BuyCo
BuyCo is a Marseille-based SaaS platform providing a collaborative container Transportation Management System for large-volume exporters and importers, connecting shippers to 97% of global ocean carriers and 100+ forwarders across 120+ countries, with AI-driven booking, tracking, and document automation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersMarseille, France
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What BuyCo does
BuyCo is a France-based SaaS company, founded in 2015 in Marseille by Carl Lauron (former VP Innovation at CMA CGM), that provides a collaborative Transportation Management System (TMS) for large-volume ocean container shippers. The platform unifies booking operations, real-time track & trace, document management, detention and demurrage (D&D) management, inland drayage coordination, CO2 reporting, freight rate management, and reporting/analytics into a single workspace connecting shippers, ocean carriers, freight forwarders, and consignees. BuyCo's integration footprint is unusually broad for a company of its size: the platform claims connectivity to 97% of global ocean carriers, 100+ forwarders, and SAP via the SAP PartnerEdge Open Ecosystem, with EDI-level data exchange, AIS/terminal visibility feeds, and supplementary integrations to providers like Shippeo, FourKites, Searoutes, and Xeneta. Operations span 7 international offices (Marseille HQ, Paris, Guangzhou, Tokyo, and others) serving customers in 120+ countries, with 1M+ containers digitized and 60M+ events tracked annually.
The company's product is augmented by a branded AI suite ("BuyCo AI") that delivers four named capabilities: Shipment Creation AI (NLP extraction of shipment records from PDFs, Excel, and emails), Planning & Booking AI (optimization across rate, schedule, transit time, and CO2 dimensions), Document Compliance AI (SI/Draft BL audit), and SmartTrack AI (automated tracking data retrieval). The CO2NTROL sub-brand, a joint initiative with Searoutes co-funded by the European Marine and Fisheries Fund Blue Economy Window Grant, adds certified emissions calculation and route optimization compliant with European standards. BuyCo monetizes via annual enterprise subscriptions on a quote-based model targeting exporters and importers managing significant container volumes, with direct enterprise field sales as the primary GTM motion. Customers span Automotive (Renault, Honda, Goodyear), F&B (ABInBev, Bel, Hershey, Minerva Foods, Andros, Materne), Energy (TotalEnergies, EDF), Manufacturing (Saint-Gobain, Fujifilm), Agriculture (LDC, Yara, Simplot, Avebe, CSS Farms), Mining/Materials (Eramet, Imerys, US Silica, SGL, Lenzing), Chemicals (SGD Pharma, Alteo), Environmental (Veolia), and Logistics (Alpi, Snetor), among 30+ named major clients.
The business is venture-backed, with disclosed funding rounds from CMA CGM (2017, strategic carrier investor), ODDO BHF (2020 lead, ~$4.1M), Banque Populaire du Sud and GO CAPITAL (2023), and earlier/follow-on rounds totaling roughly $9.7M. Revenue was disclosed at approximately €5M with a stated pattern of doubling annually since founding. Leadership combines maritime/logistics pedigree (CFO from Cinven/Goldman Sachs; Chief Sales & Operations Officer ex-Areva/Orano Transport & Logistics; VP Sales ex-Xeneta, Bolloré, CEVA) with platform/product expertise (CPO ex-ManoMano, IFS). The company is privately held, headquartered at 37 Boulevard Paul Peytral, Marseille, and operates as BuyCo SA.
BuyCo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BuyCo
- Legal name
- BuyCo SA
- Website
- https://buyco.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- BuyCo is a Marseille-based SaaS platform providing a collaborative container Transportation Management System for large-volume exporters and importers, connecting shippers to 97% of global ocean carriers and 100+ forwarders across 120+ countries, with AI-driven booking, tracking, and document automation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BuyCo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Maritime Container Shipping Software / Ocean Freight TMS
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ocean/Container TMS (TLAEAAAE)
Keywords
Where BuyCo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Marseille
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
BuyCo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- SaaS Subscription: BuyCo operates as a SaaS provider offering a container shipping management platform on subscription basis. The platform is described as 'Shipping Made Easy' software, suggesting recurring subscription revenue from exporters and importers managing large container volumes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise subscription for large-volume container shippers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels9 records
BuyCo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BuyCo provides a collaborative cloud-based Container Transportation Management System (TMS) that enables large-volume exporters and importers to manage their end-to-end maritime container shipping operations. The platform unifies booking operations, real-time track & trace, document management, detention & demurrage management, inland drayage coordination, CO2 reporting, freight rate management, and supply chain collaboration in a single workspace, augmented by AI-powered automation modules for shipment creation, planning, booking, document compliance, and tracking.
Product overview
BuyCo is a maritime SaaS provider offering a modular Container Transportation Management System (TMS) designed for large-volume ocean freight shippers (exporters and importers). The core platform unifies booking operations, real-time track & trace, document management, detention & demurrage management, inland drayage coordination, CO₂ reporting, reporting & analytics, and freight rate management into a single collaborative workspace. The BuyCo AI suite (Shipment Creation AI, Planning and Booking AI, Document Compliance AI, SmartTrack AI) adds AI-driven automation layered on top of the core TMS. The CO₂NTROL co-product with Searoutes extends the platform with certified CO₂ emissions calculation and route optimization. The platform connects to SAP via the PartnerEdge Open Ecosystem, integrates with ocean carrier EDI systems for real-time data sync, and aggregates AIS and terminal data for tracking. Industry-specific verticals and use-case solution packs sit atop the core platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CO₂NTROL: Joint sustainability project with Searoutes enabling shippers to measure and reduce CO₂ emissions from container shipping. Awarded Blue Economy Window grant by European Commission.
Products and services
- Container Transportation Management System (TMS) The central ocean freight SaaS platform connecting carriers, forwarders, and shippers for end-to-end container shipping management. It includes booking operations, real-time track & trace, document management, D&D management, inland coordination, CO2 reporting, reporting & analytics, and freight rate management for large-volume exporters and importers.
- BuyCo AI AI-powered suite comprising Shipment Creation AI (converting PDFs, Excel files, and emails into normalized shipment records), Planning and Booking AI (automated vessel selection and booking), Document Compliance AI (SI/Draft BL audit), and SmartTrack AI (automated tracking data retrieval). Designed to automate container shipping tasks for exporters and importers.
- CO2NTROL Joint BuyCo-Searoutes product providing accurate CO2 calculation and reporting for container shipments, enabling shippers to select low-emission carriers and routes, optimize door-to-door transport, and report on carbon footprint compliant with European standards. Awarded the Blue Economy Window grant by the European Commission in 2020.
- Integration Framework BuyCo's integration platform connecting the TMS to enterprise ERP systems (including SAP via the SAP PartnerEdge Open Ecosystem), EDI networks of ocean carriers, and third-party visibility and data providers including Searoutes for CO2 calculation. Eliminates double data entry and enables seamless workflow integration.
Quantifiable outcome
- 25% increase in productivity
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use BuyCo
Customer profileNamed customers31 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
BuyCo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability5 records
Feature9 records
BuyCo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, strategic and minor.
- SearoutesflagshipCO2NTROL is a joint project between BuyCo and Searoutes to help shippers measure and reduce CO2 emissions. The partnership enables exporters and importers to select the most CO2-efficient ocean carriers in tendering, choose the most effective schedules and routes, optimize door-to-door transport, and gain full visibility on historical performance. BuyCo provides the leading collaborative SaaS platform while Searoutes provides expert CO2 calculation. The project was awarded the Blue Economy Window Grant from the European Marine and Fisheries Fund.
- SAPcoreBuyCo is a member of the SAP PartnerEdge Open Ecosystem, developing a container shipping platform that connects to SAP. The integration retrieves container and cargo data from SAP and returns status update information. This integration allows SAP users to optimize shipping operations with BuyCo and eliminate double data entry.
- ShippeostrategicShippeo is a global leader in real-time multimodal transport visibility, helping major shippers and logistics service providers deliver exceptional customer service and achieve operational excellence. Partnership provides complementary visibility capabilities.
- FourKitesstrategicNamed 'Next Billion-Dollar Startups' by Forbes, FourKites connects global supply chains end-to-end with powerful technology, helping customers and their customers work better together. Partnership enhances real-time visibility offerings.
- GravityminorGravity uses a human-centered approach to digital supply chain transformation. Designed to connect every supplier from first to last mile, offering better decision-making, operations optimization, risk limitation, and cost control.
- Digital Transport ClubstrategicThe Club brings together digital companies offering innovative solutions to supply chain, transport, and logistics decision-makers to improve the performance of their processes.
- XenetastrategicXeneta is the leading ocean and air freight rate benchmarking and market analysis platform that transforms the shipping and logistics industry.
- SinotransminorSinotrans is one of the largest logistics companies in China. The company's business sectors include warehousing and terminal services as well as road and maritime transport.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
BuyCo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- FourKites: US-based supply chain visibility platform offering real-time ocean, road, rail and air tracking with predictive ETA. Directly comparable to BuyCo's Track & Trace and Control Tower modules, and already an integration partner of BuyCo.
- GoComet: Singapore-headquartered SaaS platform for ocean and air freight procurement, tracking and visibility. Targets the same large-shipper segment as BuyCo with a similar booking-plus-visibility value proposition.
- Mercurygate: Specialist ocean and air freight rate management and procurement SaaS for shippers. Overlaps with BuyCo's Freight Rate Management and rate benchmarking capabilities and serves a similar enterprise shipper audience.
- project44: Global supply chain visibility and connectivity platform covering ocean, road, rail and air. Competes head-to-head with BuyCo in ocean container visibility for shippers and forwarders and is similarly positioned as a TMS-adjacent layer.
- Magaya: Ocean freight TMS and freight forwarding software platform serving shippers and forwarders globally. Comparable core functionality to BuyCo's Booking Operations, Document Management and tracking modules.
- Shippeo: European multimodal transport visibility platform headquartered in France. Closely comparable in geography, customer base and ocean freight emphasis; also a BuyCo integration partner, putting the two in co-opetition.
- Flexport: US-headquartered digital freight forwarder with its own ocean freight platform and shipper-facing technology. Comparable to BuyCo in digitizing ocean container shipping for large exporters and importers, though Flexport also acts as a forwarder versus BuyCo's pure SaaS model.
Broad incumbents
- Oracle Transportation Management: Oracle's enterprise TMS offering within its SCM Cloud suite, used by large global shippers. Provides overlapping ocean freight functionality with BuyCo but is positioned as a broad, multi-modal ERP-adjacent platform rather than a container-focused SaaS.
- Descartes Systems Group: Large publicly-traded logistics technology vendor with a broad TMS, customs, and visibility portfolio. Competes with BuyCo in the broader ocean TMS category but as part of a much wider suite rather than a focused container-only platform.
- SAP Transportation Management: SAP's enterprise TMS module is a complementary incumbent to BuyCo, and BuyCo is in fact a PartnerEdge integration partner. SAP TM overlaps with BuyCo in booking, planning and freight execution but typically serves large existing SAP ERP customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BuyCo social profiles
Digital presenceBuyCo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BuyCo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
BuyCo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BuyCo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BuyCo
What does BuyCo do?
BuyCo provides a collaborative cloud-based Container Transportation Management System (TMS) that enables large-volume exporters and importers to manage their end-to-end maritime container shipping operations. The platform unifies booking operations, real-time track & trace, document management, detention & demurrage management, inland drayage coordination, CO2 reporting, freight rate management, and supply chain collaboration in a single workspace, augmented by AI-powered automation modules for shipment creation, planning, booking, document compliance, and tracking.
Is BuyCo a public or private company?
BuyCo is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was BuyCo founded?
BuyCo was founded in 2015. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is BuyCo based?
BuyCo is headquartered in Marseille, France, in the Europe region.
How does BuyCo make money?
One revenue line is on record: saaS Subscription.
Who are BuyCo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are FourKites, GoComet, Mercurygate, project44, Magaya, Shippeo and Flexport. Broad incumbents are Oracle Transportation Management, Descartes Systems Group and SAP Transportation Management.
Does BuyCo have an API?
No public API is recorded for BuyCo.
What industry is BuyCo in?
BuyCo's product category is Maritime Container Shipping Software / Ocean Freight TMS. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAEAAAE, Ocean/Container TMS. Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.