MessengerTransport and Logistics

What MessengerTransport and Logistics does

Messenger Transport and Logistics GmbH is a Berlin-headquartered, family-owned logistics brokerage and transport services company founded in 1989 by Achim Beier as Germany's first bicycle courier service. Following the founder's death in 2019, the company is led by Managing Director Birgit Bernt and operates through two wholly-owned subsidiaries — messenger courier GmbH (Leipzig, Dresden, Munich) and messenger Express GmbH — covering five German cities with a 2,500 sqm central Berlin warehouse in Schöneberg.

The company's core offering sits on a brokerage/mediation platform that connects shippers with a network of 160+ independent courier entrepreneurs and 450+ national and international logistics partners, supplemented by an own fleet of 14 vehicles that is 86% fossil-free (cargo bikes and electric cars). Service modules include same-day Stadtkurier, national overnight shipping, international express, Direktfahrten (direct courier), Spedition (freight), warehousing/fulfillment, art and antiques transport, P650-certified medical specimen transport, and Lettershop print-mailings. Supporting technology comprises the OPAL online portal (launched 2000), the MEC mobile courier app (launched 2015), XTL third-party route optimization, and ClimatePartner-certified emissions tracking.

Revenue is generated primarily through transaction-based brokerage commissions on mediated courier services, with additional managed-services revenue from warehousing, picking, packing, returns, and freight forwarding. Pricing is fully unit-based — base fee plus per-kilometer rates varying by vehicle type (bicycle EUR 8.20 base + EUR 1.30/km up to 5kg through transporter EUR 21.00 base + EUR 1.60/km up to 750kg), with 50% after-hours surcharge and a 0.8% CO2 compensation fee on turnover. The customer base spans 15,000+ regular accounts across B2B, e-commerce/retail, healthcare, media/events, and art verticals, served through phone-led inside sales, online self-service booking, and location-specific price inquiry forms.

Name

MessengerTransport and Logistics

Legal name

messenger Transport + Logistik GmbH

Website

https://messenger.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Messenger Transport and Logistics is a Berlin-based, family-owned courier and logistics brokerage founded in 1989, operating across five German cities via 160+ independent couriers and 450+ partners, serving 15,000+ B2B and e-commerce customers with same-day, overnight, freight, and warehousing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Logistics Services

NAICS

Couriers and Express Delivery Services (49211), Local Messengers and Local Delivery (49221), Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885)

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Premium B2B Express & Scheduled Time-Window Delivery (TLAAABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Internal Logistics & On-site Courier Services (BPABAEAH), Dry Van (General Freight) TL Carriers (TLADADAA), Crowdsourced Heavy/Bulky & White-Glove (gig-assisted) (TLAAAGAF)

Keywords

• Courier services
• Express logistics
• Freight forwarding
• Warehousing fulfillment
• National shipping

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Courier Service Brokerage: messenger acts as a mediation center connecting shippers with independent courier entrepreneurs. The company earns commission on mediated courier services. Pricing includes vehicle base rates, distance traveled, waiting/loading times, and time options. Working with over 450 national and international partners and approximately 160 independent courier entrepreneurs.
2. Warehousing and Fulfillment: High-availability warehouse services in Berlin, Potsdam, Leipzig, and Dresden with storage, picking, packaging, and returns management
3. National and International Shipping: Overnight and express shipping services domestically and internationally with tiered pricing based on weight and destination zone

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

messenger Transport + Logistik GmbH is a Berlin-based, privately held courier and logistics company offering same-day city courier services, national and international parcel shipping, direct trips, freight forwarding, warehousing, fulfillment, packaging, time-critical delivery, and specialized art/antiques transport. Founded in 1989, the firm operates a brokerage model that pairs more than 15,000 customers with 160+ independent courier entrepreneurs and 450+ logistics partners, supported by an 86% fossil-free fleet and 100% CO2-compensated operations.

Product overview

Messenger Transport + Logistik GmbH operates a multi-module logistics platform centered on courier and express delivery services. The core offering includes Stadtkurier (same-day city courier), Nationaler Versand (nationwide overnight shipping), Internationaler Versand (international shipping), and Direktfahrten (direct courier transport). Supporting modules include Spedition (freight forwarding), Warehouse/Lager (warehousing with fulfillment capabilities), and specialized services such as Verpackungsservice (custom packaging), Fristgerechte Zustellung (time-critical delivery), and Transport Kunst und Antiquitäten (art and antiques transport). The messenger group encompasses two entities: messenger Transport + Logistik GmbH (Berlin/Potsdam operations) and messenger courier GmbH (Leipzig/Dresden/Munich operations), both providing overlapping courier, express, and logistics services through a network of over 200-450 partner couriers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stadtkurier (City Courier) Same-day intra-city courier delivery service focused on the Berlin metropolitan area for businesses and private customers requiring urgent local transport.
• Nationaler Versand (National Shipping) Domestic parcel and shipment delivery across Germany for business and private shippers.
• Internationaler Versand (International Shipping) Cross-border shipment dispatch handling for parcels and freight originating in Germany and bound for international destinations.
• Direktfahrten (Direct Trips) Dedicated direct-trip courier service providing point-to-point transport without consolidation or transfer stops, typically for time-critical shipments.
• Spedition (Freight Forwarding) Freight forwarding services arranging transport of larger shipments and pallets through the company's partner network of 450+ logistics partners.
• Warehousing (Lager) Storage of goods in the company's facilities for short- or long-term holding as part of integrated logistics contracts.
• Fulfillment End-to-end order fulfillment including picking, packing, and dispatch integrated with warehousing and shipping services for e-commerce and mail-order customers.
• Verpackungsservice (Packaging Service) Professional packaging of shipments, including specialized handling for fragile, oversized, or high-value items.
• Time-Critical Delivery (Fristgerechte Zustellung) Express delivery within a defined deadline window (e.g., same-day, next-day, or fixed-arrival-time) for legally or operationally urgent shipments.
• Transport Kunst und Antiquitäten (Art and Antiques Transport) Specialized transport service for art, antiques, and other high-value collectibles, providing careful handling and insured delivery for galleries, auction houses, and collectors.
• Lettershop – Print-Mailings Lettershop service bundling printed mailings, addressing, franking, and postal dispatch for marketing or customer-communication campaigns.
• Procurement (Beschaffung) Procurement logistics handling sourcing-related transport and consolidation tasks as part of inbound supply chain support for customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,000+ satisfied regular customers served
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and strategic.

• ClimatePartnercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership for comprehensive CO2 footprint calculation and offsetting. ClimatePartner certifies all messenger CO2 emissions and tracks offset payments to certified climate protection projects. Tracking available at ClimatePartner website. messenger compensates 100% of all emissions including partner transport emissions.
• CTSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner company with logo displayed on messenger partner page
• RapidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner company with logo displayed on messenger partner page
• ROTRUNNERminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner company with logo displayed on messenger partner page
• XTL (Route Optimization)coreTechnology or IntegrationRoute optimization software provider for messenger Express fleet to support drivers and maximize service quality while conserving resources
• 450+ National and International Logistics PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of logistics partners enabling national and international shipping services across all continents. Partners are independent courier, transport and logistics companies coordinated by messenger.
• 160 Independent Courier EntrepreneurscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndependent bicycle, cargo bike, car, van and truck couriers operating under the messenger brand for city courier services
• DLR (German Aerospace Center)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership in 'Ich entlaste Städte (2)' project for cargo bikes and LEV (Light Electric Vehicles) research. messenger acts as lead coordinator and research partner.
• Netzwerk GroßbeerenstraßeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry network association in Berlin for logistics and transport companies
• BdKEP (Bundesverband Kurier Express Paket)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal Association of Courier Express Parcel services - industry association membership
• RLVD (Radlogistik Verband Deutschland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman Bicycle Logistics Association - industry association membership promoting bicycle logistics
• BVMW (Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman SME Association - industry association membership

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DHL Express: DHL Express, part of Deutsche Post DHL Group, is the world's largest international express carrier and a direct competitor to messenger's internationaler Versand and same-day air products from 259 EUR, while also serving messenger's B2B urgent-shipment customers in Germany.
• Hermes Germany (Otto Group): Hermes Germany is one of the largest parcel and CEP operators in Germany, offering B2B and B2C courier, parcel and fulfillment services. It competes with messenger on national shipping and last-mile delivery but at vastly greater scale and as part of the broader Otto Group ecosystem.
• UPS: UPS is a global integrator offering express parcel, freight and supply-chain services, competing with messenger's nationaler and internationaler Versand tiers while also serving as a benchmark for the technology investment messenger may need to keep pace with.
• DPD Germany: DPD Germany is a major German parcel and express carrier with dense pickup-depot coverage nationwide, overlapping with messenger's nationaler Versand and internationaler Versand services but with substantially larger volume and infrastructure.
• FedEx: FedEx is a global integrator with European express operations that compete with messenger's international and time-critical Direktfahrten offerings, particularly on cross-border urgent B2B shipments where messenger relies on partner capacity.
• GLS Germany: GLS Germany is a major European parcel and express carrier covering B2B and B2C shipments nationwide. It competes with messenger's nationaler Versand and Spedition services at greater scale and with standardized digital booking that messenger's OPAL portal must match.

Emerging players

• Tiramizoo: Tiramizoo is a Berlin-based same-day and last-mile delivery platform that uses software to dispatch crowdsourced couriers — directly comparable to messenger's brokerage/mediation model for urban urgent deliveries in the same Berlin market.
• Liefery: Liefery is a German same-day and scheduled urban delivery service targeting e-commerce and retail shippers, partially overlapping with messenger's E-commerce/Retail customer segment and Direktfahrten product while bringing a more digital-native experience.

Direct peers

• GO! Express & Logistics: GO! Express & Logistics is a German overnight and same-day courier company with national coverage, closely overlapping messenger's express, overnight, and Direktfahrten offerings and serving the same B2B urgent-delivery customer base across Germany.

Regional players

• CitySprint: CitySprint is the UK's largest same-day courier network connecting shippers with self-employed couriers — a business model structurally very close to messenger's bicycle/cargo-bike/courier mediation model, although focused on the UK rather than Germany.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 MessengerTransport and Logistics