What catkin does

catkin GmbH is a Dortmund-based, privately held SaaS company founded in 2013 that builds a patented cloud-based logistics communication platform designed to enable cross-company order processing, real-time collaboration, and process automation across freight forwarders, railway operators, combined/intermodal transport operators, and terminal operators. The product portfolio centers on the core catkin Logistikplattform and includes cTRANS (cloud freight forwarding software with GPS integration and driver app), cOPERATOR (planning and control software for combined/intermodal transport networks), BBM (Bahn Baustellen Manager for railway construction site and route compatibility management, including a routability module), cSTAFF (workforce and shift management), LocoPlan (rail planning and control), the catkin SmartApp for mobile workers on Android and iOS, and the EU Horizon 2020–developed RailNow.eu locomotive rental portal. The underlying technology stack combines standardized catkin Konnektoren (connectors) for ERP and telematics integration with IoT cloud connectivity, enabling cross-company data exchange without media discontinuities.

catkin generates revenue primarily through usage-based SaaS subscriptions priced as a function of order volume, with annual billing on products such as the BBM annual subscription (with a reported 10% summer discount). Go-to-market is multi-modal: product-led growth via the free catkin SmartApp and web portals, direct enterprise field sales targeting railway and logistics operators, and event-driven demand generation at industry trade shows including transport logistic Munich, Hannover Messe, and the German Logistics Congress. Distribution is augmented by a partnership/reseller channel through MVB CONSULTING GmbH (since May 2021), which also took a minority equity stake to provide SAP and Microsoft consulting capacity.

The customer base spans German and European logistics, with named references including N.P Transport & Logistik GmbH (SMB freight forwarder processing approximately 300 orders per week on cTRANS), TX Logistik AG, BSAS EisenbahnVerkehrs GmbH & Co. KG, and FRACHTbahn Traktion GmbH (railway operators). Headcount is reported at 1–10 employees, and catkin participates in multiple publicly funded research initiatives (Horizon 2020, IHATEC/BMVI OKTOPUS, Platform Industrie 4.0), with three projects selected by VDI Technologiezentrum's Platform Industrie 4.0 and a 2016 Innovationspreis-IT second-place recognition from Initiative Mittelstand.

Name

catkin

Legal name

catkin GmbH

Website

https://catkin.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

catkin GmbH is a Dortmund-based SaaS provider, founded in 2013, that offers a patented cloud logistics platform enabling cross-company order processing and collaboration for freight forwarders, railway operators, and combined/intermodal transport terminals across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Logistics Software

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Support Activities for Transportation (488), Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Shipper-Carrier Direct Contracting Networks (TLAEAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Load Boards & Community Networks (Closed/Invite-Only) (TLAEAJAL), Managed Transportation Procurement Services (Sourcing-as-a-Service, BPO) (TLAEAIAK)

Keywords

• Logistics SaaS platform
• Freight forwarding software
• Railway construction management
• Intermodal transport planning
• Workforce management software

Headquarters

HQ city

Dortmund

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SaaS Platform Subscriptions: catkin generates revenue primarily through cloud-based software-as-a-service subscriptions. The pricing scales with usage intensity — higher order volumes result in higher costs, while lower demand reduces costs. This model is designed to minimize entry barriers for users.
2. BBM Annual Subscription: The Bahn Baustellen Manager (BBM) product is sold as an annual subscription with a reported 10% summer discount.
3. cTRANS Cloud Freight Software: cTRANS cloud-based freight forwarding software generates subscription revenue. Pricing depends on usage — costs increase with high order volumes and decrease with lower demand. Includes web portal, driver app, and GPS integration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

catkin GmbH operates a patented cloud-based logistics platform (catkin Logistikplattform) that enables networked order processing and seamless cross-company communication for freight forwarders, railway operators, terminal operators, and combined/intermodal transport providers. The company sells a portfolio of SaaS products including cTRANS (cloud freight forwarding software), cOPERATOR (combined transport platform), BBM (railway construction site manager), cSTAFF (workforce management software), LocoPlan (rail planning software), the catkin SmartApp for drivers, and RailNow.eu (locomotive rental portal).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• cTRANS: Cloud-based freight forwarding software for logistics companies, providing web portal for customers and service providers plus driver app.
• cOPERATOR
• BBM (Bahn Baustellen Manager)
• cSTAFF
• LocoPlan
• RailNow

Products and services

• catkin – Logistikplattform (Logistics Platform) Patented cloud-based logistics platform enabling networked order processing and seamless cross-company communication. Connects shippers, carriers, terminals, and all supply chain participants through a single neutral ecosystem with real-time process monitoring, transparent order processing, and standardized interfaces.
• cTRANS – Cloud Speditionssoftware (Freight Forwarding Software) Cloud-based freight forwarding software for logistics companies providing digital order management, dispatch, GPS hardware integration, customer and service provider portal, driver app, and modules for railway transports. Optimized for combined/intermodal transport operations.
• cOPERATOR – Plattform für den kombinierten Verkehr (Combined Transport Platform) Digital all-in-one solution for planning and controlling complex combined/intermodal transport networks. Connects operators, customers, truckers, railways, and terminals. Includes tracking & tracing and quota management.
• BBM – Bahn Baustellen Manager (Railway Construction Manager) Railway construction site management tool for railway transport companies. Features integrated routability module for checking train routes against construction impacts and wagon incompatibilities. Calculates additional kilometers and cost differences from timetable orders.
• cSTAFF – Personalmanagement Software (HR/Workforce Software) Cloud-based workforce and time management software for personnel management in logistics. Includes employee data management, skill management, shift and deployment planning, mobile time tracking, absence management, vacation and sick leave notifications, and messenger functionality.
• LocoPlan – Bahnplanungs- & Steuerungssoftware (Rail Planning Software) Rail planning and control software for operational management of rail operations and scheduling.
• Softwareentwicklung (Custom Software Development) Custom software development services for logistics companies, including new extensions of standard software and individual solutions tailored to customer-specific requirements.
• catkin SmartApp Mobile application for Android and iOS providing drivers and mobile workers with order receipt, deviation reporting, freight document printing, photo documentation, GPS tracking, and real-time messaging capabilities.
• RailNow.eu Communication portal for locomotive rental developed in collaboration with EU Horizon 2020, enabling railway companies to lend excess resources and renters to balance seasonal peak demand via real-time order-based communication and resource monitoring.

Quantifiable outcome

• Error rates in administration are halved
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MVB CONSULTING GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2021MVB CONSULTING GmbH (Emsland, Germany) has invested in and partnered with catkin. MVB specializes in software consulting and support, with partnerships with SAP, Microsoft, and Apple. The partnership brings additional working power and resources to support catkin's growing customer base and operational needs. Catkin CEO Christian Krüger stated this partnership enables the company to guarantee smooth operations with sufficient resources going forward. MVB CEO Martin vom Bruch described the combination as a 'strong duo' leveraging complementary company competencies.
• Fraunhofer IMLcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2020catkin participates in the OKTOPUS project (Optimierung der maritimen Logistik durch maschinelles Lernen) alongside Fraunhofer IML. Fraunhofer IML serves as the scientific/research partner and coordinator of the machine learning aspects. OKTOPUS focuses on optimizing logistics and disposition processes in maritime-based supply chains using machine learning. The project is funded by BMVI under the IHATEC program.
• Horizon 2020 / EUcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2018catkin is part of the EU Horizon 2020 research initiative, developing the RailNow.eu platform — a communication portal for the rental and lending of locomotives. The platform connects all participants in the process and mediates between renters and owners. Railway companies can lend excess resources, and renters can balance seasonal peak demand. The platform enables real-time order-based communication and resource monitoring via web browser.
• RailNow.euminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2018RailNow.eu is a communication portal for locomotive rental developed by catkin in collaboration with EU Horizon 2020. It connects railway companies to share locomotive resources in real time.
• I2PANEMAminorStrategic or Co-development Partnercatkin participates in the I2PANEMA EU research project, which focuses on logistics and supply chain digitalization.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Modality Software (rail planning): Specialist in rail planning, rostering, and crew management software for train operators. Comparable to catkin's LocoPlan rail planning module in the European rail software market.
• Railnova: European rail-focused software provider for predictive maintenance and fleet management. Comparable to catkin in the specialized rail software niche (similar to LocoPlan and BBM), though focused on hardware IoT rather than process collaboration.

Broad incumbents

• project44: Global supply chain visibility platform connecting shippers, carriers, and 3PLs across all modes. A broader incumbent in transport visibility that competes with catkin's cross-company collaboration thesis at the enterprise level.
• Descartes Systems Group: Global logistics SaaS provider with broad TMS, route planning, customs, and transportation management solutions. Comparable as a large incumbent offering freight forwarding and intermodal coordination tools overlapping with cTRANS and cOPERATOR.
• FourKites: Global supply chain visibility and predictive ETA platform across road, rail, ocean, and air. Broad incumbent overlapping with catkin's cross-company process transparency and intermodal tracking capabilities.

Direct peers

• Transporeon (Trimble Transportation): Europe-based transport management and shipper-carrier collaboration platform acquired by Trimble. Most directly comparable to catkin as a SaaS connecting shippers, carriers, and logistics service providers across European supply chains.
• MercuryGate International: TMS provider serving shippers, 3PLs, and brokers with multimodal transportation management. Comparable to catkin on cross-mode order management and freight forwarding workflows.
• Alpega Group (Transwide / Wolters Kluwer Transport Services heritage): European transport collaboration and TMS platform serving shippers, carriers, and LSPs. Competes with catkin in cross-company freight order management and carrier collaboration across European road and intermodal freight.
• INFORM GmbH: German optimization software vendor with logistics, transportation, and workforce management solutions including rail yard and intermodal optimization. Direct competitor to catkin's cOPERATOR, BBM, and cSTAFF offerings in the DACH market.
• AEP GmbH: German provider of freight forwarding and logistics software for Speditionen. Direct competitor to catkin's cTRANS cloud freight forwarding software in the DACH forwarding market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxAuSBM9JXeKu3qrCUvcBJA
• Facebookfacebook.com/catkinEU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catkin-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/catkingmbh/?hl=de
• Xx.com/catkinEU

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 catkin