Beacon

What Beacon does

Beacon is a London-headquartered AI Supply Chain Workspace that aggregates fragmented freight and supply chain data into a unified workspace for finance and operations teams. The platform tracks containers across 160+ ocean, air, and road carriers covering approximately 98% of global ocean carriers and airlines, integrating with customer ERPs (SAP, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, Sage, Descartes, Blue Yonder), spreadsheets, and BI tools (Power BI, Tableau, Snowflake). Core products include the Table AI workspace, Documents, Alerts, Live Boards, Maps, Comments, and Reports, supplemented by D&D Monitor, Invoice Verification, Contract Intelligence, and Network Performance modules that target the financial inefficiencies of freight operations (demurrage, detention, erroneous invoice payments, blind contract negotiations).

Beacon generates revenue primarily through tiered SaaS subscriptions (Starter at $16/month annually, Pro at $199/month annually, Enterprise on custom multi-year contracts) combined with usage-based container tracking credits valid for two years and premium report add-ons. The go-to-market is hybrid: product-led growth for SMB/mid-market with self-serve signup and a 7-day free trial, layered with an enterprise sales motion targeting complex supply chains in FMCG, food and beverage, manufacturing, and pharmaceutical sectors. Marquee customers include Tilda Rice, Fever-Tree, Clasen Quality Chocolate, Tata Consumer Products, GlucoRx, Minetek, UCC, Unilac, and Hyggi, with over 2,500 supply chain professionals using the platform globally across EMEA, Asia-Pacific, and North America.

Founded in 2018 by Fraser Robinson (former Uber EMEA operations leader) and Dmitri Izmailov, Beacon raised approximately $65M+ in venture funding including a $50M Series B in October 2021 led by Northstar.vc with Jeff Bezos and Marc Benioff. The company pivoted from digital freight forwarder to pure technology platform in 2025, acquired RealEstateAPI, and was acquired by Clearwater Analytics Holdings (NYSE: CWAN) for over $700M in a deal announced March 2025 and completed December 2025.

Name

Beacon

Legal name

Beacon Technologies Ltd.

Website

https://beacon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Beacon is an AI-powered supply chain workspace that aggregates shipment, contract, and invoice data across 160+ carriers and major ERPs for finance and operations teams at FMCG, manufacturing, and logistics companies. It monetizes via tiered SaaS subscriptions, was acquired by Clearwater Analytics in 2025, and operates globally from London and Hong Kong.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Supply Chain Visibility Software

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Support Activities for Transportation (488)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Ocean Container Visibility (Vessel, Container, Demurrage/Detention) (TLAEADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multimodal & Intermodal End-to-End Visibility (TLAEADAE), Real-Time Shipment Tracking & Map Visualization (TLAEADAA), Customer Visibility Portals & Shipment Collaboration (TLAEADAK)

Keywords

• Supply chain visibility
• Freight tracking software
• Logistics analytics platform
• Carrier tracking automation
• Freight invoice verification

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. SaaS Subscription (Tiered Plans): Beacon operates on a tiered SaaS subscription model with three main plans: Starter ($16/month billed annually), Pro ($199/month billed annually), and Enterprise (custom pricing). The subscription includes container tracking credits, with additional credits available for purchase. All credits are valid for two years from date of purchase.
2. Usage-based Credits: Tracks containers across ocean, air, and road. Starter plan includes 2 credits per month, Pro includes 8 credits per month. Additional credits can be purchased as needed. The usage-based model allows scaling based on shipment volumes.
3. Freemium Trial: 7-day free trial with unlimited tracking allows teams to experience the platform before subscribing. No credit card required. Designed to demonstrate value before conversion to paid tiers.
4. Add-on Features: Premium reports including Essential Reports, Volume Tracking, Transit Time Analysis, Carbon Emissions Tracking, Supplier Performance Reports, D&D Analysis, Carbon Emissions Reports, Route Reliability Report, Port Congestion Report, and Ocean Spot Rate Index available as paid add-ons or included in higher tiers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Beacon provides an AI-powered supply chain workspace that aggregates fragmented supply chain data (carrier portals, ERPs, spreadsheets, documents) into a unified platform, automatically tracking shipments across 160+ ocean, air, and road carriers. The platform combines visibility, collaboration, and automation tools—including D&D (demurrage and detention) monitoring, freight invoice verification, contract intelligence, and live shipment boards—into a single workspace used by supply chain, finance, and operations teams at manufacturing, FMCG, food & beverage, and logistics companies.

Product overview

Beacon is an AI Supply Chain Workspace—a unified platform combining visibility, collaboration, and automation tools. The core platform consists of seven integrated products: Table (AI workspace), Documents, Alerts, Live Boards, Maps, Comments, and Reports. These are supplemented by specialized modules including D&D Monitor, Invoice Verification, Contract Intelligence, and Network Performance for financial and operational control. The platform tracks 160+ ocean, air, and road carriers automatically, connecting to customers' ERPs (SAP, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics), spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets), and BI tools (Power BI, Tableau, Snowflake). Pricing is tiered with Starter (free), Pro, and Enterprise plans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Table AI-powered workspace that allows supply chain teams to upload purchase orders, container numbers, and documents. Functions like a familiar spreadsheet but automatically updates with real-time data from 160+ carriers, sends automated milestone alerts, stores documents, and enables team communication for supply chain, finance, and operations professionals.
• Documents Document management module that keeps vital shipping documents (bills of lading, packing lists, customs paperwork) connected to purchase orders and shipments, eliminating lost paperwork and enabling storage and sharing alongside shipment data for supply chain teams.
• Alerts Automated notification system that alerts teams when shipment milestone changes occur, including arrivals, departures, delays, and schedule changes across all carriers. Reduces manual tracking workload for supply chain and operations teams.
• Live Boards Collaborative workspace segmentation tool that allows users to segment shipments into groups for different teams, create filtered views, and share with stakeholders via bookmarkable URLs with permission controls. Used by supply chain, operations, warehouse, and customer teams to focus on relevant shipments.
• Maps Real-time shipment visualization tool displaying global shipment locations on an interactive map, providing geographic context for supply chain operations and the ability to see shipment status worldwide at any moment.
• Comments Team communication and collaboration feature that keeps conversations connected to POs or shipments, centralizing communication alongside tracking updates and eliminating email chains for supply chain teams.
• Reports

Quantifiable outcome

• Most customers recover the cost of Beacon in their first quarter through D&D charge prevention
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration19 records

AI capability7 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Clasen Quality Chocolate (CQC)coreTechnology or Integration · 19 June 2026Wisconsin-based Clasen Quality Chocolate invested in Beacon's supply chain software to manage global cocoa operations. The investment replaced a manual process of logging into individual carrier portals and re-entering shipment data into spreadsheets, consolidating container and ETA information into a single workspace for sourcing, supply chain, production, and finance teams.
• Clearwater AnalyticsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 March 2025Clearwater Analytics announced acquisition of Beacon and Blackstone's Bistro in March 2025, valued at over $700 million. The acquisition aimed to create an integrated cloud-based platform for private and public assets, enhancing portfolio modeling, risk management, and operational efficiency for institutional investors and asset managers. Beacon was subsequently acquired by QXO as part of QXO's acquisitions.
• QXOflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerQXO acquired Beacon as part of its strategy to grow into a $50 billion company. QXO is a company integrating major acquisitions including Beacon, Kodiak, and TopBuild. The acquisition is viewed positively by branch managers who value technological advancements and company vision.
• RealEstateAPIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeacon acquired RealEstateAPI, a U.S.-based property data platform, in an eight-figure deal. RealEstateAPI was built without venture capital and reached multi-million-dollar annual recurring revenue with over 300 enterprise customers before acquisition.
• Carrier Partners (160+)coreTechnology or IntegrationBeacon integrates with 160+ ocean and air carriers including MSC, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, ONE, OOCL, Qatar Airways, Hamburg Sud, American Airlines, RCL, and others. These integrations enable automatic shipment tracking, ETA updates, and milestone notifications without manual portal checking.
• ERP and TMS IntegrationscoreTechnology or IntegrationBeacon integrates with major ERP and TMS platforms including SAP, Oracle NetSuite, Sage, Microsoft Dynamics, Descartes, and Blue Yonder. The platform also connects with spreadsheet and BI tools including Google Sheets, Excel, Power BI, Tableau, and Snowflake, enabling data consolidation without ripping out existing systems.
• Forwarder PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor freight forwarders including Kuehne+Nagel, DHL Global Forwarding, DSV, DB Schenker, Maersk, CEVA Logistics, and C.H. Robinson are connected to Beacon's platform. Forwarders can use Beacon to provide enhanced visibility services to their customers, improving customer satisfaction and reducing manual update workload.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Project44: Direct competitor offering multimodal supply chain visibility across ocean, road, rail, and air with similar carrier integrations and shipment tracking functionality. Closely aligned business model and target customers.
• FourKites: Direct competitor providing real-time transportation visibility and predictive ETA across ocean, road, rail, and air. Overlaps Beacon in carrier integrations, dynamic ETAs, and enterprise shipper customer base.
• Shippeo: European-headquartered direct competitor offering multimodal real-time transportation visibility. Strong overlap with Beacon in carrier integrations, ETA predictions, and shipper/forwarder customer segments.
• GoComet: Direct competitor providing multimodal shipment visibility and freight procurement tools. Competes head-to-head with Beacon on container tracking and ETA management for shippers.
• Wakeo: Direct competitor focused on real-time multimodal visibility for shippers and forwarders. Overlaps with Beacon on ocean and air tracking, ETA analytics, and forwarder enablement.

Emerging players

• Vizion API: Container visibility API provider offering ocean shipment tracking via carrier integrations. Partial overlap with Beacon's container tracking capability, more focused on developer/API layer than full workspace.
• MarineTraffic: Vessel tracking platform using AIS data for ocean visibility. Comparable to Beacon's ocean layer but lacks Beacon's workspace, D&D, and invoice verification functionality.
• Everstream Analytics: Supply chain risk and visibility analytics provider overlapping with Beacon's predictive and risk-focused use cases. Differs by emphasizing risk event prediction over operational workspace.

Broad incumbents

• Descartes Systems Group: Broad logistics technology incumbent offering TMS, visibility, and customs software. Has its own multimodal visibility product and is a Beacon integration partner, representing both overlap and partnership.

Regional players

• Kuehne+Nagel mySupplyChain: Customer-facing visibility offering from one of the world's largest forwarders (also a Beacon partner). Represents both a distribution channel and a competitor for shipper-facing visibility tools in EMEA and globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/beacon-freight
• Xtwitter.com/beacon

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors11 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Beacon