Karlsruhe Mobility High Performance Center / Profilregion

What Karlsruhe Mobility High Performance Center / Profilregion does

KAMO (Karlsruhe Mobility High Performance Center / Profilregion) is a non-rights-capable research cooperation (nichtrechtsfähige Kooperation) that aggregates the mobility research capabilities of seven Karlsruhe-based institutions: the Fraunhofer institutes ICT, IOSB, ISI, and IWM; the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT); the Hochschule Karlsruhe (HKA); and the FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik. The cooperation coordinates approximately 800 affiliated researchers across 35+ KIT institutes plus the partner institutions, and is steered by a Lenkungskreis (steering committee) and advised by a 25+ member Beirat (advisory board) drawn from automotive suppliers (Schaeffler, SEW-Eurodrive, RA Consulting), traffic technology vendors (INIT, IPG Automotive, PTV), public transport operators (KVV, VBK), regional development bodies (TRK, e-mobil BW), and Baden-Württemberg state ministries. Its portfolio spans testing and validation (climate and altitude chambers, electric drive test stands, hydrogen single-cylinder combustion development, usability testing), AI and data services (synthetic dataset generation, computer-vision-based visitor flow analysis, AI-based ADAS/HAD development, digital twins of traffic spaces), and consulting (mobility management, sustainable urban planning, cybersecurity trend radar). Flagship projects include C2CBridge (12.3M EUR Phase 1 plus 12.7M EUR Phase 2 from BMV via DZM, 2024-2027) on autonomous ride-pooling for rural-urban connectivity, DAKIMO on data and AI for intermodal mobility, and LIDARSIM on institution-spanning LiDAR simulation pipelines.

KAMO is funded primarily through public research grants — most notably from the Bundesministerium für Verkehr (BMV) channeled through the German Center for Future Mobility (DZM) — and through commissioned research, training, and service contracts with industry partners. Pricing for commissioned services ranges from 5,000 EUR (LCA training) to 120,000 EUR (vehicle interior capture software licenses), with project-based fees reaching 60,000 EUR per sensor data package and 40,000 EUR per synthetic data package. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven: KAMO runs the Forschungs.Focaccia research presentation series, participates in major mobility trade shows (IAA Mobility, InnoTrans, UITP Summit, EVS, Hannover Messe), and publishes the KAMO.Magazin content series, with the advisory board serving as the primary channel into enterprise and government buyers. Customer segments are primarily industry (automotive, transport, technology suppliers), government and public institutions (federal and state ministries, municipal authorities, public transport associations), and research and academic institutions; civil society engagement is treated as a secondary segment. Because KAMO is a cooperation rather than a legal entity, contracts are concluded in the name of one of the four founding partner institutions (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, KIT, FZI, or HKA), and there is no independent equity, no external investors, and no traditional ownership structure.

Name

Karlsruhe Mobility High Performance Center / Profilregion

Legal name

KAMO Leistungszentrum (nichtrechtsfähige Kooperation der Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., des Karlsruher Instituts für Technologie, des FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik und der Hochschule Karlsruhe)

Website

https://kamo.one

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KAMO is a non-legal research consortium of seven Karlsruhe institutions (Fraunhofer ICT/IOSB/ISI/IWM, KIT, HKA, FZI) delivering interdisciplinary mobility research, testing, AI services, and consulting to automotive suppliers, public transport operators, and German federal and state governments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobility Research and Technology Services

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541), Support Activities for Transportation (488)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTLAFAMAI

Micromobility Aggregators / MaaS Platforms (Multi-Modal Booking & Passes)

Transportation & Logistics/Passenger Transportation (Air, Rail, Bus, Taxi/Rideshare)/Shared Mobility (Carshare, Bikeshare, Scootershare)

SECONDARYTLABAHAO

Corporate Mobility & Car Sharing / Pool Fleet Management

Transportation & Logistics/Fleet Leasing, Rental & Management/EV Fleet Leasing & Subscription (EVs, Charging Bundles, Battery-as-a-Service)

Keywords

• Mobility research services
• Autonomous driving research
• Vehicle simulation testing
• Applied research consortium
• Synthetic data generation

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: KAMO operates as a publicly funded research center with support from federal and state government programs. The C2CBridge project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) with 12.3 million euros (C2CBridge 1) and 12.7 million euros (C2CBridge 2) through the German Center for Future Mobility (DZM).
2. Commissioned Research and Contract Research: KAMO partners offer fee-based research services, testing, consulting, and training to industry partners. Pricing ranges from consultation services (300-500 euros initial consultation free) to specialized testing (2,500 euros/day) and software development projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

KAMO is a non-legal research cooperation (nichtrechtsfähige Kooperation) of four Karlsruhe research institutions — Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, KIT, FZI and HKA — that delivers applied research, testing, and technology-transfer services in mobility and logistics. It offers a portfolio of consulting, laboratory and field testing (e.g., climate/altitude chambers, electric drive test stands, hydrogen engine development), AI and computer-vision services (synthetic data, digital twins, AI-based driving functions), and datasets for industry, government, and academic partners. Major publicly funded flagship projects include C2CBridge (autonomous rural-urban ride-pooling) and DAKIMO (data spaces and AI for intermodal mobility).

Product overview

KAMO (Karlsruhe Mobility High Performance Center) is a research consortium, not a single product company. It offers a portfolio of research services, testing facilities, AI-enabled tools, and simulation capabilities across its partner institutions (Fraunhofer ICT, IOSB, ISI, IWM; KIT; HKA; FZI). The offerings include testing and validation services (climate/altitude simulation, electric drive testing, combustion development), AI and data services (synthetic data generation, computer vision analysis, digital twins, AI-based driving functions), consulting (mobility management, sustainable urban planning, cybersecurity), and research infrastructure (bicycle/e-bike simulators, vehicle sensor data collection). Flagship collaborative projects include C2CBridge for autonomous rural-urban mobility, DAKIMO for data and AI in mobility, and LIDARSIM for laser scanner simulation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LCA Training (Life Cycle Assessment Training) Training courses for creating life cycle assessments (LCA) delivered by Fraunhofer ICT for industry and research clients evaluating the environmental impact of mobility products and systems.
• Vehicle Interior Capture Software Software for capturing and evaluating user activities in vehicle interiors, provided by Fraunhofer IOSB for automotive research and human-factors engineering clients.
• Synthetic Data Generation for Machine Learning Generation of synthetic training, test, and validation datasets using generative AI for machine learning applications, provided by Fraunhofer IOSB to clients developing computer vision and perception systems.
• Vehicle Sensor Data Collection (LiDAR, Camera, CAN) Collection of vehicle sensor data including LiDAR, camera, and CAN bus data in formats such as ROS-Bag, provided by Fraunhofer IOSB for autonomous driving and ADAS development clients.
• Traffic Data Collection from Aerial Survey Aerial traffic data collection using flight-based surveying methods to produce map-referenced trajectories, provided by Fraunhofer IOSB for traffic planning and management clients.
• Mobility Management Consulting Consulting services for mobility management delivered by HKA to municipalities, transport operators, and industry clients designing sustainable mobility programs.
• Toolbox: Sustainable Urban Planning Toolbox for sustainable urban land use planning provided by HKA to municipal planners and developers integrating mobility, land use, and climate considerations.
• Climate and Altitude Simulation Chamber Testing Operating tests of test specimens in climate and altitude simulation chambers delivered by HKA for component and vehicle validation under extreme environmental conditions.
• E-Bike Energy Analysis Digital analysis service for e-bike energy consumption provided by HKA to bicycle manufacturers, fleet operators, and mobility researchers.
• Bicycle and E-Bike Simulator Bicycle and e-bike simulator provided by HKA for research on rider behavior, vehicle dynamics, and human-factors evaluation.
• Privacy-Friendly Video Evaluation for Visitor Flow Analysis Privacy-friendly video evaluation for mobility applications with AI-supported visitor flow analysis, delivered by Fraunhofer IOSB to transport hubs, retailers, and public-space operators.
• Electric Drive Testing on Pivot Test Stand Testing of electric drives on a pivot test stand delivered by Fraunhofer ICT for automotive and industrial drive development clients.
• Hydrogen Single-Cylinder Engine Combustion Development Combustion process development for hydrogen single-cylinder engines delivered by Fraunhofer ICT for powertrain manufacturers and hydrogen-engine researchers.
• Usability Testing Usability testing services for mobility products and systems delivered by FZI to automotive and mobility software developers.
• AI-Enhanced Systems Engineering AI-supported systems engineering services delivered by FZI to developers of complex mobility and embedded systems.
• AI-Based Driving Functions Development Development of prototypical AI-based driving functions for assisted or autonomous driving (ADAS/HAD), delivered by FZI to automotive and mobility suppliers.
• Digital Twins of Traffic Spaces Implementation of digital twins of traffic spaces delivered by FZI for traffic simulation, planning, and mobility system optimization clients.
• Individual Cybersecurity Trend Radar Individual cybersecurity trend radar service delivered by HKA to mobility and automotive clients assessing cyber-risk exposure in connected vehicle and transport systems.
• LIDARSIM - Laser Scanner Simulation Cooperation project for building realistic laser scanner simulation based on geometric-optical system functions, supporting perception and sensor-simulation research for autonomous driving.
• DAKIMO - Data and AI for Sustainable, Intermodal Mobility Publicly funded joint research project strengthening the regional R&D structure in mobility data spaces and artificial intelligence for sustainable, intermodal mobility.
• Country to City Bridge (C2CBridge) Flagship research project on attractive mobility services with high societal acceptance as alternatives to private cars for connecting rural areas to cities, based on new automated vehicle concepts and networked ride-pooling fleet operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• C2CBridge project aims to enable attractive mobility services with high societal acceptance as alternative to private cars for rural-urban connectivity using autonomous ride-pooling vehicles
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability10 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Fraunhofer-Institut für Chemische Technologie ICTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore research partner specializing in chemical technologies, polymer technology, energy and drives, and explosive materials. Conducts applied research for automotive manufacturers, suppliers, aviation industry, and other sectors.
• Fraunhofer-Institut für Optronik, Systemtechnik und Bildauswertung IOSBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore research partner developing sensors, artificial intelligence, and data stream evaluation to support people, optimize processes, and intelligently control autonomous systems.
• Fraunhofer-Institut für System- und Innovationsforschung ISIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore research partner functioning as independent think tank for society, politics, and economy, with expertise in innovation research combining technical, economic, and social science knowledge.
• Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkstoffmechanik IWMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore research partner serving as R&D partner for industry and public clients in reliability, safety, longevity, and functionality of components and systems.
• Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore research partner - The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, creating and conveying knowledge for society and environment with over 9,000 employees. Excellence university with approximately 800 employees across 35+ institutes dedicated to mobility research.
• Hochschule Karlsruhe (HKA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore research partner - One of the largest and most research-intensive universities of applied sciences in Baden-Württemberg with interdisciplinary focus on innovative mobility concepts, resources and climate, intelligent systems.
• FZI Forschungszentrum InformatikcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore research partner - Independent foundation for over 40 years providing applied top-level research in computer science and its application fields, including algorithms for assisted, connected, and highly automated vehicles.
• Baden-Württemberg Institut für Nachhaltige Mobilität (BWIM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated partner in C2CBridge project, focusing on sustainable mobility research.
• Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KGmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated partner in C2CBridge project. Global automotive and industrial supplier with approximately 120,000 employees in 55 countries, specializing in motion technology and electromobility.
• INIT innovation in traffic systems SEmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member - World-leading provider of comprehensive planning, disposition, telematics and ticketing solutions for public transport, serving over 1,400 transport companies worldwide.
• IPG AutomotivemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member - Global technology leader for virtual vehicle testing, developing innovative simulation solutions for autonomous driving, ADAS, powertrain and vehicle dynamics.
• PTV Planung Transport Verkehr GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member - World-leading software company for traffic planning, simulation and management with software tools like PTV Visum and PTV Vissim being global standards.
• Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KGmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member - Global automotive and industrial supplier with 75+ years of experience in motion technology, electromobility, CO2-efficient drives, chassis solutions, and renewable energy.
• SEW-Eurodrive GmbH & Co. KGmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member - Global leader in drive and automation technology with over 22,000 employees, 17 manufacturing plants, and 92 Drive Technology Centers in 57 countries.
• RA Consulting GmbHsupportingTechnology or IntegrationAdvisory board member - Software engineering service provider and product manufacturer specialized in automotive electronics with over 35 years experience serving TOP 10 OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers worldwide.
• M-Five GmbHsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member - Think tank providing systemic research and consulting services with focus on future mobility, climate protection strategies, and economic analyses.
• Karlsruher Verkehrsverbund (KVV)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member - Third largest transport association in Baden-Württemberg, managing public transport coordination for 7 shareholders and 29 transport companies.
• Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe GmbH (VBK)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member - Public transport operator with over 1,450 employees operating buses and trams, transporting approximately 70 million passengers annually.
• TechnologieRegion Karlsruhe GmbH (TRK)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member - Regional development organization strengthening the technology and innovation region with focus on mobility, energy and digitalization.
• Ministerium für Verkehr Baden-WürttembergsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member - State ministry promoting sustainable mobility, strengthening climate-friendly transport modes and supporting communities in transportation transition.
• Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Tourismus Baden-WürttembergsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member - State ministry supporting SME digitization, technology transfer, climate-friendly production and sustainable economic growth.
• Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-WürttembergsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member - State ministry responsible for universities, university clinics, non-university research institutions, and cultural institutions.
• e-mobil BW GmbHsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency for new mobility solutions and automotive, driving industrialization and market launch of future-oriented mobility solutions in cooperation with partners from economy, science and public sector.
• Stadt KarlsruhesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Karlsruhe - steering committee member responsible for medium to long-term urban and transport development considering societal, political, social, economic developments and climate adaptation.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• German Center for Future Mobility (DZM / Deutsches Zentrum für Mobilität der Zukunft): Federal mobility research network of which KAMO is a Karlsruhe node; C2CBridge is funded through DZM and partners operate the same multi-modal, autonomous-mobility agenda across four locations.
• PTV Group: World-leading traffic planning and simulation software vendor (PTV Visum, Vissim) and KAMO advisory-board member with directly comparable digital-twin, traffic-simulation, and MaaS modeling capabilities.
• IPG Automotive: Global vendor of virtual vehicle testing solutions for ADAS, AD, and powertrain — a KAMO advisor whose simulation tooling and autonomy focus overlap with KAMO's AI-based driving-functions and digital-twin offerings.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems IVI: Sibling Fraunhofer institute delivering applied research on vehicle systems, traffic management, and transport economics — directly overlapping KAMO's research fields and serving similar automotive/public-sector clients.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO: Sibling Fraunhofer institute focused on mobility, urban production, and digital business models, sharing the same research-cooperation delivery model and similar automotive/corporate mobility client base.
• DLR Institute of Transportation Systems: German national research center conducting applied R&D on road, rail, and intermodal transport with a comparable mix of simulation, automation, and policy-facing mobility research.

Emerging players

• TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research): Dutch applied-research organization operating a similar applied mobility/automotive research portfolio (smart mobility, automated driving, traffic management) with comparable consortia-based engagement.
• VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH: Project management agency that runs publicly funded mobility and digitalization programs in Germany, with overlapping interface to BMV-funded mobility research consortia.

Others

• ERTICO – ITS Europe: European public-private partnership for intelligent transport systems and mobility innovation; complementary ecosystem actor that KAMO engages through DZM and industry partnerships.
• UITP (International Association of Public Transport): Global public-transport association in which KAMO participates and whose events (e.g., UITP Summit) the consortium targets, providing a thematically adjacent but non-competing ecosystem touchpoint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kamo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Karlsruhe Mobility High Performance Center / Profilregion