Techpilot is a platform that digitalises procurement and tendering in the industrial sector: it connects client companies and suppliers through a digital platform specialised in the industrial domain, used in particular by the mechanical engineering, automotive, CNC machining and components industries. Companies can publish requests for quotations, compare qualified suppliers and monitor the entire purchasing process in a centralised manner; the platform reduces the time spent on partner sourcing and order management by automating activities that are typically fragmented. Its features combine marketplace functionality with tools for launching and managing tenders. The platform was launched in 2001 by its founder Frank Sattler, whose company is headquartered in Munich, Germany. Sattler's original vision was to support the sourcing of custom-engineered parts, since product sourcing in this field is closely tied to verifying the machinery available to suppliers for production.
Supplier Search and Order Management
One of Techpilot's core features is its advanced industrial supplier search: the platform enables companies to identify specialised production partners based on precise criteria such as machining processes, materials, certifications, production capacity and geographic location.
Techpilot is also used as a supply chain management and development tool: every registered company has a detailed profile listing available technologies, materials processed, markets served and certifications held. This allows buyers to quickly assess whether a supplier is genuinely suited to their production requirements — for example, a machinery company in need of heavy steelwork can identify firms with certified welding capabilities and large-scale equipment, avoiding lengthy offline searches.
At the same time, suppliers can expand their international visibility by showcasing their expertise, best practices and production capacity to potential overseas clients. According to the platform, over 30,000 different custom-engineered parts are requested each year across 280 manufacturing technologies, with 16,000 registered buying companies located primarily in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. To build credibility and visibility on the platform, suppliers should bear in mind that its features are designed for procurement purposes: they should therefore present themselves with concrete figures, case studies, references and transparent quoting systems — all content that buyers can evaluate in terms of reliability.
Online Tenders and RFQs (Requests for Quotation)
One of Techpilot's most widely used features is its tender and RFQ management functionality. Companies can upload a project directly to the platform, providing technical drawings, required materials, quantities and production timelines. The system then allows the request to be sent to selected suppliers or made visible to a broader pool of specialised companies.
An automotive component manufacturer, for instance, can publish a tender for CNC-machined aluminium parts specifying tolerances, required ISO certifications and annual volumes. Interested suppliers can respond directly online by uploading quotes, lead times and technical information; all offers are consolidated in a single dashboard, making it straightforward to compare price, production capacity and reliability. This approach allows purchasing departments to dramatically reduce the volume of emails, phone calls and files scattered across different teams. Furthermore, having all information centralised makes it possible to maintain a complete history of past tenders, which is valuable for future analysis and strategic supplier assessments.
The platform also enables companies to filter industrial suppliers according to specific parameters — for example, a company sourcing laser machining services can select firms with particular certifications, machinery or production capacities — making new supplier discovery significantly faster than traditional methods