What WER Liefert Was does

WER Liefert Was (wlw) operates a horizontal B2B online marketplace headquartered in Germany that connects professional buyers with verified suppliers, manufacturers, and wholesalers across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). The platform lists more than 600,000 suppliers and 750,000 products across 111 industry sectors, supported by 1.2 million images and videos, and processes up to 75,000 search queries per day from approximately 400,000 monthly active buyers. Core product components include the wlw.de web marketplace, the Angebotsanfrage (Request for Quotation) service that delivers matched supplier quotes to buyer inquiries, the Anfragenportal where suppliers can browse and respond to live RFQs, and native iOS and Android applications extending search and RFQ functionality to mobile devices.

The platform is built on a standard two-sided marketplace architecture with web and mobile front-ends, supplier verification workflows, response-time indicators on listings, and a request-routing layer. Trust infrastructure is anchored by the BME (Bundesverband Materialwirtschaft, Einkauf und Logistik) quality seal certification, which provides third-party validation for the DACH procurement audience.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring subscription fees for premium supplier profiles and marketplace listings, with potential transaction-based monetization tied to RFQ handling. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; suppliers can register basic profiles at no cost and are invited to upgrade to premium tiers. The go-to-market motion is product-led and self-service: suppliers create profiles and upload product catalogs, buyers discover them through organic SEO, and the marketplace captures high-intent demand without direct sales intervention.

Name

WER Liefert Was

Legal name

WER Liefert Was (wlw)

Website

https://wer-liefert-was.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WER Liefert Was (wlw) is a German B2B marketplace connecting 400,000 monthly buyers with 600,000+ verified suppliers, manufacturers, and wholesalers across 111 industry sectors in the DACH region via its web platform, RFQ service, and mobile apps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2B Marketplace

NAICS

Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (42512)

akta.pro primary industry

Wholesale/B2B Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAF)

Keywords

• B2B marketplace
• Supplier search platform
• Request for quotation
• Procurement directory
• Manufacturers wholesale directory

Headquarters

HQ city

Germany (exact city not specified)

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Premium Supplier Profiles: WLW offers paid premium supplier profile packages that provide enhanced visibility, priority placement, and additional features beyond basic listings. Suppliers are invited to request premium profiles to stand out among the 600,000+ suppliers on the platform.
2. Marketplace Listing Fees: Basic and premium listing fees for suppliers to maintain product and company profiles on the platform, enabling supplier discovery by 400,000 monthly buyers.
3. Request for Quotation (RFQ) Services: The Angebotsanfrage service connects verified buyers with matched suppliers. The platform likely monetizes through premium placement or response fees associated with RFQ handling.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WER Liefert Was (WLW) operates a B2B online marketplace connecting 600,000+ verified suppliers, manufacturers, and wholesalers with 400,000 monthly professional buyers across 111 industry sectors in the DACH region. The platform enables buyers to discover suppliers and products, request and receive multiple quotes via the Angebotsanfrage (RFQ) service, while suppliers manage profiles and listings and respond to buyer requests through the Anfragenportal. It is accessible via web and dedicated iOS and Android mobile apps.

Product overview

WER Liefert Was (wlw) operates a unified B2B marketplace platform serving the DACH region. The core offering is a digital marketplace connecting buyers with over 600,000 suppliers across 111 industries. Key product components include the main marketplace platform with search and discovery capabilities, the Angebotsanfrage (RFQ) service for sending inquiries to verified suppliers, the Anfragenportal for suppliers to browse buyer requests in real-time, a mobile wlw App for iOS and Android, and curated Showrooms for category-specific browsing. The platform processes up to 75,000 daily search queries and features verified supplier badges and response time indicators to build trust between trading partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• wlw B2B Marketplace Platform Core online B2B marketplace connecting 600,000+ suppliers, manufacturers, and wholesalers with 400,000 monthly buyers across 111 industries and 750,000+ products in the DACH region, with verified supplier badges and response-time indicators.
• Angebotsanfrage (Request for Quotation) Service enabling buyers to send product inquiries to verified suppliers on wlw.de and receive multiple quotes from matched providers.
• Anfragenportal (Request Hub) Real-time portal for suppliers to browse and respond to buyer requests for quotation, enabling proactive lead generation within the marketplace.
• wlw Mobile App (iOS and Android) Mobile application for iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play) enabling buyers and suppliers to search products, contact suppliers, and create RFQs on mobile devices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400,000 monthly active buyers using the platform to find suppliers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BME (Bundesverband Materialwirtschaft, Einkauf und Logistik)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerWLW is certified with the BME quality seal and is a recognized partner of BME, the leading German association for material management, purchasing, and logistics. This partnership provides third-party validation of marketplace quality and trust signals for platform users.
• AlibabaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWLW displays Alibaba as a partner on its homepage, suggesting a cross-platform or referral relationship, potentially expanding reach for suppliers seeking cross-border trade opportunities beyond the DACH region.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• IndustryStock: German-language B2B marketplace focused on industrial products, machinery, and components. Directly comparable to WLW on target audience (DACH industrial buyers and suppliers) and product category mix, with similar supplier profile and inquiry-based monetization.
• Europages: European B2B directory and marketplace operating in the same horizontal model as WLW across European countries. Europages is owned by the same parent (Visable) as WLW and shares the supplier profile / RFQ monetization approach, making it the closest direct peer.
• Kompass: Global B2B directory and marketplace with a comparable supplier listing and lead-generation model. Also owned by Visable (alongside WLW), Kompass shares the same horizontal, multi-sector buyer-supplier matching concept and competes for the same European B2B procurement audience.

Broad incumbents

• Alibaba: Global B2B marketplace leader with a much broader international supplier base and integrated transactional services. Alibaba is both a publicly displayed WLW partner and the dominant global horizontal B2B competitor, setting the strategic benchmark for the category.
• ThomasNet: North American B2B industrial sourcing platform with a comparable supplier directory and RFQ model. While geographically focused on the US, ThomasNet operates at meaningfully larger scale and validates the global horizontal industrial marketplace category in which WLW competes.

Emerging players

• EC21: Global B2B marketplace with a similar horizontal supplier directory and RFQ model. While primarily serving Asian supply, EC21 competes for European SME suppliers evaluating global marketplace channels alongside WLW.
• TradeIndia: Large India-headquartered B2B marketplace expanding into European supplier acquisition. Uses a comparable horizontal supplier directory and RFQ model and increasingly competes for European supplier listings on global visibility.
• DirectIndustry: B2B marketplace focused on industrial, technical, and manufacturing products with structured product catalogs and supplier profiles. Overlaps with WLW in the industrial procurement vertical and represents a focused alternative to WLW's horizontal coverage in manufacturing categories.
• ExportHub: Global B2B trade marketplace offering supplier listings and RFQ services with a comparable horizontal model. Competes with WLW for cross-border B2B supplier presence and represents a low-cost alternative listing channel for European exporters.

Regional players

• Made-in-Industry: French-language B2B marketplace focused on industrial sourcing in France and French-speaking markets. Operates the same horizontal marketplace concept but is geographically restricted, making it a regional peer rather than a direct DACH competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wer-liefert-was

Compliance1 record

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 WER Liefert Was