D3TN
D3TN develops open-source and commercially-supported Delay- and Disruption-tolerant Networking (DTN) protocol software (µD3TN) for challenged environments including underwater, space, and satellite communications, serving space agencies, maritime researchers, and IoT integrators from Dresden and Miami.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersDresden, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What D3TN does
D3TN GmbH is a Dresden-based networking technology company founded in 2015 (originally as FUSE, renamed in 2018) that develops software and hardware solutions for Delay- and Disruption-tolerant Networking (DTN) in environments where standard TCP/IP fails, including underwater, space, satellite, and intermittently connected terrestrial networks. Its core product is µD3TN, a space-tested open-source implementation of Bundle Protocol versions 6 and 7 that runs on POSIX/Linux systems and microcontrollers, featuring multiple Convergence Layer Adapters (MTCP, TCPCLv3, SMTCP, SPP) and an Application Agent Protocol (AAP) interface; a Python counterpart, pyD3TN, is distributed via PyPI. D3TN also develops differentiated concepts such as Bundle-in-Bundle Encapsulation (BIBE) for scalable routing and Ring Road Networks (RRN) for satellite-mediated intermittent links, validated in-orbit on ESA's OPS-SAT and in the Lunar IceCube interoperability demonstration with NASA and ESA reference implementations.
The company monetizes through three tiers: a permanently free open-source µD3TN (AGPL) for community adoption; D3TN-ES, a subscription support package with SLAs starting at €5,000/month; and D3TN-EP, individually scoped custom development and integration contracts. Revenue is supplemented by project-based R&D services, network design and implementation work, and specialized training. Customer segments span maritime research institutions, underwater mining, offshore wind operators, fishing fleets, automotive/vehicular communications, and satellite/space operators. The company operates from Dresden (HQ) and a U.S. branch in Miami (D3TN U.S. Corp.), and is led by founders Dr. Marius Feldmann (CEO) and Dr. Felix Walter (CTO) with an 8-person team that includes R&D engineers and working students. Project funding has been received from ESA, Germany's BMBF, the European Union, and the Saxon State Parliament via SAB, supporting projects such as COLDSUN (underwater-to-satellite buoy), REDMARS2 (recursive DTN architecture), DARKSOL (space cloud), MISSION, and the D3TN-ES commercialization effort.
D3TN firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- D3TN
- Legal name
- D3TN GmbH
- Website
- https://d3tn.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- D3TN develops open-source and commercially-supported Delay- and Disruption-tolerant Networking (DTN) protocol software (µD3TN) for challenged environments including underwater, space, and satellite communications, serving space agencies, maritime researchers, and IoT integrators from Dresden and Miami.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
D3TN industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Network Protocol Software
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Communications Services, Nec (4899), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Service Chaining & Multi-Domain Interconnect (Transport SDN, Segment Routing, Cross-Domain Orchestration) (HDAIAIAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Direct-to-Device (D2D) / NTN Cellular (Satellite-to-Handset, NB-IoT NTN) (HDAIAJAE), Industrial Network Redundancy & Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN/PRP/HSR/ERPS) (HDAFAJAH)
Keywords
Where D3TN is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dresden
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
D3TN business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software Development & R&D Services: Custom software development projects for communication protocols, including novel approaches and challenged network scenarios. Research and development support for network protocols and architectures.
- Enterprise Software Support (D3TN-ES): Commercial support packages for µD3TN including guaranteed backward compatibility, e-mail support, and SLAs. Starting from €5000/month for enterprise-ready support.
- Custom Development (D3TN-EP): Tailored customization services for fully adapting µD3TN to specific customer environments with full individual support and maintenance.
- Training Services: Specialized courses and trainings covering conventional Internet protocols, technologies, and upcoming communication approaches for networking protocol stacks and architectures.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | µD3TN Open Source - Free DTN implementation |
| Subscription | Monthly | D3TN-ES - Enterprise support package |
| Other | Multi-year contract | D3TN-EP - Custom development package |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
D3TN product offering
Product offeringCore offering
D3TN develops and supports Delay- and Disruption-tolerant Networking (DTN) protocol implementations and related services. Its core product, µD3TN, is a space-tested, lightweight open-source DTN protocol stack implementing Bundle Protocol versions 6 and 7, available freely under AGPL. Commercial offerings include D3TN-ES (enterprise support with SLAs starting at €5,000/month) and D3TN-EP (fully customized implementations with individual pricing), along with pyD3TN for Python integrations and professional services such as R&D support, network design, consultation, and trainings.
Product overview
D3TN is a networking technology company specializing in Delay- and Disruption-tolerant Networking (DTN) solutions for challenged environments. The core product is µD3TN, a space-tested open-source DTN protocol stack implementing Bundle Protocol versions 6 and 7. This is offered in three tiers: the open-source µD3TN (free under AGPL), D3TN-ES for enterprise support with SLAs (starting €5,000/month), and D3TN-EP for fully customized implementations. The product portfolio includes pyD3TN (Python implementation on PyPI), specialized convergence layer adapters (MTCP, TCPCLv3, SMTCP, SPP), and the Application Agent Protocol (AAP) for easy system integration. D3TN also develops related projects including COLDSUN (underwater-to-satellite communication relay), REDMARS2 (recursive DTN architecture), DARKSOL (space cloud), and MISSION (space mission optimization). The company provides associated services including R&D support, network design & implementation, consultation, and technical trainings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- µD3TN: Space-tested free software protocol stack for Delay-tolerant Networking, available as open-source under AGPL license.
- D3TN-ES
- D3TN-EP
- pyD3TN
- µPCN
Products and services
- µD3TN (micro D3TN) Space-tested, free and open-source DTN (Delay-tolerant Networking) protocol stack implementing Bundle Protocol versions 6 and 7. Runs on POSIX/Linux systems and microcontrollers, offers adaptability via modular Convergence Layer Adapters (MTCP, TCPCLv3, SMTCP, SPP), and exposes an Application Agent Protocol (AAP) for easy integration. Licensed under AGPL.
- D3TN-ES (D3TN Enterprise Stack) Enterprise-ready commercial version of µD3TN with guaranteed backward compatibility, SLA-based e-mail support, and professional maintenance contracts starting from €5,000 per month.
- D3TN-EP (D3TN Enterprise Plus) Fully customized µD3TN implementation tailored to specific customer environments, with individually quoted pricing, full individual support, and maintenance for the integrated DTN platform.
- pyD3TN Python implementation of DTN protocols offered as an easy-to-use PyPI package, complementing the µD3TN C implementation and supporting Python-based DTN integrations.
- Research & Development Support
Quantifiable outcome
- First known in-flight test of Bundle Protocol Version 7 draft specification
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use D3TN
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
D3TN technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature5 records
D3TN partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.
- HydromeastrategicSwiss underwater robotics company specializing in through-water wireless communication. Successfully tested µD3TN with Hydromea's LUMA X-UV underwater modems for disruption-tolerant networking.
- Spatiam CorporationstrategicSpatiam performed interoperability testing between ION and µD3TN Bundle Protocol version 7 implementations, demonstrating successful interoperability between the two protocols.
- MISSION Project ConsortiumstrategicD3TN is an industry partner in MISSION project combining space technology with computer science to optimize reliability of future space missions. Workshop held at INVAP SE in Argentina.
- GAIA-X Consortium PartnersstrategicD3TN participates in GAIA-X federated European data infrastructure ecosystem. Collaborated with Cloud&Heat, Charité/deNBI, ecsec, IONOS, publicplan, Red Hat, Scheer Group, and Trusted Cloud on 'Deploy with GAIA-X' demo.
- Libre Space FoundationstrategicMoU signed to bundle knowledge of open software in space domain. Both partners commit to develop, design, advance, and promote open source software, hardware, and tools for space mission design and engineering.
- European Space Agency (ESA)coreESA co-funds COLDSUN project (communication relay for deep-sea underwater networks) and supports D3TN's participation in SMILE (Special Mission Infrastructure Lab Environment) for space-to-ground communication testing. ESA also featured D3TN's OPS-SAT experiments on their website.
Scale indicators4 records
Expansion highlights6 records
D3TN competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Kongsberg Maritime: Large Norwegian maritime technology company providing underwater acoustic communication, subsea monitoring, and oceanographic systems. Indirect peer through shared maritime/underwater customer base and competing for integration of monitoring data via satellites.
- Iridium Communications: Global L-band satellite operator providing voice/data services to remote/mobile environments. Adjacent because Iridium's network and partners are a likely deployment substrate for DTN overlays in maritime/IoT applications.
- L3Harris Technologies: Major defense prime with tactical and satellite communications including DTN-adjacent capabilities for military networks. Serves defense/space customers that overlap with D3TN's institutional target market.
- Sonardyne: Established provider of underwater acoustic positioning and communication systems for defense, energy, and science. Comparable through underwater acoustic comms (D3TN integrated with Evologics, which competes with Sonardyne).
Emerging players
- Hydromea: Swiss underwater robotics company specializing in through-water optical wireless communication. Direct commercial partner that tested µD3TN on its LUMA X-UV underwater modems, making it both a customer and a tightly adjacent peer in underwater DTN.
- Evologics: German manufacturer of wireless underwater acoustic modems and communication systems. Partner on the COLDSUN project and a comparable niche player in challenged-environment underwater communications.
- Tethers Unlimited: U.S. small business developing DTN and disruption-tolerant networking software/hardware for space and tactical communications. Comparable in scale and niche focus to D3TN, both being specialized DTN vendors.
- Spatiam Corporation: Performed interoperability testing between NASA ION and µD3TN BPv7 implementations. Small, focused DTN-native company directly comparable in target customers (space agencies, integrators).
Direct peers
- NASA JPL (ION DTN): NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory develops and maintains ION (Interplanetary Overlay Network), the most widely deployed open-source DTN implementation. ION is a direct competitor to µD3TN, having demonstrated interoperability on the Lunar IceCube mission.
- ESA DTN Assembly: European Space Agency's Java-based Bundle Protocol implementation used alongside µD3TN on the Lunar IceCube interop test. Represents the institutional alternative to D3TN in European space DTN deployments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
D3TN social profiles
Digital presenceD3TN financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
D3TN leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
D3TN funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
D3TN M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about D3TN
What does D3TN do?
D3TN develops and supports Delay- and Disruption-tolerant Networking (DTN) protocol implementations and related services. Its core product, µD3TN, is a space-tested, lightweight open-source DTN protocol stack implementing Bundle Protocol versions 6 and 7, available freely under AGPL. Commercial offerings include D3TN-ES (enterprise support with SLAs starting at €5,000/month) and D3TN-EP (fully customized implementations with individual pricing), along with pyD3TN for Python integrations and professional services such as R&D support, network design, consultation, and trainings.
Is D3TN a public or private company?
D3TN is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was D3TN founded?
D3TN was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is D3TN based?
D3TN is headquartered in Dresden, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does D3TN make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Software Development & R&D Services are the primary driver. The others are enterprise Software Support (D3TN-ES), custom Development (D3TN-EP) and training Services.
Who are D3TN's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Kongsberg Maritime, Iridium Communications, L3Harris Technologies and Sonardyne. Emerging players are Hydromea, Evologics, Tethers Unlimited and Spatiam Corporation. Direct peers are NASA JPL (ION DTN) and ESA DTN Assembly.
Does D3TN have an API?
Yes. µD3TN provides an Application Agent Protocol (AAP) interface that allows applications to send and receive messages to and from DTN nodes. This enables easy integration into existing systems. The application layer can access µD3TN via plain IPC as well as TCP sockets. Developer documentation is at gitlab.com/d3tn/ud3tn.
What industry is D3TN in?
D3TN's product category is Network Protocol Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAIAL, Service Chaining & Multi-Domain Interconnect (Transport SDN, Segment Routing, Cross-Domain Orchestration), with a secondary code of HDAIAJAE, Direct-to-Device (D2D) / NTN Cellular (Satellite-to-Handset, NB-IoT NTN). Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7370.