Stay on Top of Enterprise Technology Trends
Get updates impacting your industry from our GigaOm Research Community

Power and engineering giant Siemens will buy smart meter software company eMeter, the companies announced on Monday. While the companies did not disclose the terms of the deal, this is one of the more high-profile success stories for the smart grid in 2011.
EMeter is a 13-year-old firm that makes software to manage smart meter systems for utilities. This type of software, called meter data management systems (or MDMS), acts as the delivery system between the smart meter and the utility’s back office, and all utilities that are building smart grid networks need this software. EMeter has a long list of utility customers, including Texas-based CenterPoint, Toronto Hydro Electric System, Bluebonnet and Vattenfall in Sweden and Finland, and many others.
Siemens is already an investor in and a longtime partner of eMeter. The German conglomerate led a $12.5 million investment in eMeter in 2008, and the two have been involved in several meter data management projects with European utilities.
Siemens’ approach to the smart grid has been to partner with, invest in and now buy smaller smart grid players. Siemens said back in 2009 that it wants to double its growth rate in the smart grid sector to capture €6 billion ($8.48 billion) in global business over five years, compared to its then €1 billion ($1.41 billion) in estimated smart grid–related revenues for the fiscal year ending Sept. 2009.
But Siemens hasn’t been all that quick to buy companies, and it has instead oftentimes opted for partnerships or investments like it has done with Tendril, Viridity Energy and BPL Global. However, eMeter, which is a successful company with a lot of utility deals, is a solid acquisition and is one of the biggest and first acquisitions that Siemens has made in the smart grid space. Siemens competes with Schneider Electric, ABB, GE and others.
EMeter had raised at least $69 million from venture capitalists Sequoia Capital, Foundation Capital and Northgate Capital. I had long heard that eMeter could be a potential IPO candidate, but the markets haven’t been all that friendly to greentech IPOs in 2011. Here is a list of smart grid acquisitions.
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/LcYt0KJ3 #business #midlandsconsultingcentre #
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/ttcQOSkR
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/jZfgPjRa
RT @katiefehren: Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/spyRxwlu
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/GQtWeHEJ
RT @gigaom: Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/dtZZHqHp
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/e8EhfpwH via Katie Fehrenbacher
Siemens to buy #smart #grid software company eMeter http://t.co/6DfdOODb
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter: Power and engineering giant Siemens will buy smart meter soft… http://t.co/LdImdxn8
RT @gigaom: Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/RuoB1khF < next big area and obivious one
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter – GigaOm http://t.co/oQni7kWp #SmartGrid
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/CYgyGl3u
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/76srzTzb
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/B5ikwUY7
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/cJh8G1o7
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/E5BCZv5B
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter: Power and engineering giant Siemens will buy smart meter soft… http://t.co/R2L7nrN4
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter: Power and engineering giant Siemens will buy smart meter soft… http://t.co/luahAxMD
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter: Power and engineering giant Siemens will buy smart meter soft… http://t.co/acjyeqav
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter: Power and engineering giant Siemens will buy smart meter soft… http://t.co/jgQByh4b
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/kpUsWa5A (via @gigaom)
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter: Power and engineering giant Siemens will buy smart meter soft… http://t.co/aDqrpsor
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter: Power and engineering giant Siemens will buy smart meter soft… http://t.co/Oi0WfbBP
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter: Power and engineering giant Siemens will buy smart meter soft… http://t.co/mTL3jDgb
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/Z2AsIKJS @amarchugg #news
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/ZEC1BcoO @amarchugg #news
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter: Power and engineering giant Siemens will buy smart m… http://t.co/mn3TeTyE #privacy
RT @katiefehren: Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/spyRxwlu
RT @katiefehren: Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/spyRxwlu
Siemens to buy smart grid software company eMeter http://t.co/spyRxwlu