Steinbeis Embedded Systems Technologies GmbH

What Steinbeis Embedded Systems Technologies GmbH does

Steinbeis Embedded Systems Technologies GmbH (Steinbeis EST) is a German private limited company (GmbH) founded in 2012 in Esslingen am Neckar, operating as part of the Steinbeis-Verbund network managed by the Steinbeis-Stiftung für Wirtschaftsförderung. With approximately 25 engineers — most of whom are graduates of Hochschule Esslingen and specialized in technical informatics, software engineering, and communication technology — the firm delivers hardware-near embedded systems, electronics development, industrial communication, and prototyping services to customers primarily in automation technology, mechanical and plant engineering, measurement technology, and industrial system development within the DACH region.

Its core technology stack spans embedded software development (RTOS including FreeRTOS, NuttX, embOS; Embedded Linux), FPGA design, and industrial communication protocols such as OPC UA FX, TSN, Single Pair Ethernet, Sercos, EtherCAT, IO-Link, and PROFIBUS. The firm sells a portfolio of proprietary products: IC-Monitor (network diagnostics), Sercos Monitor (freeware diagnostic tool), Modulares Testsystem (modular test platform), Feldbus TAP, the EtherCAT-Sercos-II-Gateway (retrofit solution), and Sercos EasySlave (FPGA-based Sercos III slave). It also offers in-house electronics engineering and manufacturing services (E²MS) for prototypes and small series using an Essemtec FOX pick-and-place machine, and outsources qualified series production to KK Elektrotechnik GmbH.

Steinbeis EST generates revenue through three primary streams: (1) engineering and development services covering the full lifecycle from specification to manufacturing; (2) sales of its own products and gateways for industrial communication and testing; and (3) electronics manufacturing services for prototypes and small series. GTM is sales-led and direct, focused on long-term relationships with industrial enterprise customers in the DACH region, complemented by channel partnerships (Unified Automation Solution Partner for OPC UA FX distribution; Sercos International for freeware distribution) and developer-relations activity through a YouTube tutorial channel for IC-Monitor. In April 2026 the company formalized a Solution Partnership with Unified Automation to co-develop OPC UA FX and TSN reference implementations on resource-constrained embedded platforms.

Name

Steinbeis Embedded Systems Technologies GmbH

Legal name

Steinbeis Embedded Systems Technologies GmbH

Website

https://steinbeis-est.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Steinbeis EST is a German embedded systems engineering firm specializing in industrial communication, electronics development, and prototyping for automation technology and plant engineering customers across the DACH region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Esslingen am Neckar

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering and Development Services: Development services covering the entire development process from requirement definition, hardware and software design, integration, testing, qualification and manufacturing for industrial applications. Services include embedded systems development, electronics development, application software, industrial communication, and retrofit/system modernization.
2. Own Products and Solutions: Sale of proprietary products including IC-Monitor (Industrial Communication Monitor) for network diagnostics, Sercos Monitor (freeware diagnostic tool), modular test systems, and the EtherCAT-Sercos-II-Gateway for retrofit applications.
3. Electronics Manufacturing Services (E²MS): Electronics engineering and manufacturing services for prototypes and small series. In-house PCB assembly (SMT/THT) using Essemtec FOX machine, project-specific material procurement, commissioning and functional testing. Production of development prototypes, functional models and small series.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Steinbeis EST develops embedded systems, electronics, and software for industrial applications, with a focus on hardware-near software development, industrial communication (OPC UA FX, TSN), and the realization of prototypes and small series. The company supports industry customers along the entire development process—from requirement definition, hardware and software design through integration, testing, qualification, and manufacturing—and additionally sells proprietary products such as the IC-Monitor, Sercos Monitor, modular test system, EtherCAT-Sercos-II-Gateway, and Feldbus TAP.

Product overview

Steinbeis Embedded Systems Technologies GmbH offers a portfolio of products centered on industrial embedded systems, electronics development, and industrial communication. The core offerings include the Modulares Testsystem for automated testing, the IC-Monitor for network diagnostics and analysis, the Sercos Monitor as a free diagnostic tool for Sercos networks, the Feldbus TAP for fieldbus analysis, and the EtherCAT-Sercos-II-Gateway for retrofitting existing Sercos-II drives into modern EtherCAT architectures. Additional products include Sercos EasySlave for FPGA-based Sercos III slave development. Services complement the portfolio with Embedded Systems development, Electronics Engineering & Manufacturing Services (E²MS), Rapid Prototyping, OPC UA FX integration on embedded systems, and Retrofit solutions for industrial control systems. The company also offers Application Software development for test automation and network analysis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IC-Monitor: Industrial Communication Monitor - a software tool for analysis, diagnosis and long-term monitoring of industrial communication networks supporting OPC UA (FX), Sercos, TCP/UDP protocols, IO-Link, and proprietary protocols.
• Sercos Monitor
• E²MS

Products and services

• Modulares Testsystem A flexible modular test system for automated testing and inspection of electronics, embedded systems, and industrial interfaces, supporting the entire product lifecycle from development and commissioning through integration tests, product qualification, series testing, service, and return analysis.
• IC-Monitor (Industrial Communication Monitor) A software tool for analysis, diagnosis, and long-term monitoring of industrial communication networks, combining packet recording, protocol interpretation, topology detection, timing analysis, statistics, and user-specific visualization, supporting OPC UA (FX), Sercos, TCP/UDP-based protocols, IO-Link, and proprietary protocols.
• EtherCAT-Sercos-II-Gateway A gateway that acts as an EtherCAT Device on the control side and a Sercos-II Master on the drive side, enabling existing Sercos-II drives (up to 20 per gateway) to be integrated into a modern EtherCAT architecture without replacing the drive technology.
• Sercos EasySlave An FPGA-based Sercos III slave solution offering fast entry into Sercos III slave development for analog and digital I/Os as well as simple sensors and actuators, supporting cycle times up to 31.25 µs with up to 32 bytes of input and 32 bytes of output data.
• Feldbus TAP (Test Access Point) A modular fieldbus TAP for adapting fieldbus systems to Ethernet, supporting RS422/RS485 protocols (PROFIBUS, INTERBUS), UART-based protocols (IO-Link), Industrial Ethernet protocols (Sercos III), and proprietary communication systems for unified PC-based analysis.
• Sercos Monitor A freeware diagnostic tool for Sercos networks available for Windows and Linux, featuring real-time analysis, a flexible customizable GUI, recording import/export, and extensibility for manufacturer-specific communication protocols; developed since 2011.
• Elektronikfertigung (E²MS) Electronics Engineering and Manufacturing Services for industrial electronics, including in-house prototyping and small-series assembly with short lead times, project-specific material procurement, and machine and hand assembly (SMT/THT) using the Essemtec FOX all-in-one pick-and-place machine.
• Embedded Systems Entwicklung Development of embedded systems for industrial applications, spanning requirements analysis, system architecture, electronics development, and embedded software through to integration, testing, prototypes, and small series.
• OPC UA FX auf Embedded Systemen Integration of OPC UA FX and TSN into industrial embedded systems, with reference implementations for resource-constrained platforms developed in partnership with Unified Automation using the OPC UA High Performance SDK.
• Retrofit industrieller Steuerungs- und Kommunikationssysteme Customized retrofit, gateway, and diagnostic solutions for industrial control and communication systems, enabling existing machinery to be modernized with current controls, industrial PCs, and communication networks.

Quantifiable outcome

• EtherCAT-Sercos-II-Gateway supports up to 20 defined Sercos-II drive controllers per gateway
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Unified AutomationcoreTechnology or Integration · 20 April 2026Steinbeis EST became a Solution Partner of Unified Automation in April 2026. Together they combine competencies in OPC UA FX and embedded systems. Jointly they develop high-performance and future-proof solutions for industrial communication. The partnership focuses on reference implementations for OPC UA FX on resource-constrained platforms using the OPC UA High Performance SDK, including porting and integration into specific target systems, TSN-capable network stacks, PubSub communication, precise time synchronization, network integration and security.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@IC-Monitor
• Facebookfacebook.com/SteinbeisEST
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/steinbeis-embedded-systems-technologies-gmbh

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 Steinbeis Embedded Systems Technologies GmbH