Schunk acquires majority stake in iDA Smart Digital Solution

Software start-up develops solutions for data management, machine connectivity and data analysis of heterogeneous, complex data landscapes

"Schunk and iDA have already proven how well they fit together," says Hamedo Ayadi, managing director of iDA Smart Digital Solution. Here together with co-managing director Marc Seidemann (left).

The technology company Schunk Group is acquiring a majority stake in the start-up iDA Smart Digital Solution. iDA's core competence is agile software development, especially solutions for machine connectivity and data analysis.

The start-up's most important product is the Moira software suite, which allows data from various data sources to be processed and analyzed in real time. This makes data from machines and processes, for example, accessible and ultimately profitable.

Moira offers clear advantages

The Moira data integration solution offers companies a scalable platform for data integration and real-time data processing. Using this platform, enterprise data of any type can be transformed and made available in any system. The integrated platform offers a wide range of functions for optimal data quality: these start with the creation of data profiles, through standardization, reconciliation and preparation of data, and extend to active monitoring of data quality.

"Connecting and using all data with a single data solution - that's what our Moira software enables our customers to do," says Hamedo Ayadi, managing director of iDA Smart Digital Solution. That's a clear advantage, he says - especially in applications where a lot of valuable data still lies dormant, such as in mechanical engineering. "With Moira, we can lift these data treasures for our customers and make them profitably usable," Ayadi sums it up.

Proven cooperation between start-up and technology company

The Schunk Group, an industrial heavyweight with around 9,000 employees worldwide and a turnover of 1.2 billion euros at last count, has already benefited from iDA's software expertise in various projects. For example, the Marburg-based start-up has successfully implemented digitalization projects from Schunk.

One of these was the remote maintenance solution Vindur Cockpit for the machines of Weiss Klimatechnik. This is a remote solution in which, for example, the maintenance of an air conditioning unit for a data center can be carried out remotely. For this purpose, a service technician from Weiss Klimatechnik can access all relevant machine data remotely and in real time using the iDA software and thus carry out the maintenance without having to go on site himself. In perspective, the implementation of predictive maintenance is also possible on this software platform.

"The Schunk Group and iDA are already working together very well and successfully, and the start-up is a good fit for our technology company," says Dr. Arno Roth, CEO of the Schunk Group. Mechanical engineering represents about half of Schunk's sales, with products ranging from machines and systems for environmental simulation to air-conditioning technology and ultrasonic welding to optical machines, Dr. Roth added. "At Schunk, there are plenty of application areas for the iDA team."

Partnership for more growth

"Schunk and iDA have already proven how well they fit together," says Ayadi, who will continue to lead the start-up with his co-managing director Marc Seidemann. "As a large and internationally active technology company, the Schunk Group offers a wide range of opportunities, especially in the field of mechanical engineering, to apply iDA's expertise in harnessing data." In addition, he said he is pleased to have a financially strong and broadly networked partner in Schunk, which will open up further growth opportunities for iDA.

In the future, however, iDA will not limit itself to solutions for Schunk, but will continue to operate flexibly in the market and work for third parties, Dr. Roth emphasized. "iDA already has absolute top addresses among its customers with companies such as Lufthansa or a major German telecommunications provider. We are therefore very confident that iDA will grow successfully with Schunk's backup and continue to attract customers from the mechanical engineering sector and beyond," says Dr. Roth.