CAT

What CAT does

CAT GmbH (Computer- und Anwendungstechnik) is a privately held, owner-managed German software company founded in 1988 by Helmut Oink and headquartered in Salzbergen, Germany. The company develops and maintains CAT Bekleidung, an industry-specific ERP software solution built for the fashion and apparel sector, covering wholesale, retail, e-commerce, and production management workflows for clothing manufacturers and retailers. The company is currently led by Carsten Oink, who assumed ownership from the founder in July 2015; the business has remained within the founding family and outside external capital markets.

The CAT Bekleidung platform is built on the Informix database with Informix 4GL — a legacy enterprise technology stack that indicates a long-stable, on-premise codebase rather than a modern cloud-native architecture. The product integrates with a defined set of complementary systems, including SAP, Microsoft, CSS, Koppermann, Assyst, and Lobster, positioning CAT as a vertical ERP layer alongside, rather than in competition with, the dominant platforms its fashion customers also operate. The company's stated customer base includes Gerry Weber (relationship since 1991, ~28+ years) and Normann (30+ years), both long-tenured German fashion enterprises. With a headcount band of 11–50 employees and a Germany-only footprint, CAT operates as a focused niche specialist rather than a scaled platform vendor.

The business model is enterprise software licensing, implementation, and ongoing support targeting German fashion manufacturers and retailers. Revenue mechanics are not disclosed publicly; given the headcount band, the long customer tenures, and the absence of any disclosed funding, the implied go-to-market is direct, relationship-driven sales with extended contract lifecycles and high switching costs. The model is reinforced by deep functional specialization — sizing, collections, wholesale allocation, retail replenishment, and apparel production — that generalist ERP vendors typically cannot replicate without vertical investment. CAT has not disclosed pricing tiers, SaaS/cloud transition plans, AI functionality, M&A activity, or external fundraising, and the available evidence describes a stable, ownership-stable vertical software niche player rather than a growth-stage investment target.

Name

CAT

Legal name

CAT GmbH

Website

https://cat-salzbergen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CAT GmbH is a Salzbergen, Germany-based, owner-managed software company that develops CAT Bekleidung, a vertical ERP for the fashion and apparel industry covering wholesale, retail, e-commerce, and production workflows, serving German clothing manufacturers and retailers on a legacy Informix-based stack.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Apparel ERP Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail ERP (Merchandising, POS Back Office) (HDAEAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

ERP Implementation & Systems Integration Services (BPAEAGAA)

Keywords

• Apparel ERP software
• Fashion industry ERP
• Clothing merchandise management
• Apparel PDM integration
• Enterprise resource planning software

Headquarters

HQ city

Salzbergen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CAT develops and sells "CAT Bekleidung," a proprietary ERP software product designed specifically for the fashion and apparel industry. Built from scratch in 1988 on an Informix database with Informix 4GL, the software covers all areas of a modern ERP system except financial accounting, and is extended with project-based interfaces to financial accounting systems (SAP, Microsoft, CSS) and apparel-specific PDM systems (Koppermann, Assyst) delivered via Webservice, J2EE, or Lobster.

Product overview

CAT offers a single unified ERP software product called 'CAT Bekleidung' (CAT Clothing), developed from the ground up in 1988. The software is built on a powerful Informix database using Informix 4GL as the programming language. Over more than 30 years, it has evolved into a comprehensive program package that covers all areas of a modern ERP system except for financial accounting. When functionalities are not available or insufficient, interfaces to various subsystems are developed on a per-project basis. The company also develops interfaces to apparel-specific PDM systems (Koppermann, Assyst) and financial accounting systems (SAP, Microsoft, CSS) via Webservice, J2EE, or Lobster integration platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CAT Bekleidung CAT Bekleidung is a proprietary ERP software product for the apparel/fashion industry developed from the ground up over 30+ years ago. Built on an Informix database using Informix 4GL, it covers all areas of a modern ERP system except financial accounting, with interfaces to external accounting systems (SAP, Microsoft, CSS) and apparel-specific PDM systems (Koppermann, Assyst) delivered via Webservice, J2EE, or Lobster integration platforms. Target customers are enterprise fashion and apparel companies needing vertically specialized merchandise management, logistics, and process optimization software.

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SAPcoreTechnology or IntegrationInterface integration partner - CAT Bekleidung ERP interfaces with SAP financial accounting systems as part of comprehensive ERP deployments
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationInterface integration partner - CAT Bekleidung ERP interfaces with Microsoft financial systems for customers using Microsoft-based IT infrastructure
• CSScoreTechnology or IntegrationInterface integration partner - CAT Bekleidung ERP interfaces with CSS financial systems
• KoppermanncoreTechnology or IntegrationClothing-specific PDM (Product Data Management) system integration partner for Koppermann systems used in fashion industry
• AssystcoreTechnology or IntegrationClothing-specific PDM (Product Data Management) system integration partner for Assyst systems used in fashion industry
• LobstercoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration technology partner for implementing various interface requirements via Lobster middleware solutions

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Broad incumbents

• CGS (BlueCherry): Provider of BlueCherry ERP for apparel, footwear, and consumer goods manufacturers. Comparable as a vertical ERP vendor targeting the same fashion manufacturing customers as CAT, though typically at a larger enterprise scale.
• SAP SE: Global enterprise software incumbent with a broad ERP portfolio (S/4HANA) that interfaces with CAT Bekleidung for financial accounting. Comparable as the dominant ERP platform customers in the German Mittelstand already run alongside CAT.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365: Broad ERP/CRM platform from Microsoft that CAT Bekleidung interfaces with for financial accounting. Represents a potential competitive substitute as well as an integration partner for German mid-market customers.

Direct peers

• Infor: Provider of Infor Fashion ERP (formerly Infor Apparel & Footwear Suite), a vertically specialized ERP for apparel manufacturers and brands. Directly competes with CAT Bekleidung for the same German/European fashion manufacturer segment.
• Aptean: Vertical ERP vendor with apparel-specific solutions (e.g., Aptean Apparel ERP / JustFood style vertical suites). Targets the same fashion/apparel manufacturing customers as CAT and competes for the same mid-market deals.
• Centric Software: Provider of Centric PLM and merchandise planning for fashion, apparel, and retail. Comparable as a vertical software vendor serving the same fashion/apparel customers with adjacent product lifecycle functionality.
• Visual Next: Apparel-focused ERP and supply chain software vendor serving fashion manufacturers and brands. Comparable as a vertical ERP competitor addressing the same operational needs (merchandise management, logistics) that CAT Bekleidung solves.
• Lectra: Specialist in fashion and apparel software (PLM, CAD, supply chain solutions). Comparable as a vertical software vendor serving European apparel brands with operational technology adjacent to CAT's ERP offering.

Emerging players

• Assyst (Amlogica / Assyst GmbH): German vendor of apparel-specific PDM and product configuration solutions integrated with CAT Bekleidung. Comparable as a vertical apparel software specialist serving the same German mid-market customer base.
• Koppermann: Provider of apparel-specific PDM and product data management systems that CAT integrates with. Comparable as a vertical software specialist in the German apparel ecosystem and a partial substitute/productivity tool.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cat-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 CAT