Start-ups as Part of the Innovation Culture

What are now global brands once began in small workshops and courageous minds. When Hans Still began repairing and reinventing generators in Hamburg in 1920, for example, nobody could have imagined that this would one day become a global intralogistics company. This innovative mindset lives on in the KION Group to this day – including targeted collaboration with start-ups.

"Start-up collaborations give us access to new ideas, advanced technologies and business models," says Dr. Johannes Hinckeldeyn, Director Advanced Core Technologies at the KION Group: "Particularly in view of challenges such as climate change, automation and digitalization, it is important to absorb external inspiration in order to remain competitive."

Collaboration at the KION Group does not happen by chance – the decisive factor is the question: Which start-up is strategically suited to the challenges of intralogistics?

"We take a very close look at young companies – not just in terms of the product or technology, but also the level of maturity, the team and the fit with our roadmap," explains Eike Wibrow. "Ideally, the start-up has already demonstrated a functioning prototype or initial use cases on the market." However, a fully developed business case is not absolutely necessary. More important is a solution that offers potential for scaling and real added value for the KION Group's customers.

KION typically prefers to work with start-ups in the early-growth phase. At this stage, the technologies can often already be used in practice, but are still flexible enough to be adapted to the requirements of large industrial customers. A clear vision, a committed founding team and openness to co-creation play a central role in this.

One example of this is Logistikbude. The Dortmund-based start-up won the Innovator's Pitch – a Europe-wide competition for logistics start-ups organized by KION together with the digital association Bitkom – not only with a clearly thought-out idea for digitizing the management of load carriers, but also with a mature prototype and visible market potential. "Logistikbude had exactly the right level of maturity – the solution was tangible, but open to further development," says Wibrow. "The team was also very application-oriented and willing to discuss specific use cases with us."

The next step now is a joint pilot project – a typical example of how KION initiates new partnerships.

Start-ups provide fresh impetus over a broad range of topics. Whether it's sustainability, autonomous systems or networked processes – collaborations everywhere are helping to make intralogistics fit for the future.

Here are a few specific examples of how we at the KION Group make strategic use of partnerships with start-ups:

• Climate change and sustainability: Start-ups help to reduce carbon footprint in warehousing and transportation. One current example is the cooperation with ifesca: The start-up offers intelligent energy forecasts for controlling warehouse and production sites. "By working together with ifesca, we are creating the basis for even more energy-efficient warehouse management," explains Eike Wibrow.
• The partnership with Li-Cycle, a leading company in the recycling of lithium-ion batteries, is also aimed at greater sustainability. This creates a circular economy in which up to 95% of the materials used can be recovered – an important contribution to achieving the EU's sustainability goals.
• Automation: Increasing automation calls for intelligent robotics. For example, KION is cooperating with the Chinese start-up Quicktron, which is developing autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for warehouses. These can transport goods independently, automatically move shelves or efficiently reorganize stock within a warehouse. They use modern navigation systems and are fully integrated into the digital warehouse management systems.
• Linde Material Handling has been working with the French start-up Balyo since 2025 to convert forklift trucks and warehouse trucks into autonomous systems. Balyo developed a special natural feature navigation system that enables vehicles to find their way around the warehouse without external infrastructure – i.e. without induction loops, QR codes or reflectors. At the same time, the KION Group is taking a strategic stake in Balyo.
• In the USA, KION North America also works together with Fox Robotics. The focus: an autonomous forklift truck for automatic loading and unloading of truck trailers – the "holy grail of intralogistics". The aim of the partnership is to create a turnkey solution for the dock automation segment.
• Digitalization: Data is the key to networked Industry 4.0. Start-ups such as ifesca provide specialized software solutions, for example for forecasting energy requirements.

"We deliberately seek to work with start-ups that help us achieve our sustainability goals or introduce new automation technologies," emphasizes Eike Wibrow, VP Global Technology Strategy. "Such partnerships are an important part of our innovation strategy. They ensure that we are at the forefront of shaping future topics such as green logistics and artificial intelligence."

But how do a global technology group and an agile start-up come together in practice? According to Hinckeldeyn, a typical cooperation process takes place in several steps. "We often come into contact via innovation competitions, trade fairs or our networks," he explains: "If we are impressed by a start-up's solution, we usually start with a proof of concept on a smaller scale. If this is successful, a pilot project follows – for example in one of our own warehouses or with a selected customer. And ultimately, this can become a long-term partnership."

Whether climate-friendly technologies, fully automated warehouse systems or smart data platforms – the innovative strength of the start-ups perfectly complements KION's many years of experience and global positioning.

"Collaboration with start-ups is not just a trend for us, but an integral part of our innovation culture," emphasizes Eike Wibrow. And Johannes Hinckeldeyn adds: "Ultimately, both sides win. The start-ups gain access to our industry experience and market presence, and we benefit from their wealth of ideas and speed."

There’s no question about it: KION and its subsidiaries will continue to consistently pursue the path of open innovation – and will continue seeking to work closely with start-ups to shape the future of intralogistics together.