With heyconnect and FIEGE, we are welcoming two strong partners at one stroke in the Tradebyte ecosystem. The fact that the two companies become part of our network at the same time is no coincidence. In February 2020, the logistics provider FIEGE acquired a stake in the marketplace specialist. As a trio, we now offer our customers an optimal service package. Read more about this in the joint interview with Marcel Brindöpke, Co-Founder & Managing Director at heyconnect and Tobias Röbig, Head of Marketplace & Omnichannel Retail at FIEGE.

Marcel Brindöpke, Co-Founder & Managing Director at heyconnect

Tradebyte: Marcel, can you describe FIEGE in a few sentences?

Marcel: First of all, we are very pleased that we were able to win such a profound, great company as a partner. FIEGE stands for reliability and is a grown family business with values we share. We had been in contact for quite some time and therefore knew each other very well when we joined forces. I was also impressed by how strategically FIEGE views the topic of marketplaces and that their ideas are very similar to ours.

Tobias Röbig, Head of Marketplace & Omnichannel Retail at FIEGE

Tobias, what can you tell us about heyconnect?

Tobias: I have been observing heyconnect for quite a while. I have always found their approach smart: Buying products and using the sales power of marketplaces to bring products to the customer. Over the years, heyconnect has developed this model further and now offers the network, support and know-how as a service. Throughout all this time I met Florian and Marcel again and again, be it in different projects, selling on platforms or at trade fairs. I joined FIEGE with the knowledge that they are aiming for a participation in heyconnect. I am convinced of the combination of strong, scalable logistics and the market leader in marketplace management as a natural extension of the services. For me this is a visionary total package. I am looking forward to accompanying many exciting topics as well as the further development of heyconnect.

What connects FIEGE and heyconnect and what advantages does this have for joint customers?

Marcel: In addition to the culture and the strategic approach in the field of marketplace management, above all the full service idea for the customer – we both want to provide our customers with a holistic service and be an important part of the customer business. That’s why we can complement each other well and close the service chains. The advantage for our customers also lies in the high reputation of FIEGE, from which we as a start-up certainly benefit. Moreover, we can offer our services to other existing FIEGE customers and thus also other product ranges. Together we will build up further services with which we want to make business easier for our customers.

Tobias: The process of FIEGE’s participation has indeed been relatively long. Among other things, this was due to a pronounced market screening in order to perfectly position FIEGE for the topics of the future. Both companies are driven by the will to develop innovatively and to permanently stay one step ahead of the market. Exactly these common values enable a market presence with services from a single source. A combination that no one else can offer at this level.

For the customer, this gives the opportunity to develop with a partner and to benefit from their skills and know-how. The interest shown by the customers of FIEGE and in the market proves, that we have created something that is very well received.

Marcel, heyconnect has been a Tradebyte customer for a long time and is now a partner. How has the cooperation been going so far in your eyes?

Marcel: Tradebyte is an old acquaintance for us. That’s why the path led us to you immediately in 2012, when we wanted to build the business ourselves. We appreciate Tradebyte’s high reliability in the product and the security of being able to connect new marketplaces together with you again and again – I don’t know how many platforms we have connected together as pilots. This shows the high strategic fit between you as leading middleware and us as a not unimportant marketplace management service.

Tobias, FIEGE is now a partner in the Tradebyte ecosystem. Why did you decide to do so?

Tobias: We have known each other for ages, back then you were still sitting in a tiny office with 20 people. I appreciate you very much and furthermore it makes sense to join forces with the market leader.

Marcel, unfortunately we could not meet personally this year, but heyconnnect was present at the ECD Virtual. In the webinar you talked about a heyconnect channel in TB.One. Can you tell us more about it?

Marcel: The idea is that we give existing Tradebyte customers the chance to handle their further growth through us without having to change their setup. Not always the customers can still connect and control the fifth or sixth channel on their own or they don’t always get a release from the channel. Then we offer a way out with this channel. Simply put, we are like a channel in Tradebyte behind which the marketplaces are already connected. And that at the lowest possible cost for your customers.

Tobias, what role does FIEGE play with regard to the planned TB.One channel?

Tobias: From my point of view, this is the consistent further development of services provided in the platform environment of heyconnect. The channel is primarily concerned with simplifying processes and enabling flexible solutions. Especially for larger partners of Tradebyte the channel offers a simple possibility to scale further. This is an environment in which I enjoy working with FIEGE.