Kontiki e. V.
Kontiki e. V. is a German non-profit association founded in 1998 that convenes public transport operators, associations, IT vendors, and authorities through three annual conferences and working groups to advance electronic ticketing and passenger information standardization across Germany and neighboring countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersWeimar, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Kontiki e. V. does
Kontiki e. V. is a German non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in March 1998 in Dresden, originally as the "Arbeitskreis kontaktlose Chipkartensysteme für Electronic Ticketing." It operates as a knowledge network for contactless electronic mobility systems, with the stated mission of advancing digitalization in public transport through expertise in electronic ticketing (eTicketing, mTicketing, smart ticketing) and passenger information. The association is explicitly operator-, product-, and system-neutral and advocates for interoperability, standardization, and customer-friendly solutions across the European public transport sector.
The association does not sell commercial products or software. Its core offering consists of professional conferences (three per year) and working groups that convene public transport operators, transport associations (Verkehrsverbünde), public authorities (Aufgabenträger), IT and technology vendors, payment service providers, and consulting firms. The organization has hosted 85 conferences cumulatively since 1998, drawing 500+ participants and 70+ speakers per event, and maintains a member base of 130+ organizations across Germany and neighboring countries. A password-protected member area provides access to conference materials, presentations, and working group outputs. The 7-person staff is supported by an elected board chaired by Ralf Nachbar and operations are run from a Geschäftsstelle (business office) hosted by Vokativ GmbH in Weimar.
Kontiki's revenue model is membership-based, supplemented by conference participation fees; multiple members from the same company receive reduced membership dues, and member organizations receive preferential conference rates. Specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The association operates on German association law (Vereinsgesetz), has no external investors and no parent company, and is governed by a board of representatives drawn from major German and European transport operators, IT vendors, and payment providers.
Kontiki e. V. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kontiki e. V.
- Legal name
- Kontiki e. V.
- Website
- https://kontiki.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Kontiki e. V. is a German non-profit association founded in 1998 that convenes public transport operators, associations, IT vendors, and authorities through three annual conferences and working groups to advance electronic ticketing and passenger information standardization across Germany and neighboring countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kontiki e. V. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Transport Industry Association
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro industry
- Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics)Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)Training, Workshops & Certification EventsMedia, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)
Keywords
Where Kontiki e. V. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Weimar
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kontiki e. V. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Kontiki e. V. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kontiki e. V. is a non-profit association that organizes regular professional conferences (approximately three per year) and operates as a knowledge network for public transport digitalization, with a focus on electronic ticketing (eTicketing/mTicketing/Smart Ticketing) and passenger information systems. It offers membership to transport companies, transport associations, public authorities, IT firms, and consultancies, providing access to conferences, working groups, publications, and a member-only resource portal for experience exchange and standardization efforts.
Product overview
Kontiki e. V. is a non-profit knowledge network organization, not a product/software company. It does not offer commercial products or services. Founded in 1998 in Dresden as a working group for contactless chip card systems for electronic ticketing, its core offering consists of organizing professional conferences (approximately 3 per year) that serve as platforms for knowledge exchange among public transport operators, transport associations, IT companies, industry, and consulting firms. The organization focuses on electronic ticketing (eTicketing/mTicketing/Smart Ticketing) and passenger information in the public transport sector (ÖPNV).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Kontiki Conferences
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 500 participants and 70+ speakers attend conferences regularly
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Kontiki e. V.
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kontiki e. V. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Kontiki e. V. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Kontiki e. V. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- UITP (International Association of Public Transport): Global umbrella association for public transport operators and authorities; directly comparable to Kontiki as a membership-based knowledge network but operates at global scale and covers the full public transport value chain rather than specializing in ticketing.
Direct peers
- ITxPT (Information Technology for Public Transport): European initiative defining IT standards for public transport; highly comparable as a neutral, member-driven knowledge and standardization network, but focused on IT architecture rather than ticketing specifically.
- VDV (Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen): German industry association representing public transport operators and a key Kontiki board member origin (e.g., VDV eTicket Service GmbH & Co. KG); comparable as a German association convening transport operators, with overlapping member base but broader remit than Kontiki's ticketing focus.
Peers
- BAG-SPNV (Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Aufgabenträger des SPNV):
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kontiki e. V. social profiles
Digital presenceKontiki e. V. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kontiki e. V. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Kontiki e. V. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kontiki e. V. 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 Kontiki e. V.
What does Kontiki e. V. do?
Kontiki e. V. is a non-profit association that organizes regular professional conferences (approximately three per year) and operates as a knowledge network for public transport digitalization, with a focus on electronic ticketing (eTicketing/mTicketing/Smart Ticketing) and passenger information systems. It offers membership to transport companies, transport associations, public authorities, IT firms, and consultancies, providing access to conferences, working groups, publications, and a member-only resource portal for experience exchange and standardization efforts.
Is Kontiki e. V. a public or private company?
Kontiki e. V. is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Kontiki e. V. founded?
Kontiki e. V. was founded in 1998. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Kontiki e. V. based?
Kontiki e. V. is headquartered in Weimar, Germany, in the Europe region.
Who are Kontiki e. V.'s main competitors?
UITP (International Association of Public Transport) is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are ITxPT (Information Technology for Public Transport) and VDV (Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen). BAG-SPNV (Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Aufgabenträger des SPNV) is listed as a peer.
Does Kontiki e. V. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kontiki e. V..
What industry is Kontiki e. V. in?
Kontiki e. V.'s product category is Public Transport Industry Association. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAGAM, Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics), with a secondary code of MPAGAGAJ, Training, Workshops & Certification Events. Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.