Zentrum Zur Forderung Eingebetteter Systeme E. V. (zesys E. V.)

What Zentrum Zur Forderung Eingebetteter Systeme E. V. (zesys E. V.) does

ZeSys e.V. (Zentrum zur Förderung eingebetteter Systeme) is a Berlin-based, registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) that operates as an applied research institute specializing in embedded systems. Founded circa 2020 out of the SPES 2020 innovation alliance — which involved more than 20 industry, university, and research institution representatives developing a common domain-spanning methodology for embedded hardware and software — ZeSys is recognized by AiF Projekt GmbH as a research institution on equal footing with German universities and state research institutions. The institute is headquartered in the Berlin-Adlershof science and technology park and operates with a headcount in the 11–50 range, drawing on PhD scientists, computer scientists, engineers, and designers with certifications including ISTQB, IREB CPRE, and QAMP.

ZeSys delivers a portfolio spanning R&D services and select hardware products. Core service lines include analytical quality assurance for embedded systems (particularly safety-critical medical and industrial applications), customized hardware development (analog/digital circuit design, microcontrollers, wireless modules, sensors, EMC-aware housing, PCB layout, prototyping, and small-series manufacturing), software development (web, database, mobile, network management, virtualization, version management using Flutter, Java/Kotlin, Angular, Python, C/C++, and OpenCV), and image recognition and analysis (digital image processing, pattern/edge detection, applied in projects such as VisuPV thermal-camera solar-panel inspection). Hardware products include the CleanAir-Sensor (continuous indoor air quality monitoring), KaviClean (well inspection device for wells up to 200m depth), an automated event-triggered rainwater collection and analysis device, and a secure software distribution technology capable of exceeding 50 Mbit/s over insecure channels. Active project portfolio includes AMVAD (additive manufacturing for ventricular assist devices, launched April 2024), SafeBallastWater (cavitation-based ballast water sanitization, 99.94% microorganism kill rate), KErMiD (contact-free optical/RF erosion milieu detection for wind turbine blades), EmbeddedSafeSec (safety and security co-engineering for critical embedded systems), and POC4Vet (point-of-care veterinary diagnostics with antibiotic-resistance multiplexing).

ZeSys generates revenue through three principal streams: (1) contract research and direct professional services for industrial partners, (2) funded research and development projects under German federal and state programs (BMBF, BMWi/BMWK, Pro FIT Berlin, Transfer BONUS, Investitionsbank Berlin, and the European Regional Development Fund/ERDF), and (3) network management services for ZIM (Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand) cooperation networks that aggregate research institutions and SMEs. Its primary customer segment is German small and medium-sized enterprises seeking access to embedded-systems expertise and government funding pathways, with secondary engagement of larger enterprises and academic partners. Pricing is project-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution is principally direct, supplemented by association memberships in GFaI e.V., Technologiekreis Adlershof e.V., and Laserverbund Berlin Brandenburg e.V., and visibility at events such as Hannover Messe.

Name

Zentrum Zur Forderung Eingebetteter Systeme E. V. (zesys E. V.)

Legal name

ZeSys e.V. Zentrum zur Förderung eingebetteter Systeme

Website

https://www.zesys.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ZeSys e.V. is a Berlin-based non-profit applied research institute that provides embedded-systems R&D — including hardware/software development, quality assurance, image recognition, and network management — to German SMEs and industrial partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Contract Research: ZeSys conducts contract research and development outside of funded projects for industrial partners, generating revenue through direct service agreements.
2. Funded Research Projects: Implementation of research and development projects funded by federal and state government programs (BMBF, BMWi, Pro FIT Berlin, Transfer BONUS, etc.) in cooperation with industrial partners.
3. Research Services: Research services including support for commercial and sponsored R&D projects, cooperation support for enterprises, project management, and networking management for ZIM cooperation networks.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ZeSys e.V. is a non-profit applied research institute that delivers contract research and development services focused on embedded systems. It supports SMEs and industrial partners across the full embedded systems lifecycle, including hardware development (analog/digital circuits, microcontrollers, sensors), software development (web, database, mobile, network management), analytical quality assurance for safety-critical systems, image recognition and analysis, and management of ZIM cooperation networks linking research institutions with industrial partners.

Product overview

ZeSys e.V. is a non-profit institute for applied research and development services focused on embedded systems. Their portfolio consists of hardware products (CleanAir-Sensor for air quality monitoring, KaviClean for well inspection, and automated rainwater collection devices) and technology solutions (secure software distribution). They provide research and development services including hardware development, software development, analytical quality assurance, and image recognition/analysis. The organization operates as an R&D partner for SMEs, supporting innovation projects from concept through prototype to small series production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CleanAir-Sensor A system for continuous monitoring of indoor air quality, sold as a standalone ZeSys hardware product.
• KaviClean A device for gentle, ecological cleaning and 360-degree video inspection of wells up to 200 meters depth with inner diameters from greater than 200 to 600 mm, sold as a standalone ZeSys hardware product.
• Automated Rainwater Collection and Analysis Device An unmanned, event-controlled device for automated sampling of unpressurized liquids such as rainwater, sold as a standalone ZeSys hardware product.
• Secure Software Distribution Technology A ZeSys technology for transmission of individualized software at speeds exceeding 50 Mbit/s over insecure channels, offered as a standalone technology product.
• Analytical Quality Assurance Services A standalone service offering for embedded systems covering systematic error detection and quality proof, with particular expertise in safety-critical applications such as medical technology.
• Hardware Development Services A standalone service offering covering customized development of electronic assemblies and devices from functional models through prototypes to small series, including analog and digital circuit design, microcontrollers, wireless modules, sensors, PCB layout, EMC-compliant housing design, and manufacturing support.
• Software Development Services A standalone service offering for configuration, application, and development of software for special fields of application including web, database, and mobile applications, as well as network management, virtualization, and version management using technologies such as Flutter, Java/Kotlin, HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Angular, Python, C/C++, and OpenCV.
• Image Recognition and Analysis Services A standalone service offering applying digital image processing and pattern recognition to extract features from images, demonstrated in projects such as VisuPV for detecting damages and anomalies on solar panels using thermal camera imagery.

Quantifiable outcome

• Quality assurance testing typically requires 25-40% of development effort for embedded systems, exceeding 40% for safety-critical applications
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AnkronminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Partnership for algae destruction testing in the SafeBallastWater project. Ankron contributed filter system technology, and ZeSys provided the cavitation system. Testing was conducted by pumping prepared fluid mixed with algae through Ankron's filter system followed by ZeSys's cavitation system.
• HS BremerhavenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Technical partner for microbiological analysis in the SafeBallastWater project. HS Bremerhaven conducted PCR and microbiological analysis of samples, providing expertise in distinguishing between living and dead cells and explaining discrepancies between analysis methods.
• GFaI e.V.coreOthersZeSys e.V. is a member of GFaI e.V. (Gesellschaft zur Förderung angewandter Informatik). Visited by Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. Franziska Brantner from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action along with GFaI.
• Technologiekreis Adlershof e.V.minorOthersZeSys is a member of this technology association based in Berlin's Adlershof science and technology park.
• Laserverbund Berlin Brandenburg e.V.minorOthersZeSys is a member of this laser technology network spanning the Berlin Brandenburg region.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer Society (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft): Largest German applied research organization with 76 institutes covering embedded systems, software, and production. ZeSys operates in the same applied-research-for-SMEs niche but at a fraction of Fraunhofer's scale, competing for similar federal funding streams and industrial partnerships.
• Bertrandt AG: Large German engineering services provider with deep embedded systems, automotive electronics, and software development practice. Comparable to ZeSys's custom hardware/software development services but at much greater scale, serving major OEMs rather than primarily SMEs.
• IAV GmbH (Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto und Verkehr): Major German automotive engineering services firm with strong embedded systems and vehicle electronics practice. While much larger and automotive-focused, IAV's service model (contract R&D for industrial clients) parallels ZeSys's applied research offering in adjacent verticals.

Direct peers

• OFFIS (Oldenburg Research and Development Institute for Information Technology): Non-profit applied research institute focused on information technology including embedded systems, health, and energy. Like ZeSys, OFFIS bridges academic research and SME/industry applications, often through publicly funded joint projects — making it a close structural and operational peer.
• Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft für angewandte Forschung e.V. German non-profit applied research institute specializing in embedded systems, microsystems technology, and intelligent sensor solutions. Highly comparable to ZeSys in mission (industry-oriented applied R&D for SMEs), funding model, and embedded systems focus, though with broader microsystems capability.
• IFAF Berlin (Institut für angewandte Forschung Berlin e.V.): Berlin-based consortium of universities of applied sciences for applied research. Comparable to ZeSys as a Berlin-based applied research entity serving SMEs with publicly funded R&D projects and interdisciplinary teams.
• SSV Software und Systeme Vertrieb GmbH: German embedded systems specialist providing hardware/software development, IoT solutions, and embedded consulting for industrial clients. Comparable to ZeSys's hardware/software development services and SME customer focus, with overlapping safety-critical embedded applications.

Emerging players

• itemis AG: Germany-based provider of embedded software development tools, model-driven development, and embedded systems consulting. Comparable to ZeSys in embedded systems domain and target market of industrial clients requiring specialized software expertise, but operates as a commercial company rather than non-profit.

Peers

• GFaI e.V. (Gesellschaft zur Förderung angewandter Informatik):

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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