BrightLoop: Advanced Power Electronics and Electrification Technology at ABB Group

BrightLoop is a French power electronics company that develops advanced power conversion technologies for electric vehicles, industrial machinery, marine vessels, and other demanding applications. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Paris, France, the company specialises in compact, high-performance systems designed to manage electrical energy efficiently.

BrightLoop became part of the ABB Group in October 2025, when ABB completed its acquisition of a 93% controlling interest in the company. The remaining 7% minority interest was expected to be acquired by 2028, according to ABB’s acquisition announcement.

As part of ABB’s broader electrification strategy, BrightLoop contributes specialised engineering expertise and power conversion technology to applications where efficiency, reliability, size, and weight are important considerations.

The company’s technology originated in motorsport, where electrical systems must operate reliably under demanding performance conditions. BrightLoop has since expanded its focus to include industrial off-highway vehicles, marine propulsion, aerospace, hydrogen mobility, and other specialised sectors.

Understanding BrightLoop’s Power Electronics Technology

Power electronics is the branch of electrical engineering concerned with converting and controlling electrical energy. It plays an important role in modern transportation, industrial automation, renewable energy systems, and electric machinery.

Different electrical components and systems operate at different voltage and current levels. Power electronics enables energy to be converted into a form suitable for a particular application, helping equipment operate safely and efficiently.

BrightLoop develops modular power conversion systems that can be adapted to different technical requirements. Its portfolio includes DC/DC converters, DC/AC inverters, and motor-drive inverters.

These technologies support applications in which several electrical systems must operate together, often with different voltage requirements or power demands.

DC/DC Converters

A DC/DC converter changes one direct-current voltage level into another. This is useful when an electric vehicle or industrial machine has a high-voltage battery but also needs lower-voltage power for control electronics, communication systems, lighting, sensors, and auxiliary equipment.

For example, an electric vehicle may use a high-voltage battery for its main propulsion system while requiring a lower voltage to operate electronic control units and other onboard equipment.

A DC/DC converter enables these systems to receive the appropriate electrical supply without requiring separate batteries for every voltage level.

BrightLoop develops converters for different voltage ranges and applications, including high-voltage and low-voltage systems. Its product approach emphasises compactness, efficiency, and adaptability.

DC/AC Inverters

An inverter converts direct current into alternating current. This conversion is necessary in applications where electrical energy from a DC source must power equipment that operates on AC.

Inverters are important in electric power systems, industrial machinery, and certain energy conversion applications.

BrightLoop’s inverter technology forms part of its wider power conversion portfolio, allowing the company to address applications that require more than voltage conversion alone.

Motor-Drive Inverters

Electric motors are central to electric vehicles, industrial equipment, pumps, and many other machines. Motor-drive inverters help control the electrical power supplied to motors, enabling their operation to be managed according to the requirements of the application.

In electrified machinery, effective motor control can contribute to improved operational performance and energy management.

BrightLoop’s motor-drive inverter products extend its power electronics offering into applications where the control and conversion of electrical energy are closely connected to mechanical movement.

BrightLoop and ABB Group

ABB is a global technology company specialising in electrification and automation. Its activities span industrial electrical systems, motion technologies, automation solutions, and technologies intended to improve energy efficiency and productivity.

BrightLoop’s integration into ABB strengthens the group’s capabilities in power electronics for transportation and industrial applications.

ABB announced the acquisition agreement on May 21, 2025, and completed the transaction on October 1, 2025. The acquisition gave ABB a 93% controlling interest in BrightLoop, with the remaining minority interest expected to be acquired by 2028.

The strategic rationale was to expand ABB’s offering for industrial off-highway vehicles, marine vessels, and other applications requiring advanced electrification technology.

BrightLoop contributes specialised converter technology and engineering experience, while ABB provides a wider industrial and commercial platform. The combination is intended to support the development and deployment of power conversion solutions across additional markets.

BrightLoop’s engineering and manufacturing footprint in France was also intended to be retained as the business expanded under ABB ownership.

BrightLoop’s Role in Motorsport

Motorsport has been an important part of BrightLoop’s technological development. Electric racing places demanding requirements on power electronics because systems must deliver reliable performance while operating within strict limitations on space, weight, and energy use.

BrightLoop’s converters are used in the cars competing in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The company’s technology supports the operation of onboard electrical systems that require power at voltage levels different from those of the main traction battery.

In an electric racing car, the high-voltage battery supplies the primary propulsion system, while lower-voltage electrical systems support components such as control electronics, communications, and displays.

Power conversion technology allows these different systems to operate together.

The motorsport environment also demonstrates the importance of compact engineering and reliable electrical performance. Experience in this demanding setting provides a technical foundation that can be relevant to other applications, although each industry requires its own validation, testing, and certification processes.

Applications Across Different Industries

BrightLoop’s power conversion technology is designed for sectors in which electrical systems must deliver dependable performance under challenging operating conditions.

Industrial and Off-Highway Vehicles

Off-highway vehicles include machinery used in construction, mining, agriculture, and other industrial activities. These machines may operate for long periods in environments involving vibration, dust, temperature variations, and heavy workloads.

Electrification can help reduce dependence on conventional mechanical and hydraulic systems in selected applications. However, implementing electric powertrains requires suitable batteries, power conversion equipment, motors, control systems, and charging infrastructure.

BrightLoop’s converters can support the electrical architecture of these vehicles by managing energy between different voltage levels and components.

Compactness and efficiency are particularly valuable when machinery has limited space for additional electrical equipment.

Marine Vessels

Marine electrification is another important application area. Electric and hybrid vessels use electrical systems to support propulsion, auxiliary equipment, onboard services, and energy management.

Power conversion technology can help integrate different electrical components within a vessel’s power architecture.

Marine equipment must also meet demanding reliability and safety requirements. Systems may be exposed to humidity, vibration, temperature changes, and other challenging environmental conditions.

BrightLoop’s focus on robust and compact power conversion solutions is relevant to marine applications, including electric ferries and offshore vessels.

The actual benefits of electrification depend on the vessel’s design, operating profile, energy source, and wider propulsion system.

Aerospace

Aerospace applications often impose strict limits on equipment weight, volume, reliability, and energy consumption. Electrical power conversion is therefore an important consideration in aircraft systems and emerging forms of electric mobility.

BrightLoop’s experience with compact power electronics is relevant to this sector, where efficient conversion and careful thermal management can influence overall system performance.

Aerospace equipment must satisfy application-specific qualification and safety requirements, so the suitability of any particular converter depends on its design and certification.

Hydrogen Mobility

Hydrogen-based mobility systems can use fuel cells to generate electricity from hydrogen. This electricity can then power motors and other vehicle systems.

Fuel-cell systems require electrical components that manage power between the fuel cell, energy storage devices, propulsion equipment, and auxiliary loads.

Power converters can help regulate voltage levels and support the integration of these components.

BrightLoop’s power electronics expertise is relevant to hydrogen mobility because electrical energy must be managed efficiently across different parts of the system. The overall performance of a hydrogen-powered vehicle, however, also depends on the fuel cell, hydrogen storage, drivetrain, and wider energy supply chain.

Defence and Specialised Equipment

Defence applications and specialised industrial systems can involve demanding requirements for reliability, packaging, and environmental resilience.

Power electronics can support electrical distribution, auxiliary systems, and other equipment that requires controlled energy conversion.

The suitability of a particular product depends on the technical specifications and operational requirements of the intended application.

BrightLoop’s broader market focus includes specialised sectors where compact and robust electrical systems are important.

Benefits of Advanced Power Conversion

Modern power conversion technology provides several potential benefits for electrified systems.

Energy efficiency: Efficient converters reduce the proportion of electrical energy lost during conversion. Lower conversion losses can help improve the efficiency of the overall electrical system.

Compact design: High power density allows equipment to deliver substantial power within a relatively small physical footprint. This is particularly valuable in vehicles and machinery where space is limited.

Flexible system integration: Modular product architectures can help engineers adapt electrical systems to different voltage levels, power requirements, and applications.

Improved energy management: Power converters help coordinate the electrical requirements of different components, supporting more effective use of available energy.

Support for electrification: Reliable power conversion is an important building block in the transition from conventional mechanical power systems to electric and hybrid architectures.

These benefits depend on the converter’s design, the wider system architecture, operating conditions, and the way the equipment is installed and maintained.

BrightLoop’s Modular Approach to Power Electronics

Modular engineering allows related products to share a common design platform while supporting different technical configurations.

For power electronics manufacturers, this approach can help address applications that require different voltage levels, power ratings, packaging dimensions, and cooling arrangements.

BrightLoop’s product portfolio reflects this emphasis on modular and adaptable power conversion.

Its products include converters designed for different voltage ranges, along with inverters for applications involving AC power or electric motor control. The company also describes digital twins as part of its product offering.

Digital twins are virtual representations of physical systems that can be used to analyse behaviour, explore configurations, or support engineering activities. Their usefulness depends on the quality of the underlying models and the information available about the real system.

A modular product strategy can make it easier to tailor a solution to specific requirements, although the final configuration must still be engineered and validated for its intended operating environment.

BrightLoop and the Future of Electrification

Electrification is expanding across transportation, industrial machinery, and energy-related applications. This transition requires more than electric motors and batteries. It also depends on the systems that convert, distribute, control, and monitor electrical energy.

As vehicles and industrial equipment become more electrically integrated, power conversion technology plays an increasingly important role in overall system design.

BrightLoop’s combination of motorsport experience, specialised power electronics, and integration into ABB positions the company within this developing market.

ABB’s wider capabilities in electrification and automation provide a platform for expanding the reach of BrightLoop’s technology into industrial and marine applications.

Future developments in semiconductor technology, thermal management, digital engineering, and converter design may create additional opportunities to improve power density and conversion efficiency.

Nevertheless, the success of electrification projects depends on several factors, including total system cost, infrastructure availability, operational requirements, maintenance, and the environmental impact of the energy sources involved.

Conclusion

BrightLoop is a French power electronics company specialising in compact, high-performance electrical energy conversion systems. Founded in 2010, it developed its expertise in demanding applications such as motorsport before expanding into industrial vehicles, marine systems, aerospace, hydrogen mobility, and other specialised markets.

Since ABB completed its acquisition of a 93% controlling interest in October 2025, BrightLoop has formed part of ABB Group’s broader electrification strategy.

Its portfolio includes DC/DC converters, DC/AC inverters, motor-drive inverters, and related technologies that help electrical systems operate at the required voltage and power levels.

As electrification continues to reshape transportation and industrial equipment, advanced power conversion will remain an important enabling technology. BrightLoop’s specialised engineering capabilities and relationship with ABB place it within this evolving field.