A large part of the goods transported around the world travels in goods wagons and shipping containers. Wagons and containers are solid steel constructions that, even today, generally have no power supply and are unable to communicate – an anachronism in an increasingly digitalised world.
Nexxiot AG – founded in 2015 as a spin-off from the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich – wants to change that. It fits goods wagons and shipping containers with a compact device that is powered by solar energy and enables data to be transmitted to freight forwarders or to the owners of the transported goods. By the end of 2023, the TradeTech pioneer had digitised one million shipping containers and 300,000 goods wagons worldwide.
Transport containers fitted with the Nexxiot device can be localised in real time, allowing each consignment’s progress and punctuality to be precisely tracked. Sensors make it possible to record not only the operating status of the transport container, but also parameters such as temperature, vibration, humidity or the need for maintenance – along the entire route and regardless of the means of transport. With Nexxiot technology, freight forwarders can optimise their fleets’ utilisation and avoid empty runs. And it gives freight owners a tool they can use to document the sustainability of their products in terms of transport and show compliance with sustainability targets.
Nexxiot has been able to establish long-standing partnerships with well-known freight rail companies such as SBB Cargo (Switzerland), Ermewa (France) and Eurowagon (Poland), and with the shipping company Hapag-Lloyd (Germany). In mid-2022, the Zurich-based company acquired the German group Knorr-Bremse – manufacturer of braking systems and other rail and commercial vehicle systems – as a customer and strategic investor. Strengthened by a successful financing round that raised 76 million Swiss francs, Nexxiot recently achieved 50 percent annual growth rates and grew its workforce to 150 people. In contrast to its regionally active competitors, Nexxiot positions itself as a global solutions provider in Europe, America and Asia.
Nexxiot AG
