# Sqills
Sqills is a Dutch rail software company based in Enschede, founded in 2002, whose S3 Passenger platform provides cloud-based inventory management, reservation, and ticketing software for rail and bus operators, and which has been wholly owned by [Siemens Mobility](https://www.edgepedia.org/siemens-mobility) since 2021.[1](https://assets.new.siemens.com/siemens/assets/api/uuid:b561504e-f9e4-4c01-a7ee-1b2c89ce9d95/HQMOPR202108046273EN.pdf) • [2](https://skift.com/2021/08/05/siemens-to-buy-rail-software-company-sqills-for-650-million/) Siemens Mobility signed a binding agreement in August 2021 to acquire the company for 550 million euros plus an earn-out (extra payment to sellers if the company hits future targets), a figure reported as about $650 million.[1](https://assets.new.siemens.com/siemens/assets/api/uuid:b561504e-f9e4-4c01-a7ee-1b2c89ce9d95/HQMOPR202108046273EN.pdf) • [2](https://skift.com/2021/08/05/siemens-to-buy-rail-software-company-sqills-for-650-million/)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2002, as JB-IT, by two university students, Johan and Bart[3](https://careers.sqills.com/history) |
| Headquarters | Enschede, Netherlands, near the University of Twente[3](https://careers.sqills.com/history) • [1](https://assets.new.siemens.com/siemens/assets/api/uuid:b561504e-f9e4-4c01-a7ee-1b2c89ce9d95/HQMOPR202108046273EN.pdf) |
| Main product | S3 Passenger: cloud-based inventory, reservation, and ticketing SaaS for rail and bus operators[2](https://skift.com/2021/08/05/siemens-to-buy-rail-software-company-sqills-for-650-million/) |
| Outside funding | None raised before the sale[2](https://skift.com/2021/08/05/siemens-to-buy-rail-software-company-sqills-for-650-million/) |
| Scale at acquisition | 160 employees; 33 operators in 9 countries; forecast 2022 revenue around €40 million[1](https://assets.new.siemens.com/siemens/assets/api/uuid:b561504e-f9e4-4c01-a7ee-1b2c89ce9d95/HQMOPR202108046273EN.pdf) |
| Outcome | Acquired by Siemens Mobility, announced 5 August 2021, for €550 million plus an earn-out (~$650 million); operating as a wholly owned, separately managed subsidiary[1](https://assets.new.siemens.com/siemens/assets/api/uuid:b561504e-f9e4-4c01-a7ee-1b2c89ce9d95/HQMOPR202108046273EN.pdf) • [2](https://skift.com/2021/08/05/siemens-to-buy-rail-software-company-sqills-for-650-million/) • [4](https://www.sqills.com/about-us) |
## History and founding
The company began as JB-IT, founded in 2002 by two university students, Johan and Bart, and named after their initials. Early work was mostly building websites and IT consultancy.[3](https://careers.sqills.com/history) The founders met [Alexander](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexander) and Wouter at NS HiSpeed, now NS International; the four joined forces, JB-IT became Sqills, and the team set up its headquarters in Enschede near the University of Twente.[3](https://careers.sqills.com/history)
The decisive strategic turn came around 2007. While most of the Dutch IT industry was still billing by the hour, Sqills chose to build a standard product rather than custom solutions, charging based on usage under long-term partnerships at fixed pricing.[3](https://careers.sqills.com/history) According to the company's own site, a long-term partnership with Dutch railway operator NS marked its first entry into public transport, and its first S3 Passenger customer was the Hamburg-Köln Express, a German service; Skift reports the first customer came in 2010.[4](https://www.sqills.com/about-us) • [2](https://skift.com/2021/08/05/siemens-to-buy-rail-software-company-sqills-for-650-million/)
## Products and services
S3 [Passenger](https://www.edgepedia.org/passenger) is a cloud-based inventory management, reservation, and ticketing platform that lets rail and bus operators replace legacy reservation systems.[2](https://skift.com/2021/08/05/siemens-to-buy-rail-software-company-sqills-for-650-million/) • [1](https://assets.new.siemens.com/siemens/assets/api/uuid:b561504e-f9e4-4c01-a7ee-1b2c89ce9d95/HQMOPR202108046273EN.pdf) Operators running their inventory on S3 Passenger connect to distributors such as [Trainline](https://www.edgepedia.org/trainline), SilverRail, and Amadeus.[2](https://skift.com/2021/08/05/siemens-to-buy-rail-software-company-sqills-for-650-million/)
The commercial model charges on a volume-times-price sliding scale, so Sqills' revenue grew with ticket volumes on the systems it ran.[2](https://skift.com/2021/08/05/siemens-to-buy-rail-software-company-sqills-for-650-million/)
## Funding and the Siemens acquisition
Sqills raised no outside investment before its sale.[2](https://skift.com/2021/08/05/siemens-to-buy-rail-software-company-sqills-for-650-million/) According to Railway Gazette, management had considered expanding through private equity but chose a partner instead.[5](https://www.railwaygazette.com/digitalisation/2022/11/23/sqills-pushes-new-boundaries-as-unit-of-siemens-mobility/) On 5 August 2021, Siemens Mobility announced a binding agreement to acquire the company for 550 million euros plus an earn-out, reported by Skift as $650 million.[1](https://assets.new.siemens.com/siemens/assets/api/uuid:b561504e-f9e4-4c01-a7ee-1b2c89ce9d95/HQMOPR202108046273EN.pdf) • [2](https://skift.com/2021/08/05/siemens-to-buy-rail-software-company-sqills-for-650-million/) The corporate finance adviser Ashcombe Advisers advised Sqills on the sale.[6](https://www.ashcombeadvisers.com/news/2021/09/06/2021-9-6-ashcombe-advises-sqills-on-its-sale-to-siemens) The acquisition was completed, with Sqills managed as a separate legal entity and wholly owned subsidiary of Siemens Mobility.[7](https://press.siemens.com/global/en/pressrelease/siemens-mobility-completes-acquisition-sqills-leading-rail-software-provider)
## Business, customers and traction
At announcement, Sqills served 33 operators across 9 countries, including [SNCF](https://www.edgepedia.org/sncf), Irish Rail, Rail Delivery Group, SJ, Via Rail, and Eurostar.[1](https://assets.new.siemens.com/siemens/assets/api/uuid:b561504e-f9e4-4c01-a7ee-1b2c89ce9d95/HQMOPR202108046273EN.pdf) According to the company's own site, Eurostar signed to implement S3 Passenger as its largest customer to date, and SNCF Voyageurs selected S3 Passenger to replace SNCF's reservation system.[4](https://www.sqills.com/about-us)
Growth continued after the deal. By November 2022, S3 Passenger was used by 36 operators worldwide, including SNCF for its Ouigo and Eurostar entities, with [TGV](https://www.edgepedia.org/tgv), TGV Lyria, Alleo, SNCF Voyages Italia, and Intercités scheduled to switch by the end of 2023. In September 2022, Sqills also announced implementation by Iryo, the new Spanish high-speed operator.[5](https://www.railwaygazette.com/digitalisation/2022/11/23/sqills-pushes-new-boundaries-as-unit-of-siemens-mobility/) Revenue grew from roughly $25 million in 2019 to a forecast of approximately $47 million (€40 million) for 2022.[2](https://skift.com/2021/08/05/siemens-to-buy-rail-software-company-sqills-for-650-million/)
Competitors named in reporting include Amadeus, IBM, and SilverRail.[2](https://skift.com/2021/08/05/siemens-to-buy-rail-software-company-sqills-for-650-million/)
## After the acquisition: 2021–2026
The integration was deliberately light. As of November 2022, Sqills remained based in Enschede, 100-percent owned by Siemens Mobility, run as an independent unit with management retaining decision-making authority and still led by co-founder and CEO Bart van Munster.[5](https://www.railwaygazette.com/digitalisation/2022/11/23/sqills-pushes-new-boundaries-as-unit-of-siemens-mobility/) Within Siemens Mobility, Sqills joined Hacon, eos.uptrade, Bytemark, and Padam Mobility in an interconnected software portfolio.[7](https://press.siemens.com/global/en/pressrelease/siemens-mobility-completes-acquisition-sqills-leading-rail-software-provider)
The product continued to win and launch national operators. According to the company's own site, in December 2024 the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB) went live on S3 Passenger in a complete open-ticketing, non-reserved model, and DSB, Denmark's national rail operator, later went live replacing its legacy inventory management system.[4](https://www.sqills.com/about-us) No independent reporting retrieved for this article covers Sqills or Siemens Mobility's rail software business after those 2024 go-lives, so the state of the brand, team, and product in 2026 rests on the company's own materials.
## References
1. [Siemens Mobility acquires Sqills, a leading rail software provider (press release PDF)](https://assets.new.siemens.com/siemens/assets/api/uuid:b561504e-f9e4-4c01-a7ee-1b2c89ce9d95/HQMOPR202108046273EN.pdf)
2. [Siemens to Buy Rail Software Company Sqills for $650 Million (Skift)](https://skift.com/2021/08/05/siemens-to-buy-rail-software-company-sqills-for-650-million/)
3. [History of Sqills (company careers site)](https://careers.sqills.com/history)
4. [Moving people forward | Sqills — About us](https://www.sqills.com/about-us)
5. [Sqills pushes new boundaries as unit of Siemens Mobility (Railway Gazette)](https://www.railwaygazette.com/digitalisation/2022/11/23/sqills-pushes-new-boundaries-as-unit-of-siemens-mobility/)
6. [Ashcombe advises Sqills on its sale to Siemens](https://www.ashcombeadvisers.com/news/2021/09/06/2021-9-6-ashcombe-advises-sqills-on-its-sale-to-siemens)
7. [Siemens Mobility Completes acquisition of Sqills](https://press.siemens.com/global/en/pressrelease/siemens-mobility-completes-acquisition-sqills-leading-rail-software-provider)
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*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026*
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