Freightos, a leading digital freight marketplace, has announced its acquisition of Shipsta, a prominent freight tender procurement platform used by numerous Global 1000 enterprises to manage large-scale freight procurement from top freight forwarders and carriers. This strategic move enhances Freightos’s existing capabilities in spot pricing, quoting, and booking by integrating tender procurement, significantly advancing the company’s vision of comprehensive freight digitisation.
The acquisition is expected to broaden Freightos’s total addressable market, particularly in ocean and contract procurement. According to an official statement, this acquisition aligns with Freightos’s financial goal of achieving positive adjusted EBITDA by the end of 2026, while simultaneously reinforcing its position as a technology leader in the global freight industry.
Shipsta, headquartered in Luxembourg, specialises in streamlining freight procurement processes across air, ocean, road, and rail, enabling global companies to efficiently manage tenders with their freight forwarders and carriers. The platform is trusted by multinational organisations including Puma, Thyssenkrupp, and Rockwool.
Zvi Schreiber, CEO of Freightos, emphasised the strategic significance of the acquisition: “The acquisition of Shipsta is a milestone for Freightos, enabling us to advance our vision of digitising the freight industry end-to-end. Shipsta’s platform, impressive customer base, and experienced team will add considerable value to our offerings, especially in tender management and contract procurement—a segment that represents an estimated 50-70% of the total air and ocean freight market. This acquisition addresses the needs of our customers who seek comprehensive solutions beyond spot freight bookings, and we believe they will greatly benefit from our joint offering.”
Shipsta’s leadership, including Managing Director and Founder Christian Wilhelm, along with Stefan Maratzki, will continue to drive product development, innovation, customer success, and go-to-market strategy. The integration will also accelerate parts of Shipsta’s roadmap, enhancing tender management, operational integrations, and market intelligence capabilities.
Freightos’s acquisition of Shipsta involves a cash payment of approximately €4.5 million and the issuance of around 640,000 Freightos shares to a key Shipsta shareholder. The deal is expected to contribute approximately $800,000 to Freightos’s revenue in the last four months of 2024, with a moderate negative impact on adjusted EBITDA. Revenue contributions in 2025 are projected to be between $4-5 million.
