What SERMA Energy does

SERMA Energy is a French B2B testing, consulting and engineering platform dedicated to energy and e-mobility applications, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of SERMA Group (founded 1991, headquartered in Pessac, France). The company was created in 2018 with the Pessac test center inaugurated in January 2019, building on SERMA Group's battery testing activities that began in 2008. SERMA Energy organizes its offering around four core application domains — batteries, power electronics, electric drive units, and hydrogen systems — supported by five consulting and integration services covering test bench design, multi-physical simulation, qualification plan design, product design industrialization, and failure analysis. Infrastructure exceeds 20,000 m² of dedicated testing area across 8 platforms in France and Spain, with 500+ electrical channels, 60+ module channels, and capacities up to 2MW, including specialized abuse testing rigs with thermal runaway and gas recovery systems.

The business model is professional services, primarily project-based testing contracts with multi-year terms, priced on bespoke quotes. SERMA Energy engages enterprise clients through direct technical and commercial sales teams, with named anchor customers including ACC (Automotive Cells Company) under a 6-year strategic partnership anchored at the Martillac facility, and Renault Group under a partnership at the Lardy Technical Center. The company serves automotive (primary), aerospace, railway, energy, and maritime verticals, with the H2Pulse subsidiary (acquired 2023) providing specialized hydrogen expertise. Additional revenue streams include the SERMA Academy (60+ training programs) and a recently launched Technical Design Office (B.E.T) for end-to-end electrification project support. Accreditations include ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, with ISO 17025 (COFRAC) in progress.

Name

SERMA Energy

Legal name

SERMA Group

Website

https://serma-energy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SERMA Energy is a French B2B testing, consulting and engineering platform serving automotive, aerospace, railway, energy and maritime clients across batteries, power electronics, electric drive units and hydrogen systems, operating 20,000+ m² of testing facilities across 8 platforms in France and Spain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pessac

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Testing services: Battery, power electronics, electric drive unit and hydrogen testing services performed at client sites or company facilities. Services include electrical, mechanical, environmental, and abuse testing on cells, modules and packs. Revenue generated through project-based testing contracts with industrial clients.
2. Consulting and engineering: Technical consulting for test bench design and installation, qualification plan development, product design and industrialization support, and simulation services. Includes needs analysis, architecture definition, design, validation, prototyping and industrialization support.
3. Training services: SERMA Academy provides over 60 training programs covering batteries, hydrogen and related technologies through intra, inter, distance or customized formats.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SERMA Energy is a consulting, expertise and testing platform for energy and e-mobility. It provides battery, power electronics, electric drive unit and hydrogen testing services alongside engineering consulting, test bench design and installation, multi-physics simulation, qualification plan development, product design and industrialization support, failure analysis and a training academy serving automotive, aerospace, railway, energy and maritime industrial clients.

Product overview

SERMA Energy is a consulting, expertise, and testing platform for energy and e-mobility, operating over 25,000 m² across 8 test platforms in France and Spain. The platform is organized into four core service departments: Batteries (testing, consulting, BMS development), Power Electronics (inverters, converters, chargers), Electric Drive Unit (e-machine testing), and Hydrogen (fuel cells, hydrogen engines). These core services are supported by consulting and integration offerings including Test Benches Design and Installation, Simulation, Qualification Plan Design, Product Design and Industrialisation Support, and Technological Failure Analysis. Additional services include Full System Qualification, SERMA Academy Training (60+ courses), and a Technical Design Office (B.E.T) for electrification project support. The subsidiary H2Pulse provides specialized hydrogen engineering and testing capabilities. Resources exceed 2MW capacity to address current and future standard technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• H2Pulse: Hydrogen consulting and innovation subsidiary specializing in gaseous and liquid hydrogen solutions, including engineering, test tool design, test campaigns, and training.

Products and services

• Battery testing, consulting and expertise End-to-end testing, consulting and engineering services for battery cells, modules and packs, including Battery Management System (BMS) development and validation across the full battery value chain, for automotive and industrial clients.
• Electrical and Performance Testing Electrical performance and endurance testing for batteries, power electronics and e-machines, using battery simulators up to 1200V/1200A/500kW coupled with climate chambers from -40°C to +120°C.
• Mechanical Testing Static and dynamic mechanical testing including vibration, shock, crash, crush, drop, impact and 3D deformation measurement for batteries, power electronics and electric motors.
• Environmental Testing Climate chamber testing including thermal cycling, hygrometry, IP rating, leak, corrosion, UV, immersion (tracer or salt water) and dust tests conforming to ISO 16750-4 and IEC 60068-2 standards.
• Abuse and Safety Testing Extreme condition battery safety testing covering mechanical (crush, nail penetration), electrical (overcharge, short circuit), thermal (thermal propagation, fire) and gas analysis for safety certification per ECE R100, UN38.3, UL1642 and IEC 62133.
• Full System Qualification Complete qualification strategy development and execution including project management, validation planning, logistics, subcontracting, data analysis and reporting to deliver full product validation.
• Test Benches Design and Installation Custom test bench design, production and installation for batteries, motors, hydrogen and power electronics, with end-to-end project management from procurement to commissioning and HSE validation.
• Multi-physics Simulation Multi-physics simulation using GT-suite, GT Auto-Lion, COMSOL Multiphysics and MATLAB/Simulink to model thermal, vibration, shock, expansion, pressure and EMC behavior and optimize product designs.
• Qualification Plan Design Qualification and reliability plan development for battery, motor and power electronics systems, including tailored test specifications and protocols.
• Product Design and Industrialisation Support Battery system design (14V to 800V), BMS hardware/software calculators, assembly line audits, process optimization, PFMEA/DFMEA analysis and supplier selection support.
• Technological Failure Analysis Failure, post-mortem and construction analysis using SEM-EDX, XPS, TEM-EDX, FIB-SEM, 3D tomography, CT scan and X-ray equipment to determine root causes.
• Hydrogen Systems Testing and Consulting Fuel cell system testing (100 kW to 2 MW) and hydrogen engine testing up to 2 MW, including engineering, test campaigns and custom test tool development, delivered through subsidiary H2Pulse.
• Power Electronics Testing and Consulting Testing, consulting and engineering for inverters, converters, chargers and components, including active component (MOSFET, IGBT, HEMT, Si, SiC, GaN) and passive component analysis, reliability planning and health monitoring.
• Electric Drive Unit Testing and Consulting Performance, output, mechanical, endurance, environmental and safety testing of electric machines, plus simulation, reliability planning and R10/R85 certification testing.
• SERMA Academy Training Over 60 training programs covering batteries, hydrogen and related technologies, delivered as intra-company, inter-company, distance-learning or customized formats.
• Technical Design Office (B.E.T) for Electrification Projects Dedicated technical design office offering end-to-end support for electrification projects, from needs analysis and architecture definition through design, validation, prototyping, industrialization and safety audits.
• H2Pulse Hydrogen Subsidiary Wholly-owned subsidiary acquired in 2023 providing consultancy and innovation services for gaseous and liquid hydrogen, including engineering, custom test tool design and manufacturing, test campaigns, operational training and laboratory material analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8 test platforms across France and Spain
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• ACC (Automotive Cells Company)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 20246-year strategic partnership for battery testing. SERMA Energy operates the Martillac facility (6,500 m²) to perform battery tests for ACC, a company specializing in the development and manufacture of automotive batteries. The facility opened in 2025 with state-of-the-art equipment.
• Renault GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with Renault for the Lardy Technical Center (3,500 m²), supporting Renault's transformation toward 100% electric vehicles. SERMA Energy operates battery testing facilities at this location specifically designed for Renault's electrification needs.
• Keysight TechnologiesstrategicTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Partnership to expand battery test capabilities in France. SERMA Energy uses Keysight's battery testing solutions including SL1007A battery test system (cell level), SL1001A battery module test system, and SL1830A DC emulators for pack testing. Keysight technology enables efficient and cost-effective testing with high energy efficiency.
• European Aeronautics (TRIATHLON Project)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024H2Pulse (SERMA Energy subsidiary) is a member of the advisory board of the European TRIATHLON project, funded by the EU. The project aims to revolutionize aviation sustainability by developing hydrogen-electric powertrains for megawatt-class aircraft. H2Pulse shares this position with Safran, Avio Aero and GE Aerospace.
• KST MotorenversuchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 June 2022SERMA Energy and KST Motorenversuch signed a cooperation agreement in battery and hydrogen drive train testing and expertise. KST operates a hydrogen test field for fuel cells and hydrogen engines in Bad Dürkheim, Germany with 12 testbeds. Together they offer complementary engineering and testing services for battery and hydrogen powertrain testing to their worldwide customer base.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• TÜV SÜD: Germany-based global testing and certification organization with dedicated battery testing labs and e-mobility services. Competes in battery safety, abuse, and homologation testing for OEMs, with greater geographic reach but less specialized focus.
• Intertek: Global testing, inspection, and certification conglomerate offering battery, e-mobility, and energy storage testing across many geographies. Competes with SERMA Energy for OEM mandates, particularly for international programs, but operates at a much larger scale.
• Element Materials Technology: Global testing services platform with battery, energy storage, and e-mobility testing capabilities across multiple geographies. Competes for similar testing mandates with broader sector coverage and larger scale than SERMA Energy.
• Bureau Veritas: France-headquartered global testing, inspection, and certification company with growing e-mobility and battery testing services. Serves the same French and European industrial client base but as part of a much broader TIC portfolio rather than as a specialized player.
• HORIBA: Japan-headquartered testing and measurement company with significant battery, fuel cell, and powertrain testing solutions and equipment. Operates in adjacent testing spaces and supplies equipment to similar OEM and Tier-1 clients.

Direct peers

• Applus+ IDIADA: Spain-based automotive testing, certification, and engineering services group with extensive EV and battery testing facilities. Operates in an overlapping European geography and offers comparable end-to-end testing, homologation, and consulting services.
• AVL List: Austria-based global mobility and powertrain engineering leader with extensive battery, e-motor, and power electronics testing facilities. Closest direct competitor in independent battery and e-mobility testing services, serving similar automotive OEM and Tier-1 customers.
• UTAC CERAM: France-headquartered independent automotive testing and certification organization serving OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers across powertrain, e-mobility, and battery validation. Operates in the same French and European customer base as SERMA Energy with comparable testing capabilities.
• KST Motorenversuch: Germany-based independent testing company focused on battery and hydrogen powertrain testing with 12 testbeds for fuel cells and hydrogen engines. Already a formal cooperation partner of SERMA Energy, operating in the same niche with overlapping capabilities.
• FEV Group: Germany-headquartered engineering services provider offering powertrain, battery, and e-mobility testing and consulting. Direct competitor with comparable battery testing infrastructure and a similar mix of physical testing, simulation, and consulting for automotive OEMs.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sermagroup33
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/serma-energy

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 SERMA Energy