Kubox
Kubox manufactures reusable, ISTA-certified collapsible corrugated shipping containers—Trunk, Square, Flat, and Freight Cube—that enable freight-like shipments to move through FedEx, UPS, and DHL parcel networks at lower cost and weight than wood crating, selling direct-to-consumer, through 1,234 Authorized Centers, and via licensing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersLebanon, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Kubox does
Kubox (legal entity Kubox LLC) is a Tennessee-based manufacturer of reusable, collapsible corrugated shipping containers that bridge the gap between standard parcel boxes and traditional wood crating. The company's product line includes four core container formats—Trunk (elongated, mixed items), Square (mid-sized balanced loads), Flat (artwork and screens), and Freight Cube (pallet-based heavier loads)—plus custom sizing with no minimum order quantity, replacement spare parts, and value-protection and pickup services. All containers are ISTA 1A, 3A, 3E, and 6-FEDEX-A certified, weigh roughly one-quarter of comparable wood crates, and assemble without tools via a patented corner-hub-and-pin system covered by U.S. Design Patents D721,890S and D731,823S.
The underlying technology is engineered to enable shipments in the 50–150 lb range that would typically require freight services to move through standard parcel carrier networks (FedEx, UPS, DHL), with the company claiming up to 40% cost savings and a 0.02% damage rate across 60,000+ shipped units. Kubox manufactures in Tennessee, ships from a Nashville distribution point, and distributes through direct e-commerce on thekubox.com (Shopify-powered), a Pack & Ship Partner retail program with 1,234 U.S. Authorized Center locations, and a historical FedEx Office store rollout of 1,400+ locations. Customers span lighting manufacturers, audio equipment companies, artists and galleries, para-athletes, and laboratory and trade-show shippers.
The business model is primarily transaction-based: one-time container sales (price points $64.50–$265.00), ancillary fees for pickup, value protection, and bundled shipping, a small aftermarket for spare parts, and an emerging licensing program offering regional, vertical, and platform licenses for the patented container technology. The company is privately held, founder-led by Darryl Kelinske, and has raised only $230,000 of disclosed seed funding since 2020, leaving it operationally small (11–50 employees) but with a broad distribution footprint and recognition through the DuPont 2015 Packaging Innovation Award and the DHL GoGreen Award.
Kubox firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kubox
- Legal name
- Kubox LLC
- Website
- https://thekubox.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kubox manufactures reusable, ISTA-certified collapsible corrugated shipping containers—Trunk, Square, Flat, and Freight Cube—that enable freight-like shipments to move through FedEx, UPS, and DHL parcel networks at lower cost and weight than wood crating, selling direct-to-consumer, through 1,234 Authorized Centers, and via licensing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kubox industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Protective Packaging
- NAICS
- Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing (322211), Packing and Crating (488991), Packaging and Labeling Services (56191)
- SIC
- Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corrugated Packaging & Boxes (RSC, die-cut, bulk bins) (IMAMAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Crates & Cases (Wooden/Plastic/Metal, Export Cases) (IMALAFAG)
Keywords
Where Kubox is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lebanon
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Kubox business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Container Sales: Direct sales of reusable shipping containers (Trunk, Square, Flat, Freight Cube) and custom-sized containers. Containers are sold with integrated shipping capacity reservation through carrier networks.
- Spare Parts: Replacement corner hubs, pins, and other parts for container restoration and reuse lifecycle.
- Shipping Services: Container purchase includes reservation of shipping capacity within carrier networks (FedEx, UPS, DHL). Additional services include pickup service ($50) and USA shipping quotes.
- Value Protection: Optional $20 value protection offering up to $1000 coverage for loss or damage during transit.
- Licensing: Regional, market, and logistics platform licensing opportunities for manufacturing, deployment, and integration of patented reusable protective crate platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Trunk - Standard rectangular container for mixed items |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Square - Mid-sized container for balanced proportions |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Flat - Container for fragile flat artwork and screens |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Freight Cube - Pallet-based container for heavier shipments |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Custom Size - Bespoke container dimensions |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pickup Service |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Value Protection |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Kubox product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kubox designs, manufactures, and sells reusable, collapsible corrugated shipping containers (Trunk, Square, Flat, Freight Cube, and custom sizes) as an alternative to wooden crates and traditional freight packaging. Each container uses a patented plastic corner hub and locking pin system, assembles without tools, and is ISTA certified to ship fragile, valuable, or heavy items through standard parcel networks such as FedEx, UPS, and DHL. The company also sells replacement spare parts, scheduled pickup service, value protection coverage, container-inclusive USA shipping labels, and licenses its patented platform regionally and by vertical.
Product overview
Kübox is a packaging and shipping enablement platform offering reusable, collapsible shipping containers as an alternative to traditional wood crating. The product line includes four core container types—Trunk (for mixed/elongated items), Square (for mid-sized items), Flat (for flat artwork/screens), and Freight Cube (for heavier pallet-based shipments)—plus custom sizing, spare parts, and value protection services. All containers feature ISTA-certified protection, ship collapsed without tools for easy assembly, and are designed for the containerized parcel shipping model, enabling shipments that normally require freight services to move through parcel carrier networks (FedEx, UPS, DHL) while maintaining strong structural protection at 1/4 the weight of wood crates.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kübox: Primary brand for reusable shipping containers designed for fragile and oversized shipments.
- Trünk
- TrunkMoves
Products and services
- Trunk Shipping Container Collapsible reusable shipping container engineered for fragile and mixed items including electronics, kitchenware, sports equipment, music equipment, lamps, and home decor. Ships collapsed as a 7-inch-high unit, assembles without tools using the patented corner hub and pin system, and is sold in multiple sizes up to 51x21x21 inches at $70.50 USD.
- Square Shipping Container Square-shaped collapsible reusable shipping container designed for fragile and mid-sized items including music equipment, with balanced proportions for improved load stability. Available in multiple size options from 9x9x9 to 32x32x27 inches at $64.50 USD.
- Flat Shipping Container Flat reusable shipping container engineered for fragile flat artwork, wall art, mirrors, and digital screens, preventing bending or pressure damage. Available in 4-inch and 6-inch heights with dimensions up to 47x47x6 at $65.40 USD.
- Freight Cube Shipping Container Collapsible pallet-based reusable shipping container for heavier, irregular, and freight-like shipments. Features a 48x40 base with integrated pallet, collapses to 12-inch height, and includes plastic pallet, two lashing straps, and plastic cover. Sized 45x37x21, 45x37x29, or 45x37x37 inches at $265.00 USD, best for small furniture, commercial goods, equipment, and bulk inventory.
- Kubox Custom Size Container Bespoke-sized reusable shipping containers with no minimum order quantity (MOQ of one). Includes base, lid, two end walls, two side panels, eight plastic corner hubs, 16+ locking pins, and pin removal tool. Quote-based pricing, ships within 3 business days from Nashville.
- Spare Parts (Corner Hubs and Pins) Replacement components including plastic corner hubs and pins for Kubox containers. All parts are replaceable to extend the reusable lifecycle of the containerized logistics platform at $12.00 USD.
- Pickup Service Scheduled pickup service for shipping Kubox containers, priced at a $50.00 USD flat rate for the pickup portion of the shipment.
- USA Shipping (Container with Shipping Included) Kubox container bundled with domestic USA delivery via parcel carrier, priced at $121.00 USD as a single SKU that combines the container with shipping.
- Value Protection Shipping label protection add-on offering up to $1,000 of additional coverage for loss or damage during transit on top of base included coverage, priced at $20.00 USD.
- Kubox Licensing Program Regional, vertical-specific, and logistics platform licensing of Kubox's patented reusable protective crate technology (U.S. Patent Nos. D721,890S and D731,823S) for manufacturing, deployment, sales, and integration. Targets healthcare, art, relocation, aerospace, automotive, and fulfillment sectors through OEM/white-label partnerships.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 40% shipping cost savings compared to traditional methods
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Kubox
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kubox technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature4 records
Kubox partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- FedEx OfficecoreFedEx Office stores serve as retail distribution points for Kubox containers. Historical rollout of 1,400+ FedEx Office locations enabling customer access to Kubox products and packing services.
- FedExcorePrimary shipping carrier for Kubox containerized parcel shipping. Orders received by noon CST ship next day via FedEx Ground from Nashville. ISTA 6-FEDEX-A testing protocol certification.
- UPSminorAlternative parcel carrier network for Kubox containerized shipping services, providing customers with carrier choice for their shipments.
- DHLminorInternational shipping partner for Kubox containerized parcel shipping, enabling global shipment reach through DHL networks.
- Licensing PartnerscoreRegional, market, and logistics platform licensees for Kubox technology. Targets companies with local market access, manufacturing capability, or vertical-specific demand in healthcare, art, relocation, aerospace, automotive, and fulfillment sectors.
- Pack & Ship Partner RetailerscoreFASCs and pack-and-ship retail stores authorized to resell Kubox containers, offer packing services, and create shipping labels. 1,234 Kubox Authorized Center locations nationwide with potential marketplace listing.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights6 records
Kubox competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Returnity: Designs and supplies reusable shipping containers and totes for e-commerce and parcel logistics. Directly comparable to Kubox in offering branded, returnable packaging as a wood-crate alternative for consumer and B2B shipping.
- EcoEnclose: Provides sustainable shipping and packaging supplies including recycled and reusable mailers and boxes for e-commerce brands. Comparable to Kubox as a sustainability-led protective packaging supplier serving parcel shippers.
- TemperPack: Manufactures sustainable, insulated cold-chain and protective shipping packaging for parcel networks. Comparable as an alternative-protective-packaging supplier focused on replacing single-use expanded polystyrene within carrier networks.
Emerging players
- CHEP (Brambles): Global pooled-platform provider for pallets and reusable shipping containers. Comparable as a reusable-asset logistics model, though focused on pallet pooling rather than parcel-friendly collapsible containers like Kubox.
- Packlane: Custom-printed packaging supplier offering small-batch custom boxes and mailers for e-commerce brands. Comparable as a digitally-enabled custom-packaging provider targeting similar SMB and direct-to-consumer shippers.
Broad incumbents
- Smurfit Kappa: One of the world's largest paper-based and corrugated packaging manufacturers. Comparable as the dominant corrugated-packaging incumbent whose products overlap with Kubox's container format at much larger scale.
- Pratt Industries: Major US corrugated box manufacturer focused on sustainable, recycled-content packaging. Comparable as a corrugated-box incumbent serving e-commerce and industrial shippers with similar material science and customer overlap.
- ULINE: Large North American distributor of shipping, packaging, and industrial supplies including corrugated boxes and custom crating. Comparable as a one-stop shipping-supplies competitor and potential indirect channel for similar products.
- Sealed Air: Global protective packaging incumbent (Bubble Wrap, Cryovac, Instapak). Comparable as a broad portfolio provider of protective packaging used across parcel and freight networks; does not specialize in reusable crating but competes for the same protective-packaging budget.
- Veritiv: North American distributor of packaging, facility, and print solutions including corrugated and protective packaging. Comparable as a packaging-distribution incumbent that could bundle Kubox-like products or compete with them in the same RFPs.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kubox social profiles
Digital presenceKubox compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Kubox financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kubox leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Kubox funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kubox 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 Kubox
What does Kubox do?
Kubox designs, manufactures, and sells reusable, collapsible corrugated shipping containers (Trunk, Square, Flat, Freight Cube, and custom sizes) as an alternative to wooden crates and traditional freight packaging. Each container uses a patented plastic corner hub and locking pin system, assembles without tools, and is ISTA certified to ship fragile, valuable, or heavy items through standard parcel networks such as FedEx, UPS, and DHL. The company also sells replacement spare parts, scheduled pickup service, value protection coverage, container-inclusive USA shipping labels, and licenses its patented platform regionally and by vertical.
Is Kubox a public or private company?
Kubox is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kubox founded?
Kubox was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kubox based?
Kubox is headquartered in Lebanon, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kubox make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Container Sales are the primary driver. The others are spare Parts, shipping Services, value Protection and licensing.
Who are Kubox's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Returnity, EcoEnclose and TemperPack. Emerging players are CHEP (Brambles) and Packlane. Broad incumbents are Smurfit Kappa, Pratt Industries, ULINE, Sealed Air and Veritiv.
Does Kubox have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kubox.
What industry is Kubox in?
Kubox's product category is Protective Packaging. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAMAHAA, Corrugated Packaging & Boxes (RSC, die-cut, bulk bins), with a secondary code of IMALAFAG, Crates & Cases (Wooden/Plastic/Metal, Export Cases). Its NAICS code is 322211 and its SIC code is 2650.