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Get in touch
venture building

Where visionary ideas become industry-changing realities.

venture studio

Leveraging market signals for maximum impact

The Venture Studio by Schenker Ventures provides top-class founders the unique opportunity to co-found ventures in the Logistics and Supply Chain space together with Schenker.

The Venture Studio offers founders an attractive package including validation support by our partner MVP Factory, initial funding as well as access to valuable Schenker assets, be it industry knowledge or Schenker’s global customer and partner network.

Interested in understanding, how we partner with external founders and investors to create ventures?

Check out our

Venture Studio approach

venture building

Creating opportunities directly from Schenker Assets

With our Venture Building unit we seize opportunities in our direct market environment and create significant new business models built upon the Schenker assets and with internal resources.

We apply state of the art methodology ranging from design thinking to lean startup and latest AI applications guided by experienced Venture Architects who themselves are entrepreneurs at heart with a long-standing venture building track-record.

what is venture building

By leveraging invaluable knowledge, experiences and Schenker core assets we build ventures for business models adjacent to our core business.

– Tobias Ledermann, Head of Venture Building

venture building successes

We're particularly proud of having incepted these success cases with our Venture Building approach.

When we started Nxtlog, we knew last-mile delivery was ripe for innovation. What we didn't expect was how quickly our solution would transform the industry. With Schenker Ventures' support, we've grown from a small startup to a key player in urban logistics

Tobias Heyer
CEO of Nxtlog

COMPANY SIZE

Startup

INDUSTRY

Carbon Emission

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When we started Nxtlog, we knew last-mile delivery was ripe for innovation. What we didn't expect was how quickly our solution would transform the industry. With Schenker Ventures' support, we've grown from a small startup to a key player in urban logistics

Tobias Heyer
Founder and CEO of Nxtlog

COMPANY SIZE

Startup

INDUSTRY

Carbon Emission

image 15

When we started Nxtlog, we knew last-mile delivery was ripe for innovation. What we didn't expect was how quickly our solution would transform the industry. With Schenker Ventures' support, we've grown from a small startup to a key player in urban logistics

Tobias Heyer
Founder and CEO of Nxtlog

COMPANY SIZE

Startup

INDUSTRY

Carbon Emission

image 15
our purpose

Leveraging 125 years of expertise to disrupt the future

DB Schenker's biggest asset is the people with their vast amount of expertise – working around the clock to solve even the most complex of customer problems in logistics and supply chains.

We believe, that that's a great place to start from. To leverage all this knowledge and explore opportunities beyond DB Schenker's core business, we have set off to build game-changing ventures that are ready to disrupt the industry.

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Image by Annie Spratt
our vision

Pioneering the Future of Logistics

At Schenker Ventures we don't just play around with yet another innovative idea – we think big and act on it. Our vision is to build a world where supply chains are smarter, faster, and more sustainable. Our Venture Building Vertical is the crucible where transformative ideas are forged into game-changing companies.

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Image by Daria Nepriakhina 🇺🇦

Lean. Fast.
No Bullshit.

We'd rather kill an idea if it turns out to not have the required edge in the market or with our customers than riding a dead horse. 

Building on our lean and highly goal-driven Venture Building Process we ensure, that we leave no stone unturned but also stop when we see no clear evidence for potential market success. 

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Always the Best People on the Job

Our venture building teams always incorporate the knowhow of experienced experts from within the DB Schenker core organisation. Equipped with the support of our seasoned Venture Architects, we make sure to combine invaluable logistics knowledge with founding expertise and unparalleled solution finding – leveraging the best expertises of both the corporate and the startup world.

Image by Jason Goodman

A Structured Process

No two venture ideas are the same – yet we found an effective way to navigate the various phases of building customer-centric ventures with strong value propositions.

Following a structured process with clearly defined increments and KPI's in combination with rigorous hypothesis testing and challenging by the DB Schenker Venture Board we can ensure, that no potential is overlooked or opportunity wrongly assessed.

how we build ventures

Our approach to building ventures

There's no magic bullet to build the next big logistics and supply chain venture. But having a plan, a committed team and the right structures in place sure helps to get us closer to this goal.

Key metrics showcasing our portfolio's growth

€100M+

invested in logistics startups

20+

portfolio companies

500+

job created in portfolio

Empowering logistics visionaries our investment approach

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Industries we're passionate about transforming

At Schenker Ventures, we focus our investments on industries poised to revolutionize logistics and supply chain management. Our target sectors include e-commerce logistics, warehouse automation, last-mile delivery solutions, supply chain visibility platforms

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ventures we build

Discover the diverse ventures we create to shape the future

We focus on ventures that have the potential to reshape the logistics and supply chain landscape. Our target industries include last-mile delivery solutions, warehouse automation, supply chain visibility platforms, and sustainable logistics technologies.  We're particularly interested in ventures leveraging AI, IoT, and blockchain. In terms of setup, we build both B2B and B2B2C ventures, always with an eye on scalability and global impact. 

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join collaboration

Join our ventures as a Co-founder / CXO

When you partner with Schenker Ventures, you're gaining more than just financial backing.  We offer a unique blend of resources designed to propel your startup to success. Our global network opens doors to potential clients, partners, and industry experts worldwide.

Focus on External Initiative Applications

As a Co-founder or CXO, you’ll join us in building industry-defining companies with cutting-edge ideas and real market impact.

Requirements & Application Process

Are you passionate about building from the ground up? We’re seeking individuals with proven leadership, and industry expertise.

Application
Form

Ready to take the leap? Start the conversation and explore the possibility of joining our next big venture.

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Prioritizing External Initiative Applications

At DBS-Intern, we create valuable collaboration opportunities for stakeholders, offering mutual benefits and growth potential. Join us to leverage shared expertise, resources, and innovative ideas as we work together to drive success.

Proceed to application

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Building stronger partnerships through collaboration

At DBS-Intern, we create valuable collaboration opportunities for stakeholders, offering mutual benefits and growth potential. Join us to leverage shared expertise, resources, and innovative ideas as we work together to drive success.

join collaboration

Transform your idea into a DB Schenker Venture

When you partner with Schenker Ventures, you're gaining more than just financial backing.  We offer a unique blend of resources designed to propel your startup to success. Our global network opens doors to potential clients, partners, and industry experts worldwide.

Collaboration opportunities for stakeholders

Key metrics showcasing our portfolio's growth

€100M+

invested in logistics startups

20+

portfolio companies

500+

job created in portfolio