Odette
Odette is a UK-registered membership organization, founded in 1984, that develops and maintains free technical standards (OFTP2, MMOG, Odette ID, API guidelines) and digital certificate services for secure data exchange across the global automotive supply chain, serving 1,800 member companies in 70 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Odette does
Odette International Ltd is a UK-registered, membership-based standards organization founded in 1984 to facilitate the digitalization of the European automotive supply chain. It develops and maintains a portfolio of technical standards and supporting tools spanning secure file transfer (OFTP2/Odette File Transfer Protocol v2), supply chain capability assessment (MMOG/LE, jointly developed with AIAG), company identification codes (Odette ID), digital certificates (Odette CA, priced at €180 per annum for 1-4 year validity), REST API standards (OA01, OA02, OA03 for transport track and trace and API security), RFID, labelling, packaging, finished vehicle logistics messages, e-invoicing, and battery data exchange. The organization serves automotive OEMs, Tier 1 through Tier N suppliers, and logistics service providers, with 1,800 member companies, 12,000 production sites running MMOG, and reach across 70 countries.
Its technology stack is built around formal specification standards (OFTP2 is published as RFC5024) supported by a software interoperability testing program covering 30+ vendor implementations. The platform architecture combines file-transfer protocols with newer REST APIs to bridge EDI-era workflows and modern real-time visibility requirements. Free tools such as the GTL Generator, PDX XML Generator, and Invoice Viewer & Converter lower adoption friction, while digital certificates anchor the trust layer for cross-enterprise data exchange.
Odette's business model is a hybrid of membership dues, conference revenue (the annual Odette International Conference, the 23rd edition held in Bratislava in May 2025), and fee-based services including digital certificate issuance. Standards themselves are distributed free of charge to maximize adoption. Distribution occurs through national associations (GALIA in France, VDA in Germany, SMMT in UK, CEDEX in China), technology partners (SEEBURGER, AIAG, ECG, JAIF), and the validated OFTP2 software vendor network. The organization operates with a 1-10 employee headcount from its London headquarters, governed by a chairman (Robert Cameron of VDA) and managing director, and is not equity-backed.
Odette firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Odette
- Legal name
- Odette International Ltd
- Website
- https://odette.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Odette is a UK-registered membership organization, founded in 1984, that develops and maintains free technical standards (OFTP2, MMOG, Odette ID, API guidelines) and digital certificate services for secure data exchange across the global automotive supply chain, serving 1,800 member companies in 70 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Odette industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automotive Supply Chain Standards & Collaboration Services
- NAICS
- Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Standards Development & Publishing (SDOs, Technical Standards) (MPAJACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- E-Signature & Digital Transaction Management (DTM) (HDAEAGAF)
Keywords
Where Odette is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Odette business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Digital Certificate Services: Odette CA issues digital certificates for secure data exchange. Certificates cost €180 per annum for a certificate valid for 1, 2, 3, or 4 years. This provides a recurring revenue stream for certificate issuance and management services.
- Conference Revenue: Annual Odette International Automotive Conference generates revenue through delegate fees, sponsorship, and exhibition fees. The conference is supported by major automotive industry players and attracts delegates from more than 30 countries.
- Membership Contributions: Odette operates with member companies that contribute to the organization. The organization develops standards which are made freely available to the community, supported by member contributions and participation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Digital Certificate (Odette CA) - 1 to 4 year validity |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Odette product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Odette develops, maintains and disseminates industry standards, supporting tools, and recurring services that enable the digitalization of the automotive supply chain. Its core offerings include the OFTP2 secure file transfer protocol, MMOG/LE supply chain capability assessment, Odette CA digital certificates, and Odette ID company identification codes, complemented by REST-API specifications, labelling and RFID standards, and an annual international conference. The standards are freely available to the community, with revenue from paid digital certificate subscriptions and conference participation funding ongoing standards development.
Product overview
Odette provides a comprehensive platform of standards, tools, and services for automotive supply chain digitalisation. The core offerings include MMOG (Supply Chain Management Capability Assessment), OFTP2 (secure file transfer protocol), Odette CA (digital certificates), and Odette ID (company identification codes). Supporting these are API products (Transport Track & Trace API, API Security guidelines, Mobile Apps recommendation), tools (GTL Generator, PDX XML Generator, Invoice Viewer & Converter), and annual conferences. The portfolio enables secure data exchange, supply chain visibility, labelling, certification, and process standardization across the global automotive industry.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MMOG: Materials Management Operations Guidelines - A supply chain management capability assessment tool developed jointly by Odette and AIAG, used globally by automotive companies to evaluate logistics capability and supplier readiness.
- OFTP2
- Odette CA
- Odette ID
Products and services
- MMOG/LE (Materials Management Operations Guideline) Supply chain management capability assessment standard co-developed by Odette and AIAG, used as a self-assessment and continuous improvement tool by OEMs and suppliers in the global automotive industry. MMOG/LE Version 6 is in use at approximately 12,000 automotive production sites worldwide.
- OFTP2 (Odette File Transfer Protocol v2) Secure file transfer protocol designed for automated, standardised data exchange over the public Internet between partners of all sizes in the automotive industry, with TLS session authentication, file encryption, and digital signing. Has thousands of implementations globally and is available for more than 10 years.
- Odette CA (Certificate Authority) Trusted certificate management solution delivering X.509 (RFC 5280) digital certificates for file encryption, proof of origin (non-repudiation), and integrity checking. Certificates are optimised for use with OFTP2 and priced at €180 per annum with 1 to 4 year validity options.
- Odette ID Internationally recognised coding system for legal companies and their sub-entities in the automotive supply chain, covering physical and logical entities such as production plants, warehouses, commercial departments and OFTP servers.
- Automotive Supply Chain API for Transport Track & Trace (OA02) REST-API recommendation describing how to define and implement standardised interfaces for collection and provision of logistics information in the automotive supply chain, supporting real-time track & trace during transport execution and immediate capacity reservation in transport ordering.
- Technical Principles for APIs in Automotive Supply Processes (OA01) Technical rules for standardised REST-API interface development and implementation within the automotive industry and between the industry and its logistics partners.
- Security Features for REST APIs (OA03) Guidelines on how to address security features when developing and implementing APIs, providing best practice recommendations for API security in automotive supply chain.
- Managing Inbound Transport with Mobile Apps (OT10) Recommendation describing a standard model for data exchange between yard management systems (YMS) of plants and transport management systems (TMS) of transport service providers, enabling uniform mobile app support across the automotive industry.
- Odette GTL Generator Free tool that generates compliant Global Transport Labels from CSV input, producing PDF files for printing with ordinary laser or specialised label printers. Supports A5 and SLC1 label sizes.
- Odette PDX XML Generator Free online tool that generates OFTP2 data sheets in standard XML format to simplify OFTP2 partner master data management, acting as a bridge between solutions with and without full PDX XML capability.
- Odette Invoice Viewer & Converter Free tool supporting companies that need to accept UBL and CII invoices from business partners but are not yet ready to process them directly, enabling compliance with structured electronic invoice formats such as EU ViDA / CEN EN 16931.
- Odette International Automotive Conference Annual international conference bringing together automotive supply chain executives, logistics providers and technology companies for sessions on digitalisation, logistics management, supply chain communications and data security. 23rd edition held 26-27 May 2025 in Bratislava with delegates from more than 30 countries and cumulative attendance of 8,000.
- Global Transport Label (GTL) Standard v2.2 Odette profile of the Global Transport Label for movement and storage of parts in the automotive supply chain. Includes specifications for smaller label sizes (SLC1, SLC2) for tray and blister packaging, and alternative syntax for Data Matrix 2D codes.
- Digital Message for Battery Data Exchange (OM51) Standardised format for exchanging battery data between entities in the battery pack supply chain, from cell manufacturer through module and battery pack manufacturer to vehicle manufacturer. Based on VDA Recommendation 5013.
- OFTP2 Implementation Guideline (OP08) v3.2 Comprehensive technical guidelines on implementing and operating OFTP2, including use of digital certificates, archiving, and integration into existing IT infrastructures. Version 3.2 published March 2026.
- Finished Vehicle Logistics Digital Messages (Odette-ECG Release 1.2) Full set of digital messages covering communications between OEMs and logistics service providers across all Finished Vehicle Logistics processes, jointly developed by Odette, ECG and VDA. Implemented or planned by BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Stellantis, Volvo Cars and VW.
- OFTP2 Software Interoperability Testing Service Testing service operated by Odette that validates OFTP2 software products against the OFTP2 specification (RFC5024) and ensures interoperability with reference implementations. Products from over 30 software providers have been tested under this program.
Quantifiable outcome
- 12,000 automotive production sites use MMOG/LE for supply chain capability assessment
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Odette
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Odette technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability5 records
Feature18 records
Odette partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- CEDEX (China Enterprise online Data Exchange Services Limited / 中企数据)coreCEDEX serves as Odette's Registration Authority (RA) in China, verifying requests for Odette digital certificates from the increasing number of local suppliers implementing OFTP2 for exchanges with European manufacturers such as Volvo. CEDEX also carries out MMOG/LE training and user support in local language and time zone. Contact: [email protected], www.cedex.cn, +861062432518.
- National Associations (European and International)coreOdette operates through national associations across Europe and internationally, including GALIA (France), VDA (Germany), SMMT (UK), and others. These associations provide local language support, training, and facilitate member engagement with Odette standards and services.
- AIAG (Automotive Industry Action Group)coreOdette and AIAG jointly developed MMOG (Materials Management Operations Guideline), the recognised standard for evaluating supply chain management capability in the global automotive industry. AIAG represents the North American automotive industry perspective in this partnership.
- ECG (Association of European Vehicle Logistics)coreOdette and ECG have worked together to develop digital message standards covering all Finished Vehicle Logistics processes. ECG represents European vehicle logistics companies and has been involved in developing VIN label standards, KPIs for FVL, and emissions calculation guidelines.
- VDA (Verband der Automobilindustrie)coreVDA represents the German automotive industry and collaborates with Odette on Finished Vehicle Logistics digital messages and joint projects with ECG. VDA member companies are implementing Odette-ECG-VDA message standards.
- SEEBURGERmajorSEEBURGER joined Odette as a Technology Partner in 2023, contributing technical expertise to Odette's standardisation initiatives. The company has served the automotive industry since 1986 and is a leading B2B integration software provider. SEEBURGER hosts Odette webcasts and contributes to API standards development, including serving as Chair of the API Security Group.
- JAIF (Joint Automotive Industry Forum)coreJAIF is an organisation established by associations representing automotive supply chain companies in Europe (Odette), Japan (JAMA & JAPIA), and North America (AIAG). It has the mission to develop supply chain standards that can be applied across the three regions. JAIF develops Data Identifier standards (JA01) and RFID standards.
- Unitree RoboticsminorUnitree Robotics, a world-renowned civilian robotics company focusing on R&D, production, and sales of consumer and industry-class high-performance robots, exhibited at Odette2025 conference. This represents a non-core partnership showcasing emerging technology trends in the supply chain.
- Automotive Logistics MagazineminorAutomotive Logistics serves as Media Partner for Odette conferences, providing industry coverage and extending Odette's reach to the broader automotive logistics community.
- EDITELminorEDITEL is a leading international provider of EDI solutions for all industries and serves as VIP Sponsor for the Odette2025 networking evening event. EDITEL has 40 years of EDI experience serving the automotive industry.
- OFTP2 Tested Software ProvidersmajorOdette maintains a list of tested OFTP2 software products ensuring interoperability. Tested providers include: Axway (TradeSync Integration Manager, B2Bi), Bartsch (!MC5), CData Software (Arc), OS4X, Cedex (CeA-oftp2), Data Interchange (ODEX Enterprise, DARWIN, EPIC, DiNet), Edicom (EOS), FIS (FIS/xee), Hüngsberg (comDAX), NTT Data (JOUBINI), OSIS, Rocket (Eurex-c, EDX, TRUfusion Enterprise, TRUexchange+OFTP), Beijing Sinowintop (EasyLink), SSC-Services (SWOX), T-Systems (rvsEVO), and others.
- European Commission / EU Regulatory BodiescoreOdette works with the European Commission and CEN (European Committee for Standardisation) to integrate automotive requirements in EU legislation, particularly for ViDA (VAT in the Digital Age), EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation), PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation), and eFTI (Electronic Freight Transport Information). Odette aims to protect automotive industry's existing investments in digital standards.
- SEEBURGERmajorSEEBURGER joined Odette as a Technology Partner in 2023, working alongside process experts from industry companies. The company has provided automotive IT solutions since 1986 and contributes to Odette's API standards work, hosting webcasts and leading the API Security Group.
- AvalaraminorAvalara, a tax compliance automation software provider, sponsors Odette conferences. Avalara serves over 75 countries with 1,200+ signed partner integrations.
- PipechainminorPipechain specializes in automotive supply chain improvement and sponsors Odette conferences. The company focuses on improving supply chain operations and economy.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Odette competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AIAG (Automotive Industry Action Group): North American automotive SDO and joint developer of MMOG with Odette. Operates as the counterpart SDO for the US automotive industry, making it the closest functional peer in standards development and member-driven governance.
- VDA (Verband der Automobilindustrie): German automotive industry association that co-develops Finished Vehicle Logistics digital messages and other standards with Odette and ECG. Direct peer in automotive standards development with deep overlap in member companies and working groups.
- ECG (Association of European Vehicle Logistics): European vehicle logistics industry association that jointly develops Finished Vehicle Logistics digital message standards with Odette and VDA. Direct peer covering the vehicle logistics standards sub-domain.
Regional players
- JAMA (Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association): Japanese OEM industry association coordinating automotive supply chain standards in Japan through JAIF alongside Odette and AIAG. Regional peer for standards harmonization across Europe, North America, and Asia.
- JAPIA (Japan Auto Parts Industries Association): Japanese auto parts industry association and JAIF participant alongside Odette and AIAG. Regional peer in cross-regional data identifier and RFID standards development for the Japanese automotive market.
- GALIA: French automotive industry association that operates as part of the Odette national association network, providing local language support, training, and MMOG/LE rollout in France. Regional peer in distribution and member engagement.
- SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders): UK automotive industry association serving as a national association within Odette's network, providing local engagement and MMOG/LE support. Regional peer in member services and standards adoption for the UK market.
Broad incumbents
- GS1: Global standards organization for supply chain identification and barcoding (GTIN, GLN, GTL family). Operates as a broader incumbent whose Global Transport Label standards overlap with Odette's GTL profile, making it a comparable peer in supply chain auto-ID.
Others
- CEN (European Committee for Standardisation): Official European standards body with which Odette collaborates on automotive-relevant regulations including EN 16931 e-invoicing. Adjacent peer as the formal standards authority Odette engages with to ensure interoperability.
- UN/CEFACT: United Nations standards body for trade and business data exchange, whose EDIFACT messages are integrated with Odette's API standards (e.g., IFTSTA). Adjacent peer in cross-industry data exchange standards.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Odette social profiles
Digital presenceOdette compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Odette financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Odette leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Odette funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Odette M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Odette
What does Odette do?
Odette develops, maintains and disseminates industry standards, supporting tools, and recurring services that enable the digitalization of the automotive supply chain. Its core offerings include the OFTP2 secure file transfer protocol, MMOG/LE supply chain capability assessment, Odette CA digital certificates, and Odette ID company identification codes, complemented by REST-API specifications, labelling and RFID standards, and an annual international conference. The standards are freely available to the community, with revenue from paid digital certificate subscriptions and conference participation funding ongoing standards development.
Is Odette a public or private company?
Odette is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Odette founded?
Odette was founded in 1984. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Odette based?
Odette is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Odette make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Digital Certificate Services are the primary driver. The others are conference Revenue and membership Contributions.
Who are Odette's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AIAG (Automotive Industry Action Group), VDA (Verband der Automobilindustrie) and ECG (Association of European Vehicle Logistics). Regional players are JAMA (Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association), JAPIA (Japan Auto Parts Industries Association), GALIA and SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders). GS1 is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are CEN (European Committee for Standardisation) and UN/CEFACT.
Does Odette have an API?
Yes. Odette provides REST APIs for automotive supply chain processes, particularly for transport track & trace. The APIs support real-time visibility during transport execution phase, capacity reservation in transport ordering, and mobile app integration for yard management. Technical artifacts are published on GitHub and SwaggerHub. Odette has published guidelines including OA01 (Technical Principles for APIs), OA02 (Transport Track & Trace API), OA03 (Security Features for APIs), and OT10 (Managing Inbound Transport with Mobile Apps). Developer documentation is at github.com/Odette-International-Ltd/transport-track-and-trace-api.
What industry is Odette in?
Odette's product category is Automotive Supply Chain Standards & Collaboration Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJACAB, Standards Development & Publishing (SDOs, Technical Standards), with a secondary code of HDAEAGAF, E-Signature & Digital Transaction Management (DTM). Its NAICS code is 5416 and its SIC code is 7370.