (Design, Commissioning, Retrofits) (IMAGABAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian) (IMAHAHAJ)

Keywords

• Industrial automation services
• PLC programming
• SCADA systems integration
• HMI visualization development
• Control system retrofits

Headquarters

HQ city

Oberriet

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Automation Engineering Services: Custom PLC programming, SCADA/leitsystem development, HMI visualization, commissioning and support services for industrial automation projects
2. Software Development: SPS software development and customization for customer-specific industrial control applications
3. Service, Upgrades and Retrofits: Ongoing support, system upgrades and modernization of existing automation installations

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

ISA GmbH develops and programs customer-specific solutions for industrial automation based on PLC controls and control systems (SPS/Steuerungen und Leitsysteme). The company customizes PLC programming across multiple control platforms, builds HMI/SCADA visualization for process monitoring and operator control, and delivers commissioning, support, upgrades and retrofits for industrial customers across coating, cryogenic, sanitary and food & beverage sectors.

Product overview

iSA GmbH offers a portfolio of industrial automation services centered on custom PLC (SPS) programming and control systems. Their core offerings include SPS Programmierung using Siemens Simatic technologies (TIA Portal, Step 7, Step 5, PCS7), Rockwell/Allen Bradley Studio 5000, Beckhoff, Mitsubishi, Telemecaniqe, and Omron systems. Complementary services include HMI visualization (WinCC, WinCC flexible, ProTool, Wonderware Intouch), commissioning and support, software upgrades and retrofits, consulting and conceptualization, and partner-delivered cabinet construction and on-site installation. The company positions itself as a flexible small enterprise with extensive experience across different control types and industrial sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SPS Programmierung (PLC Programming) Custom development and programming of customer-specific solutions for industrial automation based on PLC controls and control systems (Leitsysteme), primarily using Siemens Simatic (TIA Portal, Step 7, Step 5, PCS7) and other platforms. Intended for industrial manufacturers and equipment producers needing tailored automation.
• Visualisierung / HMI Development of human-machine interface (HMI) visualizations using Siemens WinCC, WinCC flexible, ProTool, and Wonderware Intouch, enabling process monitoring, operator control, error evaluation, and trend data recording for industrial automation systems.
• Inbetriebnahme und Support (Commissioning and Support) On-site commissioning (Inbetriebnahme) and ongoing technical support for automation systems delivered to industrial customers.
• SPS Software / Service und Retrofits Software services for SPS systems including upgrades, retrofits, modifications, and extensions (Umbauten und Erweiterungen) of existing PLC-based automation installations.
• Beratung und Konzeption (Consulting and Conceptualization) Consulting, conceptualization, and modularization (Modularisierung) of customer-specific automation solutions, supporting customers from problem definition through solution design.
• Schaltschrankbau und Installation (Partner-delivered) Electrical cabinet construction (Schaltschrankbau) and on-site installation (Baustelleninstallation) services delivered through partner firms to complement iSA's software and programming services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pressureless bottle merging capacity exceeding 60,000 bottles per hour

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Electrical Cabinet Construction PartnerssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartners for electrical cabinet construction (Schaltschrankbau) and on-site installation (Baustelleninstallation) to complement iSA's software and programming services

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• Rockwell Automation:
• Festo: German industrial automation components and solutions provider (pneumatics, electric drives, controllers). Adjacent vendor supplying automation components into the same DACH industrial customer base ISA serves.
• Bürklin GmbH & Co. KG: German distributor and engineering supplier of industrial automation components including PLCs, HMI and control gear. Adjacent/ecosystem participant supplying ISA's customers and serving a similar DACH-region industrial automation buyer base.

Broad incumbents

• Schneider Electric: Global automation and industrial software vendor (Modicon PLCs, AVEVA SCADA). Competes with ISA in industrial automation projects, with deep presence in food & beverage, water/wastewater and process manufacturing — verticals overlapping with ISA's portfolio.
• Emerson Automation Solutions: Global automation incumbent offering PLC/DCS (DeltaV), SCADA and lifecycle services to process industries. Competes with ISA in industrial automation integration, particularly in cryogenic, chemical and process manufacturing customers.
• Beckhoff Automation: German industrial automation vendor whose controllers ISA explicitly programs. Sells PC-based control, PLC and HMI products plus system integration network — both a technology partner and a competitor on certain integration scopes.
• ABB: Global automation and robotics incumbent offering PLCs, SCADA and control system integration services to industrial customers in process manufacturing, food & beverage and chemicals — verticals overlapping with ISA's served markets.
• Siemens AG: Global industrial automation incumbent and primary technology vendor for ISA (Siemens Simatic TIA, Step 7, PCS7, WinCC). Competes in PLC/SCADA integration at a much larger scale and offers both products and integration services to similar industrial customers.

Direct peers

• ATS Automation Tooling Systems: Canada-based automation systems integrator designing and building custom manufacturing automation, including PLC programming, SCADA/HMI and commissioning. Direct competitor for medium-scale custom automation projects with similar technology stacks.
• JR Automation (Hitachi): US-based custom automation systems integrator delivering PLC programming, robotic integration and turnkey production lines. Direct competitor for medium-to-large custom automation projects with similar Siemens/Rockwell programming expertise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 ISA GmbH Industrielle Steuerungen und Automation