“The platform endgame has started” – this is how Handelsblatt described in December 2019 the current situation on the platform market. American internet platforms have long dominated the market for digital business-to-consumer platforms and are occupying antitrust authorities worldwide with their dominance. In the case of B2B business models, the dominance of a few platforms is not yet clearly evident. However, platform business models are on the rise in the industrial sector. Many platform providers are looking for a sustainable business model, sustainable monetization of their service offering and suitable differentiation from the competition. In addition, more and more mergers and takeover activities can be observed, which can be interpreted as first indications for an incipient consolidation of the platform landscape.
