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About us.

A new kind of engineering business for live entertainment — built on the belief that the best products come from people who care about how things actually work.

Our story

A platform, not a product line.

Open Automation exists to develop, sell, and support the best live-entertainment automation products from designers and manufacturers worldwide.

We started because we saw a gap: designers with great ideas, and no clean route to the market. We want to make these products available for everyone.

We work with engineers, riggers, and technical directors who care about the same things we do — solid engineering, pragmatic advice, and a system that does exactly what the cue says it will.

ABTT
2024

Engineering Product of the Year

Xwinch wins at the ABTT Show 2024.

Open Automation is honoured to receive the Association of British Theatre Technicians' top engineering award — recognising the novel compensator design at the heart of the Xwinch. The award was judged by a panel of working theatre technicians and engineers at the annual ABTT Show in London.

View Xwinch

What we stand for

Three things we don't compromise on.

Every product in the Open Automation range is built against the same three principles. They aren't aspirational — they're the filter every design decision goes through.

Solid engineering.

The designs we sell build on a foundation of good engineering practice. The experience our designers bring to bear makes sure this supports the entertainment context.

Pragmatic advice.

We give you the answer that works on your show, not the answer that sells you more equipment. That means straightforward recommendations, and the confidence to tell you when an existing solution is the right one.

Open platform.