Strategic acquisition strengthens Rotate’s data engineering capabilities, expands consulting services and helps air cargo companies unlock the full value of data and artificial intelligence
Air cargo intelligence and technology specialist Rotate has acquired Netherlands-based Data Build Company (DBC), a leading data engineering consultancy, in a strategic move designed to enhance data quality, strengthen digital transformation initiatives and accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) adoption across the global air cargo industry. The acquisition forms the foundation of Rotate Data Services, a dedicated business unit aimed at helping airlines, freight forwarders, cargo handlers and logistics providers overcome long-standing data challenges that continue to hinder operational efficiency and innovation.
Rotate Expands Data Services Through Strategic Acquisition
As the air cargo industry increasingly embraces digital transformation and artificial intelligence, the quality, accessibility and reliability of data have emerged as critical success factors. Recognising this growing need, Rotate has announced the acquisition of Data Build Company (DBC), a specialist data engineering consultancy headquartered in the Netherlands.
The acquisition represents a significant step in Rotate’s long-term strategy to support air cargo stakeholders with end-to-end data solutions, combining industry-specific expertise with advanced data engineering capabilities.
Through the integration of DBC, Rotate aims to strengthen its ability to help cargo businesses establish robust data foundations, improve system integration, eliminate inefficiencies and unlock greater value from digital investments.
Addressing One of Air Cargo’s Biggest Challenges
Despite generating enormous volumes of operational, commercial and logistics data every day, the air cargo industry continues to face challenges in turning information into actionable intelligence.
Industry stakeholders often struggle with fragmented systems, inconsistent data standards, duplicate records, incomplete datasets and poor data governance. These issues limit visibility across supply chains and create barriers to automation, predictive analytics and AI deployment.
Rotate believes that while many companies are eager to adopt AI-powered solutions, the effectiveness of such technologies depends heavily on the quality of underlying data.
By bringing DBC’s expertise into the organisation, Rotate intends to help companies address these foundational issues before implementing advanced digital and AI-driven applications.
According to the company, improving data quality at the source is essential to enabling meaningful digital transformation and creating sustainable competitive advantages within the cargo sector.
Building the Foundation for AI-Driven Cargo Operations
The acquisition comes at a time when artificial intelligence is becoming a strategic priority for airlines, freight forwarders, cargo terminals and logistics service providers worldwide.
From demand forecasting and capacity optimisation to predictive maintenance and automated customer service, AI applications are rapidly gaining momentum across the logistics ecosystem.
However, experts consistently point to data readiness as the biggest obstacle to successful AI implementation.
Ryan Keyrouse, Chief Executive Officer of Rotate, highlighted the importance of solving data quality issues before organisations can fully benefit from emerging technologies.
“The air cargo industry is excited about AI, and we want to help enable that. Over 15 years we’ve received enormous amounts of data with all the quality issues that come with it and that has made us very good at fixing them. Now we want to fix those issues at the source,” said Keyrouse.
He noted that Rotate launched Rotate Data Services in response to growing demand from industry stakeholders seeking specialist support tailored specifically to air cargo data challenges.
The acquisition of DBC, he added, significantly enhances the company’s ability to deliver practical solutions that help customers maximise returns on technology investments while preparing their organisations for future AI adoption.
Combining Cargo Expertise with Enterprise Data Engineering
One of the key strengths of the acquisition lies in the complementary expertise of both organisations.
Rotate has established itself as a leading provider of data-driven consulting, analytics, software solutions and intelligence products for the air cargo industry. Its deep understanding of cargo operations, market dynamics and performance analytics has made it a trusted partner for airlines and logistics providers worldwide.
DBC, meanwhile, brings extensive experience in enterprise-scale data engineering projects across multiple industries, including aviation, logistics, pharmaceuticals, retail, financial services and government sectors.
The combination creates a unique offering that merges air cargo domain expertise with advanced technical capabilities.
Customers will now have access to a multidisciplinary team capable of supporting every stage of the data journey—from strategy development and architecture design to implementation, integration, governance and AI readiness.
Expanding Opportunities for Digital Transformation
The acquisition also reflects a broader trend across the logistics industry, where data management is increasingly viewed as a strategic business function rather than a purely technical requirement.
Companies that can effectively integrate and analyse data across operations are gaining significant advantages in areas such as operational efficiency, customer experience, regulatory compliance and supply chain resilience.
Tom Schummer, Managing Partner of Data Build Company, said the partnership creates new opportunities to bring proven data management practices into the air cargo sector.
“Over the years, we have helped global organisations define data strategies, establish strong data foundations and adopt emerging technologies and AI capabilities aligned with their business objectives. We are excited to join Rotate and bring these best practices to the air cargo industry,” Schummer said.
Strengthening CargoTech’s Digital Vision
Rotate is part of CargoTech, a collaborative ecosystem of technology companies focused on accelerating digital transformation across the global air cargo industry.
The acquisition further strengthens CargoTech’s vision of creating a more connected, intelligent and data-driven cargo ecosystem by enabling companies to improve decision-making, streamline operations and adopt innovative technologies more effectively.
As digitalisation becomes increasingly central to the future of air freight, industry observers believe investments in data quality and governance will become just as important as investments in software, infrastructure and automation.
With the integration of DBC and the expansion of Rotate Data Services, Rotate is positioning itself at the forefront of this evolution, helping air cargo stakeholders build stronger data foundations capable of supporting the next generation of intelligent logistics solutions.
The acquisition underscores a growing industry recognition that the future of air cargo will not simply be driven by data availability, but by the ability to transform that data into actionable insights, operational efficiency and competitive advantage.
