TrueStar Group

What TrueStar Group does

TrueStar Group S.r.l. is an Italian airport services operator founded in 1993 (originally as SecureBag Italia, rebranded in 2005) and headquartered in Gallarate, near Milan. The company provides passenger assistance and luggage protection services at airports, operating through airport concession agreements to deliver a transaction-fee service model directly to consumers at departure-area sales outlets. Its core offering centers on protective baggage wrapping using proprietary tape-winding machines (originally patented in 1993) combined with insurance coverage and integration with the SITA WorldTracer baggage tracking system used by IATA member airlines.

The product portfolio comprises the Standard Package (one-way wrapping, tracking, and insurance), the Come Back Package (round-trip extension), Bag Check (weight verification against airline excess fees), Bag Concierge (passenger escort assistance), Travel Accessories, and Luggage Storage. In 2019, TrueStar became the first company in its sector to introduce a 100% biodegradable protective film derived from vegetable raw materials. Technology investments include the first global connection and control software for machines (2000), an image-bank remote management architecture (2015), and a 2017 digital transformation of its sales outlets. The company holds ISO 9001, OHSAS 18001, REACH, FCC, RoHS, and Biodegradability certifications.

TrueStar operates 111 sales points across 46 international airports in 14 countries spanning Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Oceania, supported by 127 wrapping machines and 620+ employees. It wraps approximately 4.6 million suitcases annually with reported annual turnover of €32 million. The company secured institutional investment from Fondo Italiano d'Investimento in 2011 and is led by founder and CEO Fabio Talin. Services are restricted in Israel, and the business experienced material disruption from COVID-19 airport closures beginning in early 2020.

Name

TrueStar Group

Legal name

True Star Group S.r.l.

Website

https://truestargroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

TrueStar Group is an Italian airport services operator providing luggage wrapping, tracking, insurance, and concierge services at 111 sales points across 46 airports in 14 countries, serving individual air travelers through concession-based B2C transactions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Airport Passenger Services

NAICS

Airport Operations (48811), Warehousing and Storage (493)

SIC

Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581)

akta.pro primary industry

Baggage Services (Porters, Wrapping, Storage, Lost & Found) (THABALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Baggage & Personal Effects Insurance (FSAJAJAE)

Keywords

• Airport luggage wrapping
• Baggage protection services
• Luggage tracking insurance
• Airport concierge services
• Passenger travel accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Luggage Wrapping Services: Protective wrapping service for baggage at airports, priced per unit. Wrapping takes 30 seconds and adds approximately 100 grams to baggage weight.
2. Baggage Tracking Services: Identification and tracking service for wrapped baggage using SITA WorldTracer integration, supported by dedicated call center
3. Insurance Coverage: Compensation coverage for damage, theft or loss of baggage. Standard package covers one-way; Come Back package extends coverage to return journey.
4. Bag Check Service: Weight verification service allowing passengers to check baggage weight before check-in to avoid airline overweight fees. Scale capacity 0.5-180 kg.
5. Bag Concierge Service: Personal assistance service for passengers with luggage handling, check-in accompaniment, and airport escort services
6. Travel Accessories: Sale of travel accessories including comfort items, electronics, safety accessories, and foldable bags produced in partnership with Italian providers
7. Luggage Storage: Baggage storage service at Santiago del Chile airport, offering practical and secure solutions for personal effects, 24 hours a day

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

TrueStar Group operates airport-based luggage protection and passenger services, applying a protective biodegradable film to suitcases in approximately 30 seconds via patented wrapping machines. The company also provides baggage tracking through SITA WorldTracer integration with IATA member airlines, insurance coverage for damage, theft and loss, bag weight check services, a bag concierge, short-term luggage storage and travel accessories at sales points inside airport terminals.

Product overview

TrueStar Group is an airport retailer providing a comprehensive suite of luggage protection and passenger services at airports worldwide. The core offering consists of protective wrapping services (Standard Package and Come Back Package) using 100% biodegradable film, supported by baggage tracking via SITA WorldTracer and insurance coverage. Additional services include Bag Check (weighing), Travel Accessories, Bag Concierge assistance, and Luggage Storage. The company operates across 14 countries at 46 international airports with 111 sales points and 127 wrapping machines, serving approximately 4.6 million bags annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Protective Luggage Wrapping (Standard Package)
• Come Back Package
• Bag Check Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.6 million suitcases wrapped annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SITA WorldTracercoreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware and database provider for baggage tracking. TrueStar uses the same SITA WorldTracer system used by IATA member airlines, ensuring global tracking network coverage with real-time baggage movement information.
• WWFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrueStar participates in WWF Action Network for environmental protection and WWF 'No plastic in nature by 2030' campaign to stop plastic pollution.
• United Nations Global Tourism Plastic InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrueStar adheres to the UN initiative for sustainable tourism, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the 2030 Agenda.
• Italian Travel Accessory ProvidersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with carefully selected Italian providers for travel accessories including comfort items, electronics, and safety accessories sold at airport outlets.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• SITA: SITA is the technology partner whose WorldTracer baggage-tracking system TrueStar integrates with. As the dominant aviation IT vendor for baggage and passenger processing, SITA represents both an enabling ecosystem partner and a structural counterparty whose product roadmap influences TrueStar's service capabilities.
• Avis Budget Group: While primarily a car-rental operator, Avis operates airport ancillary services including baggage and travel-protection products at many of the same airports TrueStar serves, representing an adjacent travel-retail competitor for airport concession space.

Direct peers

• Luggage Wrap: Luggage Wrap is a US-headquartered airport luggage-wrapping operator providing comparable protective wrapping, tracking, and insurance services at multiple US airports, making it a direct competitor in the same airport passenger-services niche.
• Plastic Wrap & Bag Wrapping: BagWrap is the closest direct peer: a publicly traded luggage-wrapping service operating at airports worldwide with a near-identical offering of protective wrapping, tracking, and insurance for checked baggage, directly competing with TrueStar in the same niche.

Broad incumbents

• Travelex: Travelex is a long-standing airport retail operator (currency exchange, travel money, insurance) that shares TrueStar's high-traffic airport concession DNA and often occupies adjacent retail space in the same terminals, making it a broad-incumbent benchmark for airport retail economics.
• Swissport: Swissport is the world's largest airport ground-handling and passenger-services company, offering a broad portfolio that touches on baggage handling and ancillary passenger services — overlapping with TrueStar's airport services niche but at much greater scale and breadth.

Emerging players

• Wrap-N-Roll: Wrap-N-Roll operates airport luggage-wrapping kiosks in select regional airports, offering an overlapping service to TrueStar at smaller concession points and competing for similar travel-retail real estate.
• Secure Wrap: Secure Wrap is an airport luggage-wrapping service operating at select European and Middle Eastern airports, providing a comparable wrapping and protection offering to travelers in markets where TrueStar has limited or no presence.
• BAGSTORE / StowEasy: StowEasy and similar luggage-storage startups are deploying self-service baggage storage at airports and train stations, competing with TrueStar's newly launched Santiago de Chile storage facility in the same passenger ancillary-services category.

Regional players

• Airport Bag Wrapping UK: UK-focused airport luggage wrapping service that offers comparable protective wrapping services at British airports, primarily competing with TrueStar in regional European geographies where TrueStar has limited concession presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 TrueStar Group