time:matters Group

What time:matters Group does

time:matters Group is a specialist time-critical logistics provider headquartered in Neu-Isenburg, Germany, founded in 2002 and operating as a subsidiary of Lufthansa Cargo within the Lufthansa Group. The company delivers same-day and emergency shipments via air, rail, and road modalities, with product lines spanning Sameday Air, Sameday Rail, Sameday Road, Next Flight Out (NFO), On-Board Courier (OBC), spare parts logistics, tailor-made solutions, charter services, and specialized services including Stem Cell OBC and Radiopharma Logistics. Its customer base is enterprise B2B, with stated case-study exposure across aviation MRO, semiconductor, automotive, and life sciences verticals.

The company operates a global service network of more than 12,000 couriers across 50+ countries, reaching 300 destinations in 100+ countries, and benefits from apron (airside) access at Lufthansa hubs Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC). Its digital infrastructure includes the booking.time-matters.com shipment booking platform and the airmates.eu courier marketplace, supporting automated flight search, instant quotations, and shipment tracking. The business model is B2B transaction-based — pricing is quote-driven per shipment rather than subscription- or tier-based — with no public pricing tiers. Geographic footprint comprises offices in Germany (HQ plus FRA and MUC), Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Singapore (APAC headquarters), Shanghai, and Miami (Americas headquarters).

Strategic positioning includes the 2018 acquisition of Customs Broker, ongoing Sustainable Aviation Fuel investment since 2022, a dedicated semiconductor logistics desk in Amsterdam, and specialized cell-and-gene therapy capabilities. Leadership comprises CEO Bernhard zur Strassen and COO Lars Krosch, with a stated headcount of 51–100 internal employees supplemented by the external courier network. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

time:matters Group

Legal name

time:matters GmbH

Website

https://time-matters.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

time:matters is a Germany-based time-critical logistics provider and Lufthansa Cargo subsidiary, delivering same-day air, rail, and road shipments across 100+ countries for enterprise customers in life sciences, semiconductor, automotive, and aviation sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Time-Critical Logistics Services

NAICS

Couriers and Express Delivery Services (4921), Couriers and Express Delivery Services (49211), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Air Courier Services (4513), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Airport & Intercity Same‑Day Hand‑Carry / Next‑Flight‑Out (NFO) (TLAAADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Time-Critical & AOG (Aircraft on Ground) Specialized Forwarding (TLACAJAI), AOG (Aircraft-on-Ground) & Critical Spares Logistics (TLADANAL), Aviation & Marine Spares / AOG Critical Parts Courier (TLAAAEAH)

Keywords

• Time-critical logistics
• Same-day delivery
• Express air freight
• On board courier
• Spare parts logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Neu Isenburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. On Board Courier (OBC) Services: Personally accompanied hand carry courier service for extremely urgent shipments using scheduled flights. Revenue generated from booking fees and transport charges based on urgency, distance, and complexity of shipment.
2. Next Flight Out (NFO) Express Air Freight: Worldwide express air freight on passenger and cargo aircraft with priority loading. Revenue from freight charges based on weight, dimensions, and transit time requirements.
3. Sameday Road Services: Direct transport by courier vehicle without size and weight limitations, door-to-door delivery. Revenue generated from distance-based transport fees.
4. Tailor-Made Transport Solutions: Customized logistics solutions combining various transport modes (air, rail, road) and emergency logistics planning services.
5. Charter Services: Aircraft charter services for particularly urgent or large shipments requiring dedicated transport.
6. Specialized Medical Logistics (Cell & Gene, Radiopharma): Temperature-controlled transport for sensitive biological samples, cell therapies, and radiopharmaceuticals requiring specialized handling and compliance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

time:matters Group is a global time-critical logistics provider offering same-day and emergency transport solutions including On Board Courier (OBC) hand-carry services, Next Flight Out (NFO) express air freight, Sameday Air/Rail/Road transport, charter services, and specialized logistics for life sciences (cell & gene therapy, radiopharma) and spare parts delivery. The company operates proprietary courier terminals at major European airports and a digital booking platform enabling instant quotes and online booking across 300+ destinations in 100+ countries.

Product overview

time:matters is a global high-performance logistics company offering time-critical transport solutions. The portfolio includes same-day delivery services (air, rail, road), express air freight via Next Flight Out (NFO), On Board Courier (OBC) hand-carry services, spare parts logistics, tailor-made transport solutions, charter services, and specialized offerings for cell therapy and radiopharma products. Operations are supported by owned courier terminals at major European airports and powered by digital platforms (booking.time-matters.com and airmates.eu) for online booking and courier management. The company serves diverse industries including automotive, aviation, high-tech/semiconductor, industrial machinery, life sciences, and medtech.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• airmates: On Board Courier network platform and service brand featuring over 12,000 couriers in more than 50 countries

Products and services

• On Board Couriers (OBC) Personally accompanied hand-carry courier service for extremely urgent shipments, using over 12,000 couriers in more than 50 countries to escort time-critical cargo on scheduled flights. Quotes generated within 1 minute via the airmates platform.
• Next Flight Out (NFO) Global express air freight on all passenger and cargo aircraft, connecting 300 destinations in over 100 countries with fast transit times from 40 minutes via tail-to-tail transfers at major hubs (FRA, MUC, BRU). Handles dangerous goods up to class 9.
• Sameday Air Same-day air freight service for urgent shipments transported via passenger and cargo aircraft with priority handling.
• Sameday Rail Same-day rail transport solution for time-critical shipments across rail networks.
• Sameday Road Direct door-to-door courier delivery by vehicle without size and weight limitations, available at any time.
• Spare Parts Logistics Specialized logistics for urgent spare parts delivery, particularly for automotive, industrial machinery, and aviation (AOG) applications.
• Tailor-Made Transport Customized logistics solutions individually adapted to customer needs, combining various transport modes (air, rail, road) and including emergency logistics plans for supply chain disruptions.
• Charter Air charter service for transporting cargo via specially chartered aircraft when scheduled services are insufficient for particularly urgent or large shipments.
• Stem Cell OBC Specialized onboard courier service for transporting stem cells and cell therapy products under strict temperature control (-190°C) in cryopreserved state.
• Radiopharma Logistics Specialized logistics for radioactive pharmaceutical products requiring specific handling protocols and regulatory compliance.
• Courier Terminals Owned and operated courier terminals at Frankfurt, Munich, and Brussels airports providing apron access, priority handling, and physical supervision for time-critical shipments.

Quantifiable outcome

• AOG spare part delivered from Hamburg to Manila in 29 hours including customs clearance
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lufthansa GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLufthansa Group is the parent company of time:matters, providing strategic oversight, brand credibility, and preferential access to airline cargo capacity across Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and other partner carriers.
• Lufthansa (including Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines)coreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Lufthansa Group airlines enables priority cargo access, preferential rates, and coordinated handling for Next Flight Out express air freight services. time:matters leverages these relationships for shipments across 300+ destinations in 100+ countries.
• IDnow GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIdentity verification service provider used for onboarding and verifying onboard couriers (airmates) as part of compliance requirements.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marken (UPS Healthcare): Marken, now part of UPS Healthcare, specializes in clinical trial and biopharma logistics with strong cell & gene therapy capabilities. It competes directly with time:matters' life sciences and radiopharma services for high-value, time-critical biological shipments.
• World Courier (Cencora): World Courier specializes in time- and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical and biotech logistics, including cell and gene therapy transport. It competes directly with time:matters' Stem Cell OBC and Radiopharma Logistics services, particularly for clinical trial and ATMP shipments.
• FedEx Custom Critical: FedEx Custom Critical provides time-sensitive, specialized shipping including air charter, courier, and expedited ground services across North America and internationally. It is one of the closest direct competitors to time:matters' OBC and NFO services, with a comparable premium positioning.
• Cryoport (now CRYOPDP): Cryoport (including CRYOPDP and Cryogene) provides cryogenic logistics for cell therapies, reproductive medicine, and biological samples. It is a specialized competitor in the same cell & gene therapy logistics vertical where time:matters operates.

Broad incumbents

• CEVA Logistics: CEVA Logistics provides global air freight forwarding, contract logistics, and time-sensitive transport services. It overlaps with time:matters in automotive spare parts, aviation, and high-tech logistics, though primarily as part of broader 3PL contracts rather than specialty sameday.
• DB Schenker: DB Schenker offers global air freight forwarding, time-critical logistics, and contract logistics with European heritage similar to time:matters. It competes in cross-border spare parts and AOG logistics with comparable but much broader service scope.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Kuehne+Nagel is a global freight forwarder with KN PharmaLogistics and time-critical air freight capabilities. It competes in adjacent AOG and pharma logistics segments with time:matters, though from a much broader forwarding portfolio rather than a specialized same-day focus.
• DHL Same Day / DHL Express: DHL Same Day and DHL Express offer international same-day, time-critical courier, and express air freight services globally. They directly compete with time:matters' OBC and NFO offerings but as part of a much broader integrated logistics portfolio with significantly larger scale.
• UPS Healthcare / UPS Express Critical: UPS Healthcare and UPS Express Critical provide time-critical shipping, temperature-controlled pharma logistics, and air freight forwarding globally. They overlap significantly with time:matters' spare parts, cell & gene, and same-day air offerings, though within UPS's broader integrated network.

Others

• Lufthansa Cargo: Lufthansa Cargo is the parent company of time:matters and provides scheduled air freight services globally. While not a direct competitor in OBC/sameday, it is the upstream capacity provider and strategic sponsor of time:matters' operations and Lufthansa-branded service offering.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/time_matters
• Facebookfacebook.com/time.matters.page

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about time:matters Group