What Atec GmbH does

Atec GmbH is a privately held, founder-owned systems integrator and general contractor for industrial automation, headquartered in Freiburg, Germany. Founded in 1989 by Joachim Weiß as a software house, the company has evolved into a full robotics and automation provider serving capital-intensive, regulated industries including medical technology, pharmaceuticals, automotive, avionics, food, and waste management. With 12 employees, the company positions itself as a complete-solution provider combining consulting, electrical planning, mechanical construction, control systems, PLC/SPS programming, robotics integration, and validation.

Atec's core proprietary technology is the MARS (Mobile Automation Robotics System) — a mobile robot cart for cobots that can be manually rolled between workstations and is extended by the MARS-HMI visual interface — and the MMR (Multi-Model Robot) platform, which unifies control and program management across multiple robot brands (Kassow, Universal Robots, ABB, OMRON). The company resells and integrates cobots, grippers, and vision systems from Universal Robots, ABB Robotics, Kassow Robots, Robotiq, OnRobot, and SICK, and adds AI-enabled capabilities such as the MIRAI module for cable plugging and leak detection and computer vision for quality inspection. Strategic partnerships with two Fraunhofer institutes (IFF, IPT), NEXT.Robotics, and Micropsi Industries extend the technology perimeter.

The business model is project-based B2B services with enterprise customers, supported by hardware resale, long-term full-service contracts, and recurring support. Named customers include Aesculap, Veolia, MAHLE, Schölly Fiberoptic, and Ingenieurbüro Moser, with relationships spanning 15+ years at the high end. Atec achieves consulting-led enterprise sales through direct engagement, OEM partnerships, and trade shows (MOTEK), with pricing that is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications and in 2025 achieved Universal Robots Certified Systems Integrator (CSI) status.

Name

Atec GmbH

Legal name

Atec GmbH

Website

https://atec-gmbh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Atec GmbH is a 12-employee Freiburg, Germany-based systems integrator providing industrial automation, custom robotics integration, and proprietary software platforms for regulated manufacturers in medical technology, pharmaceutical, automotive, and avionics sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation & Robotics Integration Services

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Industrial automation systems
• Robotics integration services
• Collaborative robots cobots
• Custom control software
• Manufacturing automation integration

Headquarters

HQ city

Freiburg im Breisgau

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Software Development: Individual software solutions for process automation, control systems, and visualization of operations, data, systems, and machines. Core business since founding in 1989.
2. Complete Control Systems including Electrical Planning: Planning and manufacturing complete control systems including electrical planning, mechanical construction, and automation technology.
3. Robotics Integration: Integration and control of robotics systems including cobots, industrial robots, mobile assembly systems, grippers, and peripheral equipment.
4. Full Service & Support: Complete project handling from analysis, planning, project management, hardware procurement, robotics, quality assurance, Industry 4.0 solutions, installation, maintenance and long-term support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Atec GmbH is a systems integrator and general contractor that develops and delivers customized industrial automation, robotics, and software solutions for manufacturing plants. Its offering includes custom process automation software, complete control systems with electrical planning and mechanical construction, robotics and cobot integration (including the proprietary MARS mobile robot cart and MMR platform), AI-enabled vision and quality assurance applications, and full-service support from conception and project management through installation, validation, and long-term maintenance.

Product overview

Atec GmbH offers a modular automation ecosystem combining proprietary software platforms with integrated third-party robotics hardware. The core MARS (Mobile Automation Robotics System) platform provides a mobile robot cart for flexible cobot deployment across multiple workstations, enhanced by the MARS-HMI visual interface. The MMR (Multi-Model Robot) platform serves as the unified control system supporting multiple robot brands. ATEC resells and integrates Universal Robots cobots and Robotiq grippers, sensors, and vision systems as part of their turnkey automation solutions. AI capabilities include MIRAI for cable plugging and leak detection, with applications spanning assembly, inspection, dispensing, and packaging across medical, pharmaceutical, automotive, and manufacturing industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MARS: Mobile Automation Robotics System - a flexible robot cart for cobots that can be manually moved between workstations. MARS enables automation of multiple workstations depending on need, providing flexibility for assembly, testing, inspection, packaging, and other applications.

Products and services

• MARS (Mobile Automation Robotics System) Modular mobile robot cart for cobots that enables flexible automation across multiple workstations in assembly, testing, inspection, and packaging applications for industrial manufacturers.
• MMR Platform (Multi-Model Robot) Unified robot control platform integrating multiple applications and robot brands (Kassow, Universal Robots, ABB, OMRON) on a common basis with unified program, parameter, and user management.
• MIRAI AI (Cable Plugging & Leak Detection) AI-enabled software module for automated cable plugging, leak detection, and quality assurance using machine learning to handle tasks previously not possible with conventional automation due to flexibility and form instability.
• Custom Automation & Robotics Integration Services End-to-end systems integration services for manufacturing plants, including analysis, custom software development, complete control systems with electrical planning, mechanical construction, robotics and cobot integration, validation, certification, and long-term support for customers in medical, pharmaceutical, automotive, avionics, and other regulated industries.

Quantifiable outcome

• Solutions typically amortize within 12 months for SMEs using cobots and industrial robots
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Universal RobotscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Strategic partnership with Universal Robots (UR) for collaborative robotics solutions. Atec is a Certified Systems Integrator (CSI) for UR, developing robot solutions for medical technology, pharmaceutical industry and production specifically tailored to these industries' requirements.
• NEXT. RoboticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NEXT. Robotics (Villingen-Schwenningen), a research-oriented sales and development office specializing in collaborative stationary and mobile robotics, modular precision robotics, and microtechnology with AI integration.
• Micropsi IndustriesmajorTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Berlin-based AI company specializing in artificial intelligence for industrial robots. Enables automation where it was previously unthinkable.
• ABB RoboticsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for automation and collaborative robotics. Enables manufacturing SMEs to make processes more efficient and productive with high-quality robot solutions.
• Kassow RobotsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for 7-axis cobots with high payload and reach. Ideal for automation challenges even in the tightest spaces, enabling automation in locations where classic 6-axis robots would be impossible.
• RobotiqmajorTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of flexible robot grippers, sensors and vision systems since 2008, making automation accessible to SMEs without extensive technical knowledge.
• Fraunhofer Institut IFFmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with Fraunhofer IFF Robot Systems division developing key components and technologies for future robot applications.
• Fraunhofer Institut IPTmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner in the field of robotics/cobots with Fraunhofer IPT.
• Bosch RexrothmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership solidified at MOTEK 2022 with Enno Scharphuis (President BU Assembly Bosch Rexroth) for joint development in various application areas.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Stäubli Robotics: Stäubli is a European-headquartered robotics and automation incumbent offering industrial robots and integration services in pharmaceutical, medical, and automotive segments comparable to Atec.
• Festo AG & Co. KG: Festo is a broad German industrial automation incumbent spanning pneumatics, electric automation, controllers, and integrated solutions, with a far larger portfolio and global reach than Atec.
• ABB Robotics: ABB Robotics is a global robot OEM and integrator with which Atec has a channel partnership; ABB also competes with Atec by offering its own integration services to industrial customers.
• Bosch Rexroth: Bosch Rexroth is a major German automation and assembly technology provider with which Atec has a strategic partnership; it offers broader and deeper automation capabilities across factory automation use cases.
• Schunk GmbH & Co. KG: Schunk is a German automation component and system specialist offering gripping, clamping, and robotics integration technology relevant to Atec's cobot cell applications.
• KUKA AG: KUKA is a major German-headquartered robotics and automation company offering robots, controllers, and integration services at a much larger scale than Atec, with overlapping cobot and integration offerings.

Direct peers

• Pilz GmbH & Co. KG: Pilz is a German automation and safety specialist offering control systems, consulting, and integration services for industrial automation, directly comparable to Atec in regulated-industry machine safety and CE certification work.
• Baumüller Group: Baumüller is a German automation specialist providing drives, control systems, and systems integration for industrial machinery, overlapping with Atec in custom automation and controls engineering.
• HEITEC AG: Heitec is a mid-sized German systems integrator for industrial automation, robotics, and digitalized manufacturing, serving comparable regulated-industry customers with similar custom engineering and integration services.
• ADIRO Automatisierungstechnik GmbH: ADIRO is a German specialist in industrial automation, robotics integration, and digitalized production systems, serving as a comparable mid-sized integrator in similar end markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atec-gmbh-fr

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Atec GmbH