What QES Group does

QES Group Berhad is a Malaysia-based integrated solutions provider of inspection, measurement, analytical, and automated handling equipment, founded in 1991 and listed on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia since March 2018. The company operates through three divisions: a Distribution Division that supplies analytical and measurement instruments from global partners (including Nikon, OMRON, and Leybold); a Manufacturing Division producing proprietary semiconductor inspection and handling equipment (OIS, AOI, AHS, and AMS Series for wafer-level optical inspection, automated handling, and metrology); and a Value Engineering Division providing integrated solutions and services. Its product portfolio spans six categories — analytical instruments, inspection and measurement equipment, semiconductor inspection and handling, production equipment, smart automation solutions, and material/engineering solutions — deployed across 8 countries in ASEAN and Greater China.

The company serves enterprise customers in semiconductor, automotive, electronics/PCB, metal and mining, and petrochemical/oleochemical verticals, with semiconductor as the primary segment. QES generates revenue through one-time hardware sales of both proprietary manufactured equipment and distributed global-brand equipment, supplemented by professional engineering services for installation, maintenance, and calibration. Its go-to-market is a direct field sales model executed through wholly-owned regional offices and the AETM joint venture with Applied Engineering Inc., which provides electromechanical contract manufacturing in Batu Kawan, Penang. With 468 employees as of FYE 2023, the company has executed serial expansion moves including the RM21 million Glenmarie factory acquisition (2020), the Nikon Malaysia industrial metrology acquisition (2020), the AETM JV (2021), Penang expansion (2022), a new 5-storey HQ in Shah Alam (2023), and a RM40 million new plant doubling capacity (2024).

Name

QES Group

Legal name

QES Group Berhad (201401042911)

Website

https://qesnet.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

QES Group is a Malaysian-listed manufacturer and distributor of inspection, measurement, analytical, and automated handling equipment, serving semiconductor, automotive, electronics, metal/mining, and petrochemical customers across ASEAN and Greater China through proprietary manufacturing and global-brand distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Testing & Measurement Equipment

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Wholesale-Electronic Parts & Equipment, Nec (5065)

akta.pro primary industry

Test, Measurement & Calibration Equipment Manufacturing Services (ATE, DAQ, metrology electronics) (IMAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Industrial testing equipment
• Semiconductor inspection equipment
• Automated measurement systems
• Analytical instruments distribution
• Manufacturing automation solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Shah Alam

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Distribution: Distribution of industrial testing, measurement, analytical instruments, and semiconductor inspection equipment from global partners
2. Manufacturing: Manufacturing of proprietary inspection, handling and automation equipment including optical inspection systems, automated handling systems, and wafer processing equipment
3. Engineering Services: Provision of engineering services for inspection, test, measuring, and automated handling equipment including installation, maintenance and calibration

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

QES Group manufactures and distributes industrial inspection, measurement, analytical, and automated handling equipment for the semiconductor, automotive, electronics, and broader manufacturing sectors. The company operates through three divisions — Distribution (analytical and measurement equipment from global partners such as Nikon, OMRON, and Leybold), Manufacturing (proprietary semiconductor inspection and handling systems under OIS, AOI, AHS, and AMS series), and Value Engineering (integrated automation solutions). It sells equipment, consumables, and related engineering services including installation, calibration, and maintenance.

Product overview

QES Group is an integrated solutions provider serving customers with world-class products in analytical, inspection, test, measuring, automation, and related engineering services. The company operates through three main divisions: the Distribution Division (supplying analytical and measurement equipment from global partners), the Manufacturing Division (producing semiconductor inspection and handling equipment), and the Value Engineering Division (providing integrated solutions). The product portfolio spans six major categories: Analytical Instruments (XRF spectrometers, Karl Fischer moisture meters, ICP-OES, Arc Spark OES, GDOES, handheld analyzers for elemental and moisture analysis); Inspection, Test & Measurement Equipment (3D scanners, coordinate measuring machines, industrial microscopes, X-ray/CT inspection systems, scanning acoustic microscopes); Semiconductor Inspection & Handling Equipment (Optical Inspection Systems, Automated Optical Inspection Systems, Automated Handling Systems, Advanced Metrology Systems for wafer processing); Production Equipment (die sorters/bonders, plasma cleaning systems, molding machines, probe stations, SECS/GEM communication software); Smart Automation Solutions (OMRON AMR, fleet simulator, mobile manipulators, laboratory and manufacturing automation); and Material & Engineering Solutions (RTO systems, vacuum pumps, abatement scrubbers).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Optical Inspection System (OIS Series)

Quantifiable outcome

• 13,800+ high-precision testing instruments installed
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Applied Engineering Inc. (AE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2021Joint venture company Applied Engineering Technology (M) Sdn. Bhd. (AETM) established in May 2021 between US-based Applied Engineering and QES Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd. AETM provides high-tech electromechanical contract manufacturing services from prototyping to high volume production, and is AE's first offshore operation outside the United States. Markets served include semiconductor/display capital equipment, medical technology, industrial automation, aerospace, and emerging technology markets.
• NikoncoreTechnology or Integration · 9 November 2020QES unit took over Nikon's industrial metrology business in Malaysia, acquiring capabilities in 3D scanning metrology, CNC video measuring machines, industrial microscopes, and real-time X-ray & CT inspection systems.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Test Research, Inc. (TRI): Taiwan-based manufacturer of automated optical inspection (AOI), X-ray inspection, and semiconductor test equipment. Closely comparable in AOI/X-ray/CT product category overlap with QES's semiconductor inspection and metrology lines, serving overlapping end customers in PCB and semiconductor assembly.
• Camtek Ltd. Israel-headquartered manufacturer of automated optical inspection and metrology systems for the semiconductor industry, particularly advanced packaging. Directly comparable in optical/automated inspection technology category serving the same semiconductor back-end and advanced packaging customers.
• ViTrox Corporation Berhad: Malaysian-listed peer (Bursa Malaysia) that designs and manufactures automated vision inspection equipment and semiconductor back-end testers. Most directly comparable ASEAN-based competitor in machine vision and AOI for semiconductor/electronics, sharing end customers and the same regional sales footprint.
• Saki Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of 3D automated optical inspection (AOI), X-ray, and SPI systems for PCB assembly and semiconductor packaging. Comparable competitor in 2D/3D AOI inspection technology directly addressing QES's AOI Series product family.
• Koh Young Technology Inc. Korean-headquartered manufacturer of 3D SPI (solder paste inspection) and AOI systems for electronics and semiconductor manufacturing. Direct competitor to QES's AOI Series and Advanced Metrology System (AMS) offerings in the inspection equipment category.
• Pentamaster Corporation Berhad: Malaysian-listed peer providing semiconductor and industrial automation equipment, including test handlers and factory automation solutions. Comparable as another ASEAN-listed equipment manufacturer serving OSAT and IDM customers in the semiconductor back-end with proprietary systems.

Broad incumbents

• Bruker Corporation: US-headquartered manufacturer of scientific instruments including XRF, ICP-OES and other analytical instruments for materials/metals analysis. Comparable as a global analytical instruments incumbent whose products QES distributes and competes with in the petrochemical/metal/mining customer verticals.
• KLA Corporation: Global leader in process control and yield management solutions for semiconductor and related industries. Broad incumbent competitor in semiconductor inspection and metrology, defining the technology frontier that QES's proprietary OIS/AOI/AMS lines compete against.
• Shimadzu Corporation: Japanese global manufacturer of analytical and measuring instruments including XRF spectrometers, ICP-OES, GDOES, and CHNS analyzers. Comparable as the principal global principal whose instruments QES distributes in ASEAN, and as a broad incumbent whose technology QES competes with at the application level.
• Onto Innovation Inc. US-based global supplier of process control, optical metrology, and inspection equipment for semiconductor and advanced packaging. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating across multiple inspection/metrology categories that overlap with QES's AMS and OIS Series products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/QESGroup
• Xx.com/QESGroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries10 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 QES Group