Innovation Kite is the Amsterdam-based product and innovation studio that designed, built and continues to develop the KoneX platform. Since its founding in 2012, the team has been building smart products that connect the e-commerce chain – from webshop to front door, from pixel to package. From offices in the Netherlands and Germany, Innovation Kite serves ambitious start-ups, scale-ups, professional SMEs and large multinationals.
Innovation Kite’s philosophy sums it up: “Digital Innovation is not about technology but about people.” Hence the combination of proprietary platforms, thoughtful modules ánd experienced consultants who shape the organization and the Data Journey in addition to the product.
Innovation Kite’s role within KoneX
KoneX is an independent business unit within Innovation Kite, with its own brand identity and roadmap. Innovation Kite simultaneously remains the designer, builder and owner of the KoneX platform. In practice, that means:
- KoneX’s product roadmap – new connectors, platform enhancements, performance and security improvements – is determined and executed by the Innovation Kite engineering team.
- All certified KoneX partners (such as InterraIT, Ferfier and others in this directory) operate on the platform provided by Innovation Kite.
- KoneX customers with needs outside the standard KoneX functionality – for example, a data analysis track, a new web shop, or custom plug-ins – can work directly with Innovation Kite.
The KITE product family
KoneX is the best-known product, but not the only one. The full KITE portfolio includes:
- KITE KoneX™ – the integration platform-as-a-service that connects web shops, ERP, WMS, marketplaces and accounting software in real time. Available in standard, KoneX-Enterprise and KoneXion versions (the latter as a plug-and-play solution for Exact Online and Shopify).
- KITE Smart Stock Monitor™ – inventory management and monitoring solution that couples real-time inventory insight with automatic signaling and reorder logic.
- KITE Publisher™ – reporting and publishing tool that converts data from internal systems into periodic reports for stakeholders or regulators.
- KITE MultiSite™ – multi-site shopping platform for brands managing multiple shops in parallel (by country, by brand, by target group).
Services on top of the platform
In addition to software, Innovation Kite also provides hands-on services. For KoneX customers, the most requested are:
- eCommerce Consulting – strategic advice from experienced specialists on platform selection, integration architecture and growth paths.
- Data Journey Analysis – mapping how data flows through your organization, from the moment a customer lands on your web shop to billing and after-sales. The basis for every KoneX implementation.
- Custom KoneX integrations – links to systems outside the standard connector library, built by the team creating the platform itself.
- Web shop design and development – from design to go live, integrated with KoneX and the other KITE modules.
- Custom software and plug-ins – extensions to KoneX or stand-alone tools developed on demand for specific business cases.
- Innovation Kickstarter workshops – methodological sessions in which teams of customers and Innovation Kite jointly shape a digital initiative: problem, solution, roadmap.
Who does Innovation Kite work for?
- Ambitious start-ups and scale-ups that want to scale quickly without getting stuck on IT links.
- Professional SME that has multiple systems in the chain (web shop, ERP, WMS, marketplaces, accounting) and wants to put a single layer of region on top of them.
- Large multinationals with complex multi-country, multi-brand or multi-system landscapes – KoneX-Enterprise + custom dev delivers the scalability.
- Fulfilment and logistics service providers looking to access their customers via KoneX (Active Ants is a long-running customer and partner).
- Government agencies and non-profits in need of reporting and data publication – for example, the Trimbos Institute through KITE Publisher.
- Web shops for personalized products – references such as Van Bavel and Kick and Rush have set up their platforms through Innovation Kite.
Markets and partnerships
Innovation Kite operates out of the Netherlands and Germany, serving customers throughout Europe and beyond. Strategic technology partnerships include ChannelAdvisor’s official partner program (Rithum), which gives KoneX customers direct access to hundreds of marketplace links through a single commercial relationship.
When do you directly engage Innovation Kite?
Most KoneX implementation projects are through certified integration partners such as InterraIT. Direct contact with Innovation Kite makes sense if:
- You want strategic advice on your e-commerce and data architecture before choosing technology (Data Journey Analysis, Innovation Kickstarter).
- You are looking for a functionality that is not yet in KoneX and want to explore whether it can get on the roadmap.
- You want to evaluate one of the other KITE products (Smart Stock Monitor, Publisher, MultiSite).
- You want personalized or specialized webshop development where design, platform and fulfilment chain are developed in one hand.
- You want a custom plug-in or industry-specific extension built by the team that maintains the platform itself.
KoneX is the heart of the ecosystem; Innovation Kite is the company that designs, builds and evolves that heart – with a broader range of products and services that go beyond the platform alone.