Top 7 Transport and Logistics Innovators in Berlin

Today, we want to give a big shout-out to some of these companies and show our appreciation of what they’re doing. The ones listed below are truly world-class, innovative, and are pressing forward with some of the most disruptive transport and logistics solutions that you’re likely to find anywhere in the world. Let’s take a look…

1. HERE

One of the hottest names in mapping technology for companies in the auto business, HERE began in life in 1985, is headquartered in Amsterdam, and has offices and development sites all around the globe – from Mumbai to Chicago to Berlin. Owned by a consortium of German automotive companies – including Audi, BMW and Mercedes – HERE now powers four out of five in-car navigation systems in Europe and North America.

But the real excitement is what’s coming next. With autonomous driving and the Internet of Things right at the forefront of its ventures, HERE is readying for an “Autonomous Future”, and is capturing the world in three dimensions as the company prepares to lead the way in the future of location technology.

Here’s a short video of HERE’s vision of an “autonomous world for everyone”.

• CEO: Edzard Overbeek
• Twitter: @here

Step aside Uber, if you want a reliable way to schedule a ride and have it show up when you need it, Blacklane is the service for you. Essentially a logistics app that connects passengers with established livery companies, Blacklane is mostly targeted at business travellers who want the reliability of booking in advance, as well as the assurance that the driver, the car, and the driving company will be not only professional, but properly insured to boot. Founded in 2011 in Berlin, Blacklane’s service is now available in more than 50 countries, 250 cities, and at 500 airports worldwide.

• Co-founder and CEO: Jens Wohltorf
• Twitter: @Blacklane

3. Delivery Hero

Transforming the way people order food online since its inception in May 2011, Delivery Hero is a food delivery service based in Berlin, providing a platform that connects customers with food outlets, ensuring people can get their favourite meals delivered piping hot to their front door no matter where they are.

(Image source: deliveryhero.com)

Now operating in over 40 markets with more than 6,000 employees (plus thousands more employed drivers) worldwide, Delivery Hero is the largest food network on the planet, and can boast more than 150,000 restaurant partners.

• Co-founder and CEO: Niklas Östberg
• Twitter:
• @niklasoestberg
• @deliveryherocom

4. door2door

Berlin-based startup door2door is an AI-powered platform for urban planners, designed to link roving shuttle buses into local transport networks. Quite a different setup from the likes of, say, Uber, door2door provides a ridesharing solution that supplements the local transport system. Its integrated mobility platform enables cities, local authorities, and transport companies to launch and operate on-demand mobility services exactly where they are needed, giving passengers the flexibility they require in their busy day-to-day lives.

Check out this short video to see how it works.

• Founders and Managing Directors: Dr Tom Kirschbaum and Maxim Nohroudi
• Twitter:
• @tomkirschbaum
• @MaximNohroudi
• @door2doorHQ

5. Free2Move

The idea behind Free2Move is simple – allow people to find and compare vehicles from a wide variety of car-sharing providers in one single app. And that’s exactly what it does. Users are able to see what cars are available from a number major car-sharing providers in their area, find the closest ones and compare offers, and then book the best-fit right there within the app. Available on Android iOS and Windows devices, Free2Move is based in Berlin, and now serves over 17 cities in Europe and the USA.

• Founder and CEO: Michel Stumpe
• Twitter:
• @MichelStumpe
• @Free2MoveApp

6. Distribusion

Distribusion is the Berlin-based startup that’s built a platform to solve the problem travel companies and travel search engines have when trying to sell intercity bus tickets. The Distribusion solution relies on what it calls a global distribution system (GDS) for intercity and shuttle bus products. It includes offering an API and widget to enable travel companies and their customers to interface with a huge range of intercity bus products from a single source. To this end, the advantage that travel retailers get is that they can sell bus tickets from multiple providers at a much reduced technical cost, while the bus operators themselves get to see their tickets offered in many more places online. Since being founded in 2012, Distribusion has brought more than 100 intercity bus operators on board across 25 European and Asian countries.

• Co-founders and CEO: Julian Hauck
• Twitter: @Distribusion

7. AUTO1.com

In a nutshell, AUTO1.com is an online marketplace for the efficient buying and selling of inspected used cars. In business since 2012, the Berlin-based startup is brand-independent and aimed exclusively at the used car trade. The platform is designed to offer convenience for automotive wholesale dealers. In just a few clicks, partners are able to buy well-documented and certified cars at competitive prices from all over Europe directly from AUTO1.com – a service that operates right around the clock, right around the calendar.

• Founder and Managing Director: Christian Bertermann
• Twitter: @AUTO1com

As you can see, there’s lots going on in transport and logistics in Berlin!! Every single company on this list is offering something new and exciting, with disruptive digital solutions sure to shake-up and wake-up the industry. We’re looking forward to seeing how these organisations develop their offerings as we press ahead into 2018 and beyond.