Bodensee-Oberschwaben Verkehrsverbund

What Bodensee-Oberschwaben Verkehrsverbund does

Bodensee-Oberschwaben Verkehrsverbund GmbH (bodo) is a regional public transport tariff and coordination authority operating across three administrative districts (Landkreis Ravensburg, Bodenseekreis, and Landkreis Lindau) in southern Baden-Württemberg. Its core function is to unify bus and rail services operated by independent transport companies under a single Gemeinschaftstarif (community tariff), governed by a Höchsttarif (maximum tariff) jointly set by the counties and operating within the EU Regulation 1370/2007 public service obligation framework. The Verbundgesellschaft does not directly operate vehicles; instead it allocates revenue, manages the eCard check-in/check-out fare system, administers the nationwide Deutschlandticket subscription (at the nationally mandated 58 EUR/month rate) plus regional upgrades, and provides customer-facing tools including the bodo.de portal and the deinbodo mobile app.

The product portfolio is structured around four core offerings: the Deutschlandticket subscription (including a Job variant for employer-subsidized commuting), the eCard system with separate portals for individual users and school participants, the bwegt-Fahrplanauskunft route planner (delivered via MENTZ GmbH integration for real-time journey information across Baden-Württemberg), and bus/rail line schedules. Customer access is delivered through the company's own abo.bodo.de and webportal.bodo-ecard.de self-serve portals, the deinbodo mobile app, three contracted Abo-Center partners (RAB in Ulm, IGP in Böblingen, Morath in Überlingen), physical ticket sales via partner transport operators, and social/email channels.

Revenue mechanics rely on recurring subscription revenue (Deutschlandticket monthly subscriptions, Vielfahrer annual passes, eCard Schule school transportation fees) and per-unit ticketing for occasional riders and tourists. Pricing is structurally constrained by the Höchsttarif directive and the nationally mandated D-Ticket rate, so bodo's commercial leverage sits in distribution, customer experience, and employer partnership development rather than price competition. Ownership is municipal: the counties of Ravensburg and Bodenseekreis are the principals, with Landkreis Lindau participating under a separate Bavarian ÖPNVG delegation. Managing Director Bernd Hasenfratz and Supervisory Board Chair Harald Sievers (Landrat) lead the organization; no venture capital, private equity, or external institutional investment is present.

Name

Bodensee-Oberschwaben Verkehrsverbund

Legal name

Bodensee-Oberschwaben Verkehrsverbund GmbH

Website

https://bodo.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bodensee-Oberschwaben Verkehrsverbund (bodo) is a municipally-owned public transport tariff authority that coordinates unified bus and rail fares across the Ravensburg, Bodenseekreis, and Lindau districts, administering the Deutschlandticket, eCard system, and route-planning tools for commuters, students, tourists, and employer partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transit Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Transportation (488), Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (485210)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Fare Policy, Rules Engine & Tariff Management (THAIAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Intercity Bus Franchises/Concessionaires (Public Service Contracts) (THAIADAG), Regional/County Public Bus Operators (THAIAEAB)

Keywords

• Regional public transit
• Integrated tariff system
• Electronic ticketing
• Journey planning
• Mobility services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ravensburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Transportation Tickets and Fares: Sale of tickets and fare products including single tickets, day passes, monthly passes, and regional travel cards across the Bodensee-Oberschwaben transportation network. Revenue is generated through direct sales via website, apps, and partner transport operators.
2. Deutschlandticket (D-Ticket) Subscriptions: Monthly subscription revenue from the national Deutschlandticket, administered through contracted Abocenter partners. Includes job-based Deutschlandticket variants for employers.
3. eCard Services: Contract management and subscription services for eCard holders, including contractual matters between employers and bodo regarding Deutschlandticket Job offerings

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bodensee-Oberschwaben Verkehrsverbund (bodo) is a regional public transport tariff association that coordinates bus and rail services across the Landkreis Ravensburg, Bodenseekreis, and Landkreis Lindau (Bodensee) districts in southern Germany. It operates a unified tariff structure (Gemeinschaftstarif / Höchsttarif) covering multiple transport operators, sells tickets and subscriptions including the nationwide Deutschlandticket, and provides journey planning, real-time traffic information, and an electronic check-in/check-out eCard fare system.

Product overview

Bodensee-Oberschwaben Verkehrsverbund (bodo) operates as a regional public transport association serving the Bodensee and Oberschwaben regions of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The organization coordinates bus and rail services across multiple districts (Landkreise Ravensburg, Bodenseekreis, and Lindau) and provides ticket sales, journey planning tools, and the eCard electronic fare system. The product portfolio centers on the Deutschlandticket (D-Ticket) subscription for nationwide travel, integrated with the bwegt-Fahrplanauskunft route planner, bus line schedules, and the eCard check-in/check-out system. Digital services include the deinbodo mobile app, eCard portals for both regular users and school participants, and online ticket purchasing. The offering is structured as a unified transit service network rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Deutschlandticket (D-Ticket)
• eCard-System
• Fahrplanauskunft (Route Planner)
• deinbodo App
• Buslinien- und Haltestellenfahrpläne

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• DB ZugBus Regionalverkehr Alb-Bodensee GmbH (RAB)coreTechnology or IntegrationMajor transport operator partner operating regional rail and bus services within the bodo network. Provides Abo- und Servicecenter RAB as customer service point for subscription management. Part of the collaboration agreements under EU Regulation 1370/2007.
• Bodensee-Oberschwaben-Bahn GmbH & Co. KGcoreTechnology or IntegrationRegional railway operator partner within the bodo transportation network. Party to cooperation agreements and revenue allocation contracts with the verbund society.
• Abo-Center IGP (Interessengemeinschaft des Personenverkehrsgewerbes in Baden-Württemberg eG)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubscription center partner handling Deutschlandticket and other bodo subscription products. Located in Böblingen, operating as part of the Baden-Württemberg public transport trade association.
• Omnibus Morath GmbHsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBus company and subscription center partner operating the Abo-Center Morath in Überlingen. Provides both transport services and customer subscription management.
• Landeszentrum Barrierefreiheit (LZ-BARR)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccessibility arbitration service for Baden-Württemberg. bodo references this organization in its accessibility statement as the escalation point for accessibility complaints under the L-BGG law.
• MENTZ GmbHsupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology provider for the bwegt-Fahrplanauskunft (journey planning) service integrated on bodo's website. Provides real-time public transport information for Baden-Württemberg.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nordhessischer Verkehrsverbund (NVV): Regional Verkehrsverbund serving northern Hesse with unified tariff across operators. Similar mid-sized regional cooperative model as bodo, including rural and interurban service mix.
• Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR): Largest Verkehrsverbund in Germany coordinating transit across the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region. Same regulatory foundation (EU 1370/2007) and unified fare model as bodo, but at much greater scale.
• Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB): Regional public transport tariff association coordinating bus and rail across Berlin and Brandenburg. Closely comparable to bodo as a German Verkehrsverbund, but larger in scale and geographic reach.
• Hamburger Verkehrsverbund (HVV): Hamburg's regional public transport association managing a unified tariff system across buses, ferries, and rail. Comparable to bodo in structure and integrated ticketing model.
• Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund Stuttgart (VVS): Stuttgart region Verkehrsverbund also in Baden-Württemberg, integrating bus and rail ticketing. Directly comparable to bodo as a neighboring regional fare association in the same federal state.
• Münchner Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund (MVV): Tariff and coordination body for Munich region bus, tram, and rail. Same Verkehrsverbund model as bodo, unified ticketing across multiple operators, but serving a large metropolitan region.
• Regio Verkehrsverbund Freiburg (RVF): Regio-Verkehrsverbund for the Freiburg region also in Baden-Württemberg. Direct peer to bodo in scale, scope, and tariff-coordination role across multiple transport operators.

Broad incumbents

• DB Regio Bus Baden-Württemberg: DB subsidiary operating regional bus and rail services, including RAB which is a partner operator within bodo. Larger incumbent active in bodo's territory and across Germany.

Others

• MENTZ GmbH: Software provider of the bwegt-Fahrplanauskunft journey planner integrated into bodo's website. Technology vendor and ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
• Omnibus Morath GmbH: Local bus operator and Abo-Center partner supporting subscription administration inside the bodo network. Channel/operator partner rather than direct Verbund competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/verkehrsverbundbodo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bodensee-oberschwaben-verkehrsverbund
• Instagraminstagram.com/verkehrsverbund_bodo
• TikToktiktok.com/@verkehrsverbundbodo

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Bodensee-Oberschwaben Verkehrsverbund