ToolTime
By ToolTime GmbH
ToolTime GmbH is a prominent Berlin-based technology company that has established itself as a leader in the digitization of the traditional trade industry across Europe. Launched in 2018/2019, the company emerged as a high-growth venture with a mission to eliminate the 'paperwork chaos' experienced by tradespeople. ToolTime is not just a software provider but a strategic partner for the 'Mittelstand' (small and medium enterprises), offering a 'digital operating system' that manages every aspect of a trade business. The company has rapidly scaled to support over 20,000 customers and employs over 75 professionals from more than 20 nationalities. Their market position is bolstered by strong industrial backing and a focus on the DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and UK markets. ToolTime’s strategic vision centers on making trade businesses more profitable and attractive to younger, digitally-native generations, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the sector. By focusing exclusively on the needs of craftsmen, they have built a platform that combines high-tech capabilities with a practical, user-centric design that respects the time constraints of its users.
ToolTime was founded in late 2018 and officially launched in 2019 by Marius Stäcker and Marcel Mansfeld. The founding team brought a unique blend of corporate venture building and startup expertise to the table; Marius Stäcker previously worked at BCG Digital Ventures, while Marcel Mansfeld was a seasoned product leader with experience at SumUp and NewStore. The company was born out of an incubation project supported by major corporate entities, including the energy giant E.ON and Holtzbrinck Digital. The founders' original vision was sparked by the observation that while almost every other industry had undergone a digital revolution, the manual trade sector remained heavily reliant on physical paperwork, carbon copies, and antiquated scheduling boards. They spent the first few months conducting hundreds of interviews with plumbers, electricians, and roofers to understand their daily frustrations. This 'customer-first' founding philosophy led to the creation of a tool that emphasizes speed and simplicity over complex features, a decision that proved pivotal in achieving rapid market traction in the German trade sector.
ToolTime is recognized as one of the most heavily funded startups in the European trade-tech landscape, having raised a total of approximately €55 million ($54.6M) across multiple rounds. The company’s funding history is notable for its heavy reliance on 'corporate money' and strategic industrial investors rather than traditional venture capital firms. Their Seed round in 2019 brought in €25 million, providing a strong foundation for product development and market entry. In June 2023, ToolTime closed a significant Series A funding round of €30 million (with some reports indicating up to €32.8M). This round was led by Wisag, a major German service group, which became a strategic partner. Other key stakeholders include Holtzbrinck Digital and E.ON. This substantial capital has been strategically utilized to accelerate geographic expansion into the UK market, enhance AI-driven automation features, and scale the engineering and customer success teams to support their growing user base of over 20,000 clients.
The ToolTime product suite is composed of an interconnected web-based dashboard and a native mobile application, designed to function as a single source of truth for trade businesses. The core offering includes the 'Office Dashboard,' which provides tools for managing the entire customer lifecycle: a CRM database, professional quote and invoice generation, and a centralized project management folder system. The 'Scheduling Module' features a visual, drag-and-drop calendar that allows office staff to dispatch technicians and optimize routes using map integrations. On the field side, the 'ToolTime Mobile App' serves as a digital assistant for technicians, allowing them to access job details, record precise working hours, fill out digital job sheets, and capture customer signatures on-site. Unique offerings include the 'Offline Mode,' which ensures that technicians can document work even in basements or areas without signal, and a 'Materials & Services Catalog' that allows for instant price lookups. The platform also offers automated accounting exports and direct integrations with Lexoffice, SevDesk, Xero, and QuickBooks, effectively closing the loop between the job site and the balance sheet.
Since its inception in Berlin, ToolTime has pursued a focused but aggressive geographic expansion strategy. Initially dominating the German-speaking (DACH) region, where it has become the software of choice for thousands of SMEs, the company successfully launched its operations in the United Kingdom in 2021. This expansion involved the creation of a dedicated UK-based support and sales team to cater specifically to British trade standards and accounting practices (like VAT and CIS compliance). In addition to geographic growth, ToolTime has expanded its vertical reach, moving beyond its initial focus on HVAC and electrical contractors to provide specialized templates and workflows for gardeners, roofers, commercial cleaners, and painters. The company’s growth is further supported by strategic partnerships with major industry brands like Vaillant and Bosch, which facilitate expansion into new regional markets by leveraging their established installer networks. Future plans indicate a focus on deeper localization and potentially entering other European markets that share similar trade certification and administrative structures.
Over the past 12-18 months, ToolTime has significantly evolved its product capabilities with several high-impact feature releases. A major addition was the 'Project Management Folders' system, which allows users to group multiple appointments, quotes, and documents into a single project view, perfect for large-scale or multi-stage renovations. They also introduced advanced 'Deposit and Interim Invoicing' capabilities, allowing businesses to maintain better cash flow during long-running jobs. Recently, the mobile app received a major update including 'Enhanced Photo Documentation,' allowing users to annotate photos directly within the app to highlight specific issues for clients or office staff. On the automation front, ToolTime launched 'Automated SMS Reminders,' which has significantly reduced 'no-show' rates for technicians. Most recently, the company has begun rolling out 'Intelligent Material Importing,' which uses OCR technology to help users quickly upload supplier catalogs into their ToolTime environment, and expanded its accounting ecosystem with native connectors for Xero and QuickBooks in the UK market.
ToolTime’s company culture is defined by its Berlin-based tech heritage blended with a deep respect for the traditional 'craftsmanship' of its clients. With over 75 employees from more than 20 countries, the work environment is highly international and inclusive, boasting a significant 48% (some sources say up to 61%) of women in leadership positions. The company operates under a hybrid work model, centered around its modern Berlin office while offering 'workation' options for team members. A defining cultural pillar is the value '2% Grumpy,' which encourages authenticity and allows employees to be honest about their challenges, fostering a psychologically safe environment. The culture is heavily influenced by the 'Five Dysfunctions of a Team' philosophy, prioritizing trust and creative conflict. Regular 'Best Together' weeks, biannual company parties, and a dedicated development budget for every employee ensure a focus on continuous personal and professional growth. This environment is designed to attract top-tier tech talent who want to work on a product that has a tangible, positive impact on the 'real-world' economy.
ToolTime has cultivated a vibrant community of digital-forward tradespeople through both online and offline engagement. Their 'User Community' is actively involved in the product roadmap; the company maintains a transparent product portal where customers can submit feedback and vote on upcoming features, ensuring the software evolves according to field needs. Online, ToolTime provides an extensive 'Help Centre' filled with video tutorials, webinars, and step-by-step guides that serve as a learning hub for business owners transitioning to digital. They also maintain a popular blog and social media presence that shares best practices for business growth, marketing for trades, and navigating industry regulations. Offline, ToolTime is a frequent presence at major trade fairs and industry events across Germany and the UK, often hosting workshops and networking sessions. Furthermore, their certification as a 'Digital Siegel' provider in Germany and recommendations by leading brands like Bosch and Vaillant have created a trusted ecosystem where users can share experiences and collaborate on digitizing the wider trade sector.
