Use Case Railnova
A Unique Collaboration On Equal Terms: Railnova x salestech Data & AI
A Unique Collaboration On Equal Terms: Railnova x salestech Data & AI
Railnova: From Retrofit Specialist to Digitalization Partner for Rail Vehicles
Railnova is today one of the defining companies in the digital transformation of rail transport. For 15 years, the company has been working to better connect railway fleets and make data actionable, led by CEO Meike van’t Hoen, who is guiding Railnova through an important growth phase.
What began as a retrofit approach has evolved into a comprehensive system that digitally integrates both older and more modern fleets. Today, more than 3,500 rail vehicles are connected via Railnova’s technology. Together with salestech Data & AI, Railnova now collaborates both technologically and strategically to drive this transformation forward.
Making Data Usable Where It’s Needed
Railnova’s technology is built on two core areas:
OT on the train: Hardware installed in the vehicle collects and processes data locally. These devices are developed and manufactured in-house by Railnova.
IT in the cloud: Operators can onboard assets, deploy updates, and define rules that are executed directly on the edge devices.
More Digitalization, Less Paper
Railnova began by digitizing previously inaccessible data. Today, that transformation also includes replacing manual workflows. In production, Railnova already applies AI in targeted ways, such as:
- AI-driven visual inspection of soldered boards
- Internal AI tools within software stacks
- Customer-specific features like AI classification of unstructured error messages
AI helps with pre-classification, merging similar messages, and identifying potential root causes. Railnova’s approach is not to deploy AI everywhere, but where it genuinely makes technical sense.
A Holistic Partner for AI and Digitalization Projects
The collaboration between Railnova and Salestech Data & AI grew organically from an already established foundation of trust.
A key aspect of this collaboration is Railnova’s strong, independent brand positioning.
Salestech Data & AI contributes to anchoring this positioning clearly and consistently in external communications as well, ensuring Railnova is perceived as a vendor-neutral brand.
Since 2025, the collaboration with Railnova has taken on a more hands-on direction, bringing both teams together across two key areas.
Railnovas CEO Meike van’t Hoen describes the long-standing collaboration as a partnership built on trust, close alignment, and the combination of shared expertise. The cooperation goes far beyond a traditional service provider relationship: it is collaborative, human, and driven by a shared commitment to successfully tackling even complex challenges.
- Professionell
- Collaborative
- Human
- Inspiring
- Dynamic
- Growth-driven
„The team around Serhan is more than a software provider: the partnership is built on close collaboration, personal exchange, and a shared ambition to create real impact together."
Meike van’t Hoen, CEO Railnova
Looking Ahead: A Shared Path
The collaboration is defined by close alignment on both a strategic and operational level. Together with the Railnova teams, salestech Data & AI contributes technological and methodological expertise to accelerate digital transformation, AI initiatives, and product development.
At its core, this partnership brings together two worlds:
deep industry expertise on one side and modern AI and product capabilities on the other.
As an innovation partner, salestech Data & AI operates right at this intersection. We understand both the demands of complex industrial environments and the dynamics of modern software and AI development. And it is exactly this combination that makes the difference.
True progress happens where communication, technology, and execution come together seamlessly – intelligently, practically, and with measurable impact.
While much has already been achieved, Meike van’t Hoen emphasizes: