sim cargo

What sim cargo does

sim cargo GmbH is a European groupage logistics network headquartered in Sinzig, Germany, operating as a cooperative platform for small and medium-sized freight forwarders. The company was formed on January 1, 2020 through the merger of two predecessor networks — ILN (International Logistic Network, founded 1998 by Hubert Staroske) and S.T.a.R. (founded 1994 by 27 medium-sized forwarders) — and serves 260+ affiliated forwarders across 38 European recipient countries. Its physical infrastructure comprises 18 regional Transshipment Points (TSPs) operated by network partners themselves, supplemented by a central hub in Homberg/Efze (6,800 sqm, 96 gates) and a wholly-owned trucking subsidiary, ST System Transport GmbH, for line-haul operations.

The core technology and product architecture centers on the TSP system, which routes groupage freight via direct TSP-to-TSP connections rather than traditional hub-and-spoke detours, with an average 50km distance from any partner depot to the nearest TSP. Supporting infrastructure includes proprietary IT systems providing real-time track & trace, online proof of delivery, system-wide financial and pallet clearing, and a Green Logistics Index for shipment-level CO2 footprint reporting. The product portfolio spans Standard Services (24/48h domestic and cross-border groupage), Premium Services (Overnight, Fix Date, Priority, Security handling), and Additional Services (cash on delivery, dangerous goods, oversized cargo, tail-lift delivery). Regional sub-brands sim cargo Austria (3 TSPs, 20+ partners) and sim cargo Ibérica (3 TSPs in Spain/Portugal via partner DECOEXSA) extend the model into adjacent markets.

sim cargo generates revenue through three streams: recurring network membership fees from system partners, transaction-based freight transportation fees across the groupage network, and line-haul revenue captured by ST System Transport GmbH. The go-to-market is channel-based — the company does not sell directly to shippers but rather recruits and onboards forwarding partners via dedicated business development teams. Ownership is private (GmbH), with cargo-partner GmbH joining as a further shareholder in Q4 2022. Strategic recent moves include the January 2024 cooperation with E.L.V.I.S. Teilladungssystem GmbH to add LTL/FTL capabilities, the 2024 completion of the Target Network IT harmonization initiative, and ongoing Iberian and Austrian geographic expansion. CEO Julian Loth leads the company, which is governed in part by an advisory council elected from among the system partners.

Name

sim cargo

Legal name

sim cargo GmbH

Website

https://simcargo.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

sim cargo GmbH operates a European groupage logistics network serving 260+ small and medium-sized freight forwarders across 38 countries. Formed in 2020 by merging ILN and S.T.a.R., the company runs 18 regional transshipment points and a central hub enabling direct cross-border groupage transport.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sinzig

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Network Membership Fees: Small to medium-sized forwarding companies join the sim cargo network as system partners, paying fees for network access, TSP utilization, and system-wide services including financial clearing, IT infrastructure, and quality management.
2. Freight Transportation Services: The network handles groupage freight (Stückgut) transportation across Europe, with services including standard deliveries, premium overnight/next-day services, and additional value-added services.
3. System Transport Services: ST System Transport GmbH, the group's own trucking company, fulfills main route transport requirements for the network.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

sim cargo operates a European groupage logistics network for small and medium-sized freight forwarders, connecting 260+ affiliated partners through 18 regional Transshipment Points (TSPs) and a central hub in Homberg/Efze. It provides standard, premium, and value-added logistics services across 37–38 European countries, including nationwide 24/48-hour deliveries, priority/overnight options, dangerous goods and oversized handling, cash on delivery, and tail lift delivery, together with system-wide financial and pallet clearing, real-time track & trace, and CO2 emissions tracking.

Product overview

sim cargo GmbH operates as a European groupage logistics network (Stückgutkooperation) for small and medium-sized forwarding companies. The company offers a unified platform combining a TSP (Transshipment-Point) system with hub operations, enabling direct transport between regional consolidation points. The core product portfolio includes Standard Services (system logistics), Premium Services (priority overnight/fix date deliveries), and Additional Services (notifications, cash on delivery, dangerous goods). Supporting infrastructure includes a Financial Clearing System, Quality Management, and the Green Logistics Index for CO2 tracking. Regional operations are branded as sim cargo Austria and sim cargo Ibérica. The network comprises 18 TSPs and 260+ partners across 38 European countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• sim cargo Ibérica: Regional operations for Spain and Portugal, established with partner DECOEXSA
• sim cargo Austria

Products and services

• Standard Services (System Logistics) Core system logistics services including nationwide deliveries in Germany within 24 or 48 hours, daily departures to 37 European countries, and complete procurement logistics including cross-traffic for forwarding partners.
• Premium Services (Special Services) Priority delivery services including Overnight next-day delivery, Overnight 08/10/12 (delivery by specific morning times), Fix Date/Time delivery options, Priority transfer, Guarantee, and Security handling for high-value goods.
• Additional Services (Zusatzdienste) Supplementary services including delivery notification (Timeslot booking, Mail, Phone, Driver notification), Cash on delivery, Consignee collection, Original document delivery/receipt, Dangerous goods transport (classes 1 and 7), Oversized packages handling (240–610 cm), Tail lift delivery, and NVS guaranteed transfer.
• Financial Clearing System Centralized financial clearing and pallet clearing services enabling regular settlement of all system shipments, reducing administrative burden and ensuring payment security for partner companies.
• Track & Trace / Real-time Tracking IT infrastructure providing real-time tracking, scan and control at every network interface, and online proof of delivery (POD) access for complete shipment transparency across the European network.
• Green Logistics Index / CO2 Tracking Sustainability module calculating shipment-related carbon footprint (Product Carbon Footprint), providing CO2 emission values for individual shipments so partners can create CO2 balance sheets for their customers.
• sim cargo Austria Regional network in Austria with over 20 system partners and 3 TSP locations (Vienna, Gmunden, Graz), offering 24-hour standard deliveries nationwide and gateway connections to Eastern Europe.
• sim cargo Ibérica Regional network in Spain and Portugal established with partner DECOEXSA, with TSP locations in Barcelona, Madrid, and Irun enabling 48-hour coverage within Spain and connections to the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, and Morocco.

Quantifiable outcome

• Deliveries within 24 hours nationwide in Germany
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• E.L.V.I.S. Teilladungssystem GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 September 2023Strategic cooperation between sim cargo GmbH (groupage network) and E.L.V.I.S. Teilladungssystem GmbH (partial and full load network) to form strategic synergies. The cooperation started on January 1, 2024, combining groupage and LTL/FTL capabilities.
• cargo-partner GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022cargo-partner GmbH was welcomed as a further shareholder of sim cargo in Q4 2022. The long-standing partnership between the two companies was elevated to a new level with this shareholder relationship. cargo-partner GmbH originally partnered with ILN (one of sim cargo's predecessor networks) in 2007 to open the Eastern European market.
• DECOEXSAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2021DECOEXSA is the network partner enabling sim cargo Ibérica operations in Spain and Portugal. Established in spring 2021, DECOEXSA provides a successful TSP structure with locations in Barcelona, Madrid, and Irun, enabling coverage within Spain within 48 hours and connections to Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, and Morocco.
• ILN (International Logistic Network)coreOthersILN was founded in April 1998 by Hubert Staroske as a decentralized hub network for bundling groupage freight. ILN merged with S.T.a.R. on January 1, 2020 to form sim cargo GmbH. ILN originally had 3 TSPs in 1998 and grew to 10 TSPs by 2002.
• S.T.a.R.coreOthersS.T.a.R. (one of Germany's first logistics networks) was founded in 1994 by 27 medium-sized forwarding companies. The network operated its first hub facility in Göttingen in 1994, moving to its own facility in Homberg/Efze in 1997. S.T.a.R. merged with ILN on January 1, 2020 to form sim cargo GmbH.
• LotrexateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench partner network in which ILN became a shareholder in 2010. This merger strengthened the partnership between ILN and Lotrexate, with three daily ILN routes to Paris, Lille, and Dijon being active.
• ST System Transport GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe group's own trucking company (firmengruppeneigenes Fuhrunternehmen) that fulfills main route transport requirements for the sim cargo network.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• cargo-partner GmbH: Austrian-headquartered international freight forwarder offering groupage, air, and ocean services; strategically the closest peer to sim cargo as a European groupage network and its shareholder since Q4 2022.
• CargoLine GmbH: German cooperative groupage network pooling volumes from medium-sized forwarders; competes with sim cargo in the same mid-market Stückgut segment in Germany and across Europe.
• IDS Netzwerk GmbH: One of the largest German forwarding cooperatives, providing groupage, logistics, and digital services to medium-sized forwarders; directly comparable in cooperative groupage model and target customer segment.
• E.L.V.I.S. Teilladungssystem GmbH: German LTL and FTL forwarding network for medium-sized forwarders; sim cargo's strategic cooperation partner as of 2024, offering adjacent rather than overlapping capability.
• Spedlog Schweiz: Swiss cooperative groupage network for small and medium forwarders; directly comparable as a DACH-region Stückgut cooperative with similar partner-based operating model.

Broad incumbents

• GLS (General Logistics Systems): Large European parcel and logistics network with broad B2B groupage capabilities; competes with sim cargo's partner network for mid-market shipper volumes but operates at significantly larger scale.
• DSV A/S: Global freight forwarder with significant European road and groupage presence following the Schenker acquisition; an integrated incumbent competitor to sim cargo's network model in European groupage.
• Kühne+Nagel International AG: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with a strong European road and groupage book; a global incumbent whose European overland business competes with sim cargo's network.
• DHL Freight: Deutsche Post DHL's European road freight division; a dominant incumbent in groupage and LTL with direct assets and digital platforms that compete head-on with sim cargo's network model.
• Gebrüder Weiss: Family-owned European logistics provider offering groupage, air, and sea freight; an established mid-sized incumbent competing with sim cargo for European groupage volumes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sim-cargo-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 sim cargo