What klarx does

klarx is a Munich-based digital platform company operating a two-sided marketplace for construction equipment rental across Germany and Austria. Founded in 2015 by Vincent Koch and the Handschuh brothers (Florian and Matthias), the company aggregates more than 530,000 machines from over 5,100 partner rental stations plus two company-owned logistics centers in Munich and Berlin, serving more than 6,060 customers. Customers include commercial and civil engineering firms, solar park developers, steel and metal construction companies, and energy-efficiency renovation contractors. The platform provides guaranteed machine availability at category level, transparent fixed pricing for 12 months, and a logistics network designed to keep average transport distances under 50 km.

The company's core technology consists of two proprietary software products: klarxMANAGER, a customer-facing procurement platform (desktop and mobile) enabling 24/7 rental ordering, extension, release management, real-time availability visibility, SMS notifications, damage documentation, and project-based cost tracking; and klarxSUPPLY, a free partner-facing tool for digitizing fleet management and rental request handling. These are complemented by klarxConnect, which provides 24-hour express invoice payment to suppliers, and a Live Availability System with a traffic-light display of instantly bookable equipment. Sustainability features include hydraulic oil testing via a collaboration with Zeppelin Laboratory and CO2 footprint analysis for Enterprise-tier customers.

Revenue is generated through multiple streams: usage-based equipment rental fees with tiered duration discounts; recurring subscription packages (Advanced at €50/month, Professional at €150/month, and custom-priced Enterprise) locked for 12 months and providing up to 40% rental discounts; transaction-based logistics and transport fees; machine subscription (Baumaschinen Abo) at fixed monthly rates; and ancillary income from consumables, deposits, used equipment sales (Gebrauchtmaschinen), and specialized services including crane project management (Kranprojekte) and construction site disposal (Baustellenentsorgung). Go-to-market combines self-serve digital ordering on klarx.de with high-touch enterprise sales via dedicated Key Account Managers and Technical Consultants for package customers. The company has raised approximately €30 million in venture capital across multiple rounds between 2017 and 2025 from investors including B&C Innovation Investments, Target Global, Flixfounders, Helvetia Venture Fund, and Swiss Post Ventures.

Name

klarx

Legal name

klarx GmbH

Website

https://klarx.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

klarx is a Munich-based digital platform operating a two-sided marketplace for construction equipment rental across Germany and Austria, aggregating 530,000+ machines from 5,100+ partner stations to serve 6,060+ customers in construction, solar, and metalworking verticals via its klarxMANAGER and klarxSUPPLY software products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Equipment Rental

NAICS

Construction, Transportation, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (53241), Construction, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (532412)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)

akta.pro primary industry

Earthmoving & Excavation Equipment Rental/Leasing (TLABAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Access & Scaffolding Rental/Leasing (TLABAFAL), Site Services & Temporary Infrastructure Rental/Leasing (Portable Toilets, Fencing, Storage Containers) (TLABAFAH)

Keywords

• Construction equipment rental
• Digital procurement platform
• Machinery rental services
• Rental management software
• Equipment rental marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rental Fees: klarx charges customers rental fees for construction equipment including excavators, loaders, cranes, work platforms, forklifts, and containers. Pricing varies by machine type, rental duration, and volume. Longer rental periods qualify for discount tiers with lower daily rates. Minimum rental period is one day. Weekend days when machines are not used are rental-free, with only the liability limitation fee charged per calendar day.
2. Subscription Packages: Three tiered subscription packages (Advanced €50/month, Professional €150/month, Enterprise price on request) provide fixed pricing for 12 months, software access with defined account limits, and service features. Packages include discounts on standard rental prices (up to 40%), additional discounts for bookings via klarxMANAGER (0.5-1%), and various service benefits.
3. Logistics and Transport: Delivery and pickup fees are charged based on distance and machine size. Costs are transparently displayed on product pages and itemized in quotes. Self-pickup is available as a cost-saving alternative. Premium Enterprise package customers can negotiate fixed transport flat rates.
4. Consumables and Damage Charges: Consumables such as fuel, tools subject to wear, and cleaning/repair costs for machines not returned in original condition are charged separately. Deposits are required and refunded after machine return, varying based on rental duration and machine value.
5. Used Equipment Sales: klarx offers purchase options for used construction equipment including miniexcavators, wheel loaders, and crawler excavators as an additional revenue stream.
6. Baumaschinen Abo (Machine Subscription): Monthly subscription model providing modern machines at fixed monthly rates with most costs included except fuel, offering full cost control for customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

klarx operates a digital platform that enables construction companies to rent construction equipment from a network of over 5,100 partner stations across Germany and Austria, providing access to more than 530,000 machines including excavators, loaders, cranes, work platforms, forklifts, and containers. The company offers proprietary digital procurement tools (klarxMANAGER for customers, klarxSUPPLY for partners) for 24/7 ordering, extension, and release management, supplemented by tiered subscription packages, machine subscription (Baumaschinen Abo), short- and long-term rental, rent-to-buy options, crane project management, construction site disposal, and used equipment sales.

Product overview

klarx is a digital platform for renting construction equipment and machinery in Germany and Austria. The offering consists of a platform-plus-modules architecture: the core products are klarxMANAGER (customer-facing software for 24/7 digital rental management) and klarxSUPPLY (partner-facing software for rental station management). These are supplemented by rental model variants including Baumaschinen Abo (machine subscription), Kurzzeitmiete (short-term rental), Langzeitmiete (long-term rental), and Mietkauf (rent-to-buy), as well as specialized services like Kranprojekte (crane project management) and Baustellenentsorgung (construction site disposal). Customers can also purchase used machines through the Gebrauchtmaschinen offering. The platform provides access to a network of over 5,100 partner stations with more than 530,000 machines available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• klarxMANAGER: The digital software tool (desktop and mobile app) for efficient and transparent procurement of construction equipment, allowing 24/7 rental, extension, and release of machines.
• klarxSUPPLY
• klarx Packages
• Baumaschinen Abo

Products and services

• klarxMANAGER Digital procurement software (desktop and mobile app) enabling construction companies to rent, extend, and release machines 24/7, view live availability, track deliveries, manage project-based cost tracking, and access invoices and damage documentation. Includes role-based permissions and SMS notifications.
• klarxSUPPLY Free software solution for rental partner stations to digitize their machine fleet, increase utilization, manage rental requests digitally, confirm and analyze rentals, and optimize their rental processes through the klarx platform.
• Baumaschinen Abo Flexible machine subscription service allowing companies to rent modern construction equipment at fixed monthly rates, with most costs (including maintenance) included except fuel, offering full cost control for customers with ongoing equipment needs.
• Kurzzeitmiete (Short-Term Rental) Short-term rental option for construction machines needed for days or weeks, ideal for short-term projects, unexpected breakdowns, and peak loads. Weekend days when machines are not used are rental-free.
• Langzeitmiete (Long-Term Rental) Long-term rental option for machines needed for months or years, designed for extended projects with flexible return conditions and discounted daily rates for longer commitments.
• Mietkauf (Rent-to-Buy) Rent-to-buy option allowing companies to rent a construction machine with the option to purchase it after the rental period at an agreed price, combining the flexibility of rental with eventual ownership.
• Kranprojekte (Crane Project Management) Expert consultation and project management service for crane projects, including crane selection, logistics planning, procurement, and rental of cranes (mobile cranes, telescopic cranes, tower cranes, crawler cranes).
• Baustellenentsorgung (Construction Site Disposal) Construction site disposal and waste management services for construction projects, handling removal of debris and waste materials from job sites.
• Gebrauchtmaschinen (Used Equipment Sales) Purchase option for used construction equipment including miniexcavators, wheel loaders, and crawler excavators, offered as an alternative to rental for customers seeking ownership.
• klarxConnect Express payment solution for suppliers that processes uploaded PDF invoices and delivers payment within 24 hours, providing additional liquidity to rental partners in the klarx network.

Quantifiable outcome

• Time savings: Processing 10 orders per day reduced from 8 hours to 5 minutes
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Zeppelin GmbH (Öllabor)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Collaboration with Zeppelin Laboratory for hydraulic oil analysis across klarx's fleet of 64 Yanmar machines in Munich logistics center. The program tests oil quality to determine optimal replacement timing, saving 5,028 liters of hydraulic oil and reducing environmental impact while optimizing maintenance costs. Testing conducted by Zeppelin since 1997, analyzing up to 140,000 samples annually.
• Zeppelin GmbH (Equipment Supplier)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquipment supply partnership for new machines. klarx expanded its fleet with 15 CAT Deltalader 299D3 units from Zeppelin for solar park construction sites, delivered by Zeppelin Munich branch.
• Sol in OneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustomer partnership for solar park construction project in Sengenthal, where a 7.7 megawatt solar installation was realized using klarx equipment including delta loaders.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Loxam: France-headquartered pan-European equipment rental company with significant presence in Germany. Directly competes in the same equipment categories (earthmoving, aerial, material handling) with overlapping customer base among European contractors.
• Kiloutou: France-based equipment rental company serving construction, public works, and industry. Directly comparable in product categories and customer profile, with growing DACH and Benelux exposure that competes for the same multi-national contractor customers.
• Mateco: European aerial work platform and telehandler rental specialist with presence across Germany, Benelux, France, Iberia, and Poland. Directly overlaps with klarx's Arbeitsbühnen (work platform) category and competes for the same lifting equipment rental demand.
• Boels Rental: Netherlands-based pan-European construction equipment rental company with an owned fleet of machines and aerial platforms. Closest traditional peer in terms of product mix (excavators, loaders, work platforms) and customer base, but operates an asset-heavy rather than asset-light model.
• EquipmentShare: US-based construction equipment rental platform combining owned fleet, telematics, and a digital procurement layer (T3 platform). Highly comparable to klarx's platform-plus-software strategy, though operating at larger scale and in the US market.
• Yardlink: UK-based construction equipment rental marketplace connecting contractors with local plant hire suppliers. Directly comparable to klarx in its digital two-sided marketplace model, though focused on the UK rather than DACH.
• Riwal: Dutch-headquartered aerial work platform and telehandler rental company operating across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. Comparable in its specialization in aerial platforms and serving construction, infrastructure, and industrial customers.

Emerging players

• DOZR: North American online marketplace for construction equipment rental that connects contractors with rental suppliers. Conceptually very close to klarx's two-sided marketplace model but currently smaller scale and focused on the US/Canada.

Broad incumbents

• Herc Rentals: US-headquartered equipment rental company offering aerial platforms, earthmoving, and material handling equipment to construction and industrial customers. Comparable in product breadth and enterprise customer focus; relevant as a global scale benchmark for klarx's potential expansion.
• Zeppelin GmbH: Germany's largest Caterpillar dealer and a broad construction equipment provider with rental operations, including the Zeppelin Laboratory partnership with klarx. Operates an owned-fleet model and serves the same contractor customers across DACH, making it both a partner and a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/KlarxDe
• Facebookfacebook.com/klarx.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/klarx
• Instagraminstagram.com/klarx_com
• Xx.com/klarx_com

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about klarx