What Advalju does

Advalju GmbH & Co. KG is a German B2B startup founded in 2023 as a joint venture between Heinz Lackmann (Münster) and Theben Smart Energy (Haigerloch). It is headquartered at Harkortstraße 15 in Münster and led by managing directors Steffen Hornung and Maik Schröder. The company positions itself as a full-service provider for energy-industry value-added services built on top of the legally mandated Smart Meter Gateway (SMGW) infrastructure that underpins the German "Internet of Energy."

The core offering is the advalju Plattform, a cloud-based platform that combines Cloud2Cloud communication with local intelligence to aggregate data from SMGWs and Controllable Local Systems (CLS). Key productized modules include CLS-Admin (consulting, aEMT setup, hardware provisioning, device and application management, update services, monitoring, and analytics), a §14a EnWG control and switching solution for grid operators, FNN STB control implemented in four stages, fine-granular measurement capture, and BDEW-API / Universalbestellprozess integration. The platform enables Messstellenbetreiber, energy service providers, technology startups, and operators of PV, storage, eMobility, and home energy management systems to integrate into BSI-compliant infrastructure without building their own SMGW stack.

The business model combines managed services and platform fees, recurring value-added services on SMGW infrastructure, and CLS hardware sales. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales through inbound email, contact forms, and the embedded customer networks of the two parent companies; the company also maintains a LinkedIn presence and a content-led website (advalju.de). The company self-describes as a "fast-growing profitable startup" and targets the German-only SMGW rollout mandated by GNDEW, MSBG, and EnWG, which is projected to reach 15-20 million gateways by 2030.

Name

Advalju

Legal name

advalju GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://advalju.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Advalju is a German B2B startup, founded in 2023 as a joint venture of Heinz Lackmann and Theben Smart Energy, that provides a full-service cloud platform for BSI-compliant Smart Meter Gateway and CLS integration, serving German meter operators, energy service providers, and distributed energy asset operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smart Meter Gateway Infrastructure Software

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) Platforms (EUADAEAA)

Keywords

• Smart meter gateway
• Energy management software
• BSI-compliant infrastructure
• CLS administration
• Value-added energy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Münster

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Managed Services & Platform Fees: Full-service provider model offering end-to-end managed services including SMGW/CLS integration, device management, monitoring, and compliance services for energy companies and meter operators.
2. Value-Added Services on SMGW Infrastructure: Value-added services built on the BSI-compliant Smart Meter Gateway infrastructure, enabling use cases for control, metering, and energy management for third-party energy system providers.
3. Hardware (CLS Equipment): CLS hardware provisioning as part of the complete solution offering.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Advalju is a full-service provider of cloud-based platform services for energy-sector value-added offerings built on Smart Meter Gateway (SMGW) infrastructure. The company delivers CLS (Controllable Local System) administration, §14a EnWG-compliant control and switching of devices such as heat pumps and wallboxes, and Cloud2Cloud data aggregation for energy companies, meter operators (Messstellenbetreiber), and energy service providers in Germany.

Product overview

Advalju is a startup founded in 2023 as a joint venture between Heinz Lackmann and Theben Smart Energy, offering a cloud-based platform for energy-economical value-added services built on Smart Meter Gateway (SMGW) infrastructure. The core offering is the advalju Plattform, which provides CLS-Admin functionality for managing controllable local systems, §14a EnWG control solutions for grid operators, and BSI-compliant Mehrwertservices. The platform implements various use cases including FNN STB control, fine-granular metering, BDEW-API integration, and Cloud2Cloud communication, enabling customers to integrate PV systems, storage, eMobility, and home energy management systems into the Internet of Energy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• advalju Plattform Cloud-based platform aggregating data from Smart Meter Gateway (SMGW), Controllable Local Systems (CLS), and associated devices, providing Cloud2Cloud communication for energy market integration and control services for energy companies and meter operators.
• CLS-Admin Centralized management solution for Controllable Local Systems (CLS) covering consulting, hardware setup, device and application management, update services, monitoring, and analysis of energy-economically relevant data for meter operators and energy service providers.
• §14a EnWG Steuerungslösung Control and switching solution enabling grid operators to control individual facilities or energy management systems via the secure SMGW infrastructure according to §14a EnWG, allowing load reduction to 4.2 kW for heat pumps or wallboxes in exchange for reduced grid fees.
• Cloud2Cloud-Kommunikation Cloud-to-cloud communication service aggregating data from all SMGW/CLS-based systems and devices, providing standardized data access to energy service providers and system operators.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Qundis GmbH: German provider of submetering solutions and energy data management for residential and commercial buildings. Comparable to Advalju in addressing BSI-compliant metering and value-added energy services in the German market.
• Discovergy GmbH: German smart meter operator and energy data platform offering metering services, submetering, and value-added energy applications. Competes with Advalju in providing BSI-compliant metering infrastructure and energy data services to German customers.
• Robotron Datenbank-Software GmbH: German software company providing SMGW administration solutions, energy data management, and BSI-compliant backend systems. Most directly comparable to Advalju, as both target German meter operators and energy service providers with smart meter gateway operations platforms.
• Voltaris GmbH: German metering service provider offering smart meter rollout and operation for utilities and municipal utilities. Competes with Advalju in providing SMGW-based services to German meter operators and energy service companies.
• Power Plus Communications AG (PPC): German manufacturer of smart meter gateways (SMGW) and BSI-compliant communication solutions for the German energy market. Comparable peer as both are active in the German SMGW ecosystem targeting similar regulatory use cases and customers.
• EMH metering GmbH & Co. KG: German manufacturer of smart meters and BSI-certified metering solutions for the German market. Comparable to Advalju as a domestic German SMGW ecosystem player targeting similar regulatory use cases and customers.

Broad incumbents

• Itron Inc. Global smart meter manufacturer and grid intelligence solutions provider. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating across the smart metering and energy data ecosystem, though at much larger scale than Advalju.
• Sagemcom: European provider of smart metering and energy management solutions. Comparable as a major smart meter manufacturer with presence in European energy markets including Germany, though focused on hardware rather than Advalju's value-added services layer.
• Landis+Gyr: Global leader in smart metering and grid management solutions. Comparable to Advalju as a major player in the smart meter and grid infrastructure space, though Advalju operates at the value-added services layer rather than the metering hardware layer.

Regional players

• E.ON Metering GmbH: Metering subsidiary of E.ON, one of Germany's largest utilities, operating smart meter rollout and meter operator services. Comparable as a major German meter operator and SMGW service provider, though backed by utility scale rather than startup agility.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/advalju

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Advalju