LocosLab
LocosLab GmbH is a Bonn-based IT services boutique (1–10 employees, founded 2012) that builds Bluetooth-based indoor positioning systems, hybrid indoor/outdoor navigation, Wi-SUN FAN embedded solutions, and geo-services for airports, cities, events, transport operators, and EU research projects.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersEssen, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What LocosLab does
LocosLab GmbH is a privately held German IT services boutique founded in 2012 as a spin-off of the University of Duisburg-Essen and headquartered in Bonn, with an additional office in Essen. The company builds RF-based localization and tracking technology, anchored by a Bluetooth-beacon indoor positioning system that achieves approximately 1-meter accuracy in office environments and integrates seamlessly with outdoor GPS/Galileo navigation. Its portfolio spans five core service lines: Embedded Systems (notably a Wi-SUN FAN protocol implementation with proprietary extensions, smart gateways, and border routers), Positioning Systems, Geo Services (map visualization, building modeling with WGS84 integration, A*-based route computation including GTFS transit routing), Custom Development (Android/iOS apps and web services with DevOps), and Consulting. Beyond services, the company operates the digitall-pro sub-brand for sports club management and publishes free consumer apps (Celebro for party planning, Picture Frame for OneDrive-powered digital photo display).
The firm's commercial model is primarily professional services billed against custom quotes on multi-year contracts, supplemented by licensing of geo-services and APIs (including the My Time To Flight API for airports) and EU/government-funded research projects such as MoIn (BMVI, completed 2021), MobyDex (BMDV, 2023–2026), GAMBAS, and SIMON. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales complemented by event-driven demand generation at trade shows such as CeBit, API-first distribution through developer-facing APIs, and visibility via EU research partnerships with universities and transport operators (EMT Madrid, City of Duisburg, University of Duisburg-Essen). Customers are concentrated in airports, cities/municipalities, event organizers, retail stores, sports clubs, universities, public transport operators, and industrial IoT firms; named deployments include Madrid Navigator for EMT Madrid, Localee for the City of Duisburg, the Simon Mobile accessible mobility app across Spanish and EU partners, and several trade fair navigation apps. The company is led by Managing Director Prof. Dr. Pedro José Marrén, with no disclosed external funding, acquisitions, or executive changes since inception.
LocosLab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LocosLab
- Legal name
- LocosLab GmbH
- Website
- https://locoslab.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- LocosLab GmbH is a Bonn-based IT services boutique (1–10 employees, founded 2012) that builds Bluetooth-based indoor positioning systems, hybrid indoor/outdoor navigation, Wi-SUN FAN embedded solutions, and geo-services for airports, cities, events, transport operators, and EU research projects.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LocosLab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Location-based Services & Indoor Positioning
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Transportation (488), Special Needs Transportation (485991), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)
- SIC
- Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ground Transport Booking Platforms (Rail/Bus/Shuttle) (THALAFAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Delivery-Enabled Super-Apps with Ride-Hailing (Multi-Vertical Mobility Platforms) (TLAFAIAM), Paratransit / Accessible Ride-Hailing (WAV & Special Assistance) (THADADAH)
Keywords
Where LocosLab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Essen
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
LocosLab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Custom Development Services: Tailor-made embedded systems, mobile applications, and web-based solutions developed for specific customer requirements
- Consulting Services: Technology consulting, digital transformation guidance, and expert advisory services for IoT, embedded systems, and smart city implementations
- Geo-Services Licensing: Location-based services offered for external use or licensing in third-party applications
- Research and Development Projects: EU and government-funded research projects (e.g., GAMBAS, SIMON, MoIn, MobyDex) that develop innovative solutions
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom Development - Quote-based |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Consulting Services - Quote-based |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Celebro - Free |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Picture Frame - Free |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
LocosLab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LocosLab develops Bluetooth-based indoor positioning systems, embedded software for smart grid and IoT, and location-based geo-services for airports, cities, retailers, and events. They provide custom software development (Android, iOS, web), technology consulting, and free consumer productivity applications including Celebro (party planning) and Picture Frame (digital picture frame). Their offering spans enterprise B2B services and free B2C consumer apps built on the same underlying positioning and embedded technology stack.
Product overview
LocosLab GmbH is an IT service provider offering a portfolio of core services and products centered around positioning, navigation, and location-based technologies. The core services include Embedded Systems development (Wi-SUN FAN protocols, smart gateways), Positioning Systems (Bluetooth-based indoor positioning with beacons), Geo Services (map visualization, building modeling, route computation), Custom Development (mobile apps for Android/iOS, web services, IoT), and Consulting Services. Key products include Celebro (free party planning app), Picture Frame (digital picture frame app integrating with Microsoft OneDrive), and various navigation/mobility applications developed through research projects including Localee (city information), Simon Mobile (accessible mobility), Madrid Navigator (public transport), Campus Map (university navigation), R&I in Europe and CODE_n15 (event navigation), and MoIn/MobyDex (mobility indices). The portfolio spans consumer-facing mobile applications, enterprise solutions, and research-driven mobility platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Celebro: Party planner application that helps users manage complete event organization including invitations, helper lists, organizational tasks, and buffet management. Free service with no registration required.
- Bilderrahmen (Picture Frame)
- digitall-pro
Quantifiable outcome
- 1-meter positioning accuracy in office environments
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use LocosLab
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
LocosLab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature6 records
LocosLab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Renesas ElectronicscoreClose collaboration on embedded systems development for smart grids, wireless communication, and automated testing environments. Partner for Wi-SUN FAN protocol implementation.
- University of Duisburg-EssencoreSpin-off origin and ongoing strategic cooperation with the Networked Embedded Systems research group. Joint research and application development projects.
- University of BonncoreResearch collaboration with employees who have years of research experience at the university.
- Wi-SUN FAN AlliancecoreActive membership in the alliance shaping certification processes and operating testbeds for Wi-SUN FAN protocol compliance.
- The Open UniversityminorAcademic partner for research collaboration.
- Polytechnical University MadridminorAcademic partner for research collaboration.
- Instituto de Biomecánica de ValenciaminorResearch partner for accessibility and mobility applications.
- National University of IrelandminorAcademic partner for research collaboration.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
LocosLab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IndoorAtlas: Finland-based provider of indoor positioning technology using geomagnetic and Bluetooth beacons. Direct comparable to LocosLab's indoor positioning system with similar accuracy targets and venue-focused deployments.
- Estimote: Bluetooth beacon and indoor location platform serving retail, venues, and workplace use cases. Comparable hardware (beacons with multi-year battery) and software (location APIs) approach.
- Quuppa: Provider of real-time locating systems (RTLS) and indoor positioning using Bluetooth beacons with centimeter-level accuracy. Directly comparable technology stack and target markets (sports, retail, manufacturing).
- Pointr: Offers indoor positioning, wayfinding, and location analytics for airports, retail, and venues using Bluetooth beacons. Closely aligned to LocosLab's airport (MTTF) and city (Localee) deployments.
- Mappedin: Indoor mapping and wayfinding platform for malls, airports, and venues. Comparable offering to LocosLab's My Time To Flight and venue navigation products.
- Infsoft: German indoor positioning and asset tracking vendor serving airports, hospitals, and industry. Closely comparable regional peer in the DACH market with similar Bluetooth beacon and venue analytics offerings.
- MazeMap: Indoor and outdoor mapping platform primarily for universities and large venues. Direct peer for LocosLab's Campus Map and city venue mapping use cases.
- Navigine: Provides indoor positioning and navigation SDKs/platforms for venues, transportation, and industrial use. Similar technology focus and target verticals including airports and events.
Broad incumbents
- HERE Technologies: Global location platform offering maps, indoor venue content, and location services at enterprise scale. Competes with LocosLab's geo-services offering but as part of a much broader portfolio.
- Cisco (DNA Spaces / Senion): Cisco's indoor positioning business (built on the Senion acquisition) provides Bluetooth-based indoor wayfinding integrated with enterprise networking. Competes broadly in venue positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
LocosLab social profiles
Digital presenceLocosLab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LocosLab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
LocosLab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LocosLab 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 LocosLab
What does LocosLab do?
LocosLab develops Bluetooth-based indoor positioning systems, embedded software for smart grid and IoT, and location-based geo-services for airports, cities, retailers, and events. They provide custom software development (Android, iOS, web), technology consulting, and free consumer productivity applications including Celebro (party planning) and Picture Frame (digital picture frame). Their offering spans enterprise B2B services and free B2C consumer apps built on the same underlying positioning and embedded technology stack.
Is LocosLab a public or private company?
LocosLab is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was LocosLab founded?
LocosLab was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is LocosLab based?
LocosLab is headquartered in Essen, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does LocosLab make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Custom Development Services are the primary driver. The others are consulting Services, geo-Services Licensing and research and Development Projects.
Who are LocosLab's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IndoorAtlas, Estimote, Quuppa, Pointr, Mappedin, Infsoft, MazeMap and Navigine. Broad incumbents are HERE Technologies and Cisco (DNA Spaces / Senion).
Does LocosLab have an API?
Yes. My Time To Flight (MTTF) is a location-based API that connects to airport systems and integrates relevant information for travelers and operators of the aviation industry including flight schedules, waiting times, and specific building data. The API enables airports to provide customers with personalized journey planning from departure at home to the seat in the plane.
What industry is LocosLab in?
LocosLab's product category is Location-based Services & Indoor Positioning. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THALAFAD, Ground Transport Booking Platforms (Rail/Bus/Shuttle), with a secondary code of TLAFAIAM, Delivery-Enabled Super-Apps with Ride-Hailing (Multi-Vertical Mobility Platforms). Its NAICS code is 488 and its SIC code is 4100.