Name

MARKANT

Legal name

Markant AG

Website

https://markant.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2B Retail Supply Chain Integration Services

akta.pro primary industry

Tax Compliance, Filing & VAT/GST Automation (SME) (FSAGAJAJ)

Keywords

• B2B retail integration
• Payment processing services
• Product master data management
• EDI integration
• Supply chain compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Offenburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Centralized Payment Services: Markant acts as intermediary for invoice processing between suppliers and retailers, collecting fees for transaction processing. All invoices and receipts are processed automatically via Markant, generating revenue from transaction fees.
2. Master Data Services: Product master data management and distribution through GS1 network, providing data synchronization services to both suppliers and retailers
3. Market Analysis Services: Market and price analysis services including raw material monitoring and market intelligence
4. Compliance Services: NIS-2 compliance, LkSG (Supply Chain Act) compliance, and electronic invoicing services

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MARKANT operates a B2B service platform that intermediates between suppliers and retailers in the European food retail, wholesale, drugstore, and specialty retail sectors. Its core offerings are the Markant Erfolgssystem and the digital Markant Marketplace, combining centralized invoice and settlement (Zentralregulierung), EDI-based B2B integration, GS1/GDSN product master data distribution, and modular add-on services such as electronic invoicing, AI marketing text and image generation, raw material price monitoring, NIS-2 and LkSG compliance, and digital logistics (m.DVA). Markant is not itself part of the supply chain, but acts as a shared process layer connecting more than 15,000 suppliers with 200 retailers across 15 European countries.

Product overview

Markant is a B2B process service provider that connects suppliers and retailers in the food retail, wholesale, drugstore, and speciality retail sectors. Its core offering is the Markant model, which utilises synergies and reduces interfaces between suppliers and retailers through centralised services. The product portfolio consists of the Markant Marketplace as the central digital platform, combined with a suite of modular services: payment and financial services (Zentralregulierung, Payment Services, Finance & Security), product data management (m.Synced/GDSN, m.ProductSpotlight, m.ImageOptimizer), AI-powered tools (m.ProductWizard for marketing text generation), compliance services (m.CyberLyze for NIS-2, m.LkSG for Supply Chain Act), and operational automation (m.DVA, m.eInvoicing). Additional services include market and price analysis (m.RawMaterialMonitor), B2B EDI integration, wholesale, and partner networking (m.PartnerPool, Markant Trade Forum). The startup brand voilà! extends market access services to emerging food and beverage companies. Over 15,000 suppliers and 200 retailers across Europe benefit from Markant's services, managed through 13 European locations plus Hong Kong.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• m.CyberLyze: NIS-2 directive cyber security check-up and maturity level analysis service
• m.DVA
• m.eInvoicing
• m.Synced
• m.ProductSpotlight
• m.ProductWizard
• m.RawMaterialMonitor
• m.PartnerPool
• m.LkSG
• m.ImageOptimizer
• voilà!
• Markant Marketplace

Products and services

• Markant Marketplace Central digital B2B marketplace platform connecting suppliers and retailers in the food retail, wholesale, drugstore, and specialty retail sectors for trading and process management.
• Zentralregulierung (Central Invoicing and Settlement) Centralised payment processing service that automatically handles all invoices and receipts between suppliers and retailers, eliminating bilateral contact points.
• Payment Services Comprehensive payment processing and financial services for B2B transactions across the retail supply chain, delivered via Markant European Payment Services GmbH.
• Finance and Security Financial management and security services that increase planning reliability for both suppliers and retailers.
• B2B Integration (EDI) Electronic Data Interchange and system integration services enabling automated data exchange between suppliers and retailers, including Markant Intrum credit management.
• Markt- und Preisanalysen (Market and Price Analysis) Market and price analysis services providing retailers and suppliers with raw material and commodity price intelligence and market data.
• Partnernetzwerke und Foren (Including Markant Trade Forum) Industry network and forum services, anchored by the annual Markant Trade Forum (Handelsforum) that connects suppliers and retailers across 15 European countries.
• m.Synced (GDSN Service) Product data management service providing access to the worldwide GS1 GDSN network for distributing product master data to all trading partners after a single upload.
• m.eInvoicing Electronic invoicing compliance service providing automated, risk-free processing of electronic invoices in line with regulatory requirements.
• m.CyberLyze Cyber security maturity check-up service analysing NIS-2 directive compliance status quickly and efficiently.
• m.DVA (Digital Verification of Documents) Digital logistics process and supply chain management service eliminating manual paperwork in document handling.
• m.ProductSpotlight Digital listing platform that enables brands to initialize product listing processes within the entire Markant network centrally and efficiently.
• m.ProductWizard Generative AI tool that creates informative, target group-appropriate product marketing texts in the right tone of voice.
• m.RawMaterialMonitor Commodity price monitoring service providing transparent raw material price development data on demand.
• m.PartnerPool Digital collaboration platform that increases company visibility and expands business networks through digital collaboration tools.
• m.LkSG (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz) Supply chain compliance service helping companies conform with the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act through improved master data.
• m.ImageOptimizer Product image generation and optimisation tool enabling users to create, optimise and integrate high-quality, market-ready product photos.
• voilá! Start-up platform helping food and beverage start-ups access major retailers and drugstores via pitch events and the Markant Trade Forum.

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability7 records

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GS1coreTechnology or IntegrationGS1 platform partnership for product master data management. Suppliers and retailers use GS1 standards for consistent product data across the trading network. Markant enables distribution of product data to all retail partners through this integration.
• PalnarcoreTechnology or IntegrationIndian software development company providing offshore development services. Markant has worked with Palnar for many years with approximately 20 specialists developing software. Four Palnar employees relocated to Germany through the 'bridged-IT' programme.
• Intrum AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationSwiss KYC/video identification service provider, FINMA-authorized. Used for customer onboarding and identity verification in compliance with anti-money laundering regulations.
• 42 HeilbronnminorOthersFree programming school partnership. Markant finances four 'Scholarships' (stipends) and offers training places. Mission is to train future programmers with an alternative learning model based on École 42 from Paris, now operating in over 45 campuses across 25+ countries.
• AUBI-plus GmbHminorOthersExternal certification body for the 'BEST PLACE TO LEARN' vocational training quality seal. Conducts triennial audits and recertification of Markant's apprenticeship programme.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Visable (formerly wer liefert was): German-headquartered B2B wholesale marketplace connecting European suppliers and buyers, operating the same intermediary model as Markant but on a discovery-discovery basis rather than invoice-settlement. Comparable in customer base (SME suppliers and retailers) and DACH market focus.
• Mercateo (now part of Avanade / Unite): European B2B procurement marketplace connecting corporate buyers with suppliers, with a similar supplier-retailer intermediary thesis and centralized invoicing/payments logic. Operates across multiple European countries and serves as a direct alternative to the Markant Marketplace for procurement use cases.
• Tradeshift: Global B2B network built around electronic invoicing, AP automation, and supply chain finance. Closest functional peer to Markant's Zentralregulierung and B2B-Integration services, although Tradeshift targets direct connectivity rather than the centralized clearing model.
• Elemica: B2B supply chain integration network providing EDI and master data exchange for suppliers and buyers in process industries. Compares to Markant on the EDI/integration and product-data (GS1) layers, though concentrated in chemicals rather than consumer goods.
• Basware: Finnish-headquartered provider of B2B invoice automation, e-invoicing, and AP/AR solutions for large enterprises. Most direct functional peer to Markant's m.eInvoicing and Zentralregulierung offering, scaled globally with comparable enterprise customer profile.
• Trayport: Trading platform technology provider connecting counterparties in commodities and energy markets via trade messaging and data networks. Mirrors Markant's two-sided intermediary model in a different vertical; comparable on network-effects and transaction-fee economics.

Broad incumbents

• SAP Ariba: Global B2B procurement and supplier-network incumbent embedded in the SAP ERP ecosystem. Overlaps with Markant's master data, EDI, and supplier-retailer intermediary services at much larger scale and broader scope, but does not offer the centralized European payment-settlement specialism.
• Coupa Software: Broad B2B spend management platform covering procurement, invoicing, and supplier management. Competitor to Markant on the procurement and invoicing layers but without the European retail-specific network depth or trade-fair ecosystem.
• Amazon Business: Global B2B marketplace layered on top of Amazon's logistics network, increasingly serving European retail procurement. Broad incumbent alternative to the Markant Marketplace, with stronger consumer brand awareness but different economics.
• Alibaba.com: Global B2B cross-border marketplace connecting suppliers and buyers, particularly relevant as European retailers source internationally. Competitor to the discovery component of Markant's marketplace on a global scale, though not focused on the payment-settlement layer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/markantausbildung

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 MARKANT