ImportYeti
ImportYeti is a bootstrapped SaaS platform aggregating 70+ million U.S. and Mexico customs shipment records into a searchable trade intelligence tool, serving importers, logistics sales teams, and enterprises for supplier discovery, competitor analysis, and prospecting.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersLaguna Hills, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What ImportYeti does
ImportYeti is a SaaS trade intelligence platform that aggregates, enriches, and organizes U.S. and Mexico customs shipment records (bills of lading) into a searchable database of 70+ million records spanning 2015 to present, updated daily. Founded in March 2020 by David Applegate during the COVID-19 lockdown — leveraging his prior decade of supply-chain experience running WrestlingMart — the company makes public-but-inaccessible shipping data usable for product sourcing, supplier discovery, competitor supply-chain analysis, logistics sales prospecting, and supply-chain risk assessment. The platform serves a horizontal customer base spanning individual Amazon FBA sellers, SMB importers, logistics sales teams, large enterprises, consultancies, universities, and government agencies; named customers include Nike, Apple, Microsoft, Walmart, FedEx, UPS, DHL, Tesla, SpaceX, Rivian, Lockheed Martin, the Department of Defense, BCG, McKinsey, Deloitte, MIT, and Harvard.
The core product is a web-based search and analytics platform featuring PowerQuery (advanced multi-criteria filtering by HS code, port, TEU, date range, and service type), Yeti AI (natural-language search and keyword expansion, launched November 2024), Smart Bookmarks (email alerts on tracked suppliers and prospects), Shipment Analysis (detailed BOL documents with container, vessel, and carrier data), carrier tracking integrations with Maersk, COSCO, and Ocean Network Express, and a Xeneta-powered freight rate benchmarking layer covering 42% of lanes. Data export is supported via CSV, Excel, and Google Sheets, with API access and OAuth SSO bundled into the Enterprise tier. The company is privately held (ImportYeti, LLC, California), bootstrapped with no outside financing, cash-flow positive since 2021–2022, and operates with a team of approximately 16.
ImportYeti runs a freemium, product-led growth model supplemented by enterprise sales. Pricing tiers include a free tier with unlimited search, Professional at $50/month (annualized $600/year, or $300/year for businesses under $2M revenue), Yeti Logistics Professional at $130/month, a 30-day short-term pass at $130, and Enterprise starting at $1,000/month per organization. Acquisition is driven primarily by a generous free funnel, viral organic content on Reddit and TikTok, SEO, content marketing, and earned media (The Verge, Gizmodo, FreightWaves, SupplyChainBrain); enterprise deals are sourced via direct sales.
ImportYeti firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ImportYeti
- Legal name
- ImportYeti, LLC
- Website
- https://importyeti.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ImportYeti is a bootstrapped SaaS platform aggregating 70+ million U.S. and Mexico customs shipment records into a searchable trade intelligence tool, serving importers, logistics sales teams, and enterprises for supplier discovery, competitor analysis, and prospecting.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ImportYeti industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Intelligence Platform
- NAICS
- Directory and Mailing List Publishers (51314)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Trade Document Generation & Management (Commercial Invoice, Packing List, COO, Certificates) (TLAEAOAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Duty, Tax & Landed Cost Calculation / Trade Finance Document Support (TLAEAOAD)
Keywords
Where ImportYeti is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Laguna Hills
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ImportYeti business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Subscription - Professional Tier: Premium subscription providing unlimited human downloads, advanced search features (PowerQuery), smart bookmarks, quick contact info, and shipment analysis. Billed annually at $600/user/year or $50/month per user. Also available at $300/year for small businesses with under $2M revenue.
- Subscription - Enterprise Tier: Organization-level subscription starting at $1,000/month with unlimited user seats, enterprise data customization, API access, and Single Sign-On (OAuth). Targets large organizations with complex data needs.
- Short-term Access: One-time payment option for 30-day access at $130 per user for users who do not want to commit to annual subscriptions.
- Logistics Subscriptions: Yeti Logistics Professional at $130/month for sales prospecting features including Mexico trade data, advanced sales filters, and raw data downloads.
- Custom/Raw Data Plans: Custom plans for specialized use cases including OSINT, ESG analysis, economic development, education, news/media, and commercial raw data workflows for machine learning and market analysis.
- Free Tier: Free forever core search tier providing unlimited human search for US import data. No credit card required. Generates user base and converts to paid tiers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free - Core features for getting started |
| Subscription | Annual | Professional - Full supply chain features |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Enterprise - Organization-wide access |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Short-term - 30-day access |
| Subscription | Monthly | Yeti Logistics Professional - Sales prospecting focus |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
ImportYeti product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ImportYeti aggregates, enriches, and organizes U.S. and Mexico customs shipment records (bills of lading) from government databases into a searchable SaaS platform covering 70+ million shipment records updated daily from 2015 to present. The platform serves two primary use cases: Supply Chain (finding suppliers, competitor supplier analysis, and product sourcing market research) and Logistics (sales prospecting for freight forwarders and customs brokers based on import/export activity), delivered via freemium web access with paid Professional and Enterprise subscriptions and API access. Customers include Amazon FBA sellers, eCommerce businesses, large enterprises (Nike, Walmart, Apple, Microsoft, FedEx), consultants (BCG, McKinsey, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG), and government and academic institutions (DoD, MIT, Harvard).
Product overview
ImportYeti is a trade intelligence platform that organizes and presents U.S. and Mexico customs shipment data (bill of lading records) for product sourcing, supplier discovery, and sales prospecting. The platform consists of a free core search tier, paid Professional and Enterprise subscription plans for Supply Chain (product sourcing) and Logistics (sales prospecting) use cases, plus a Custom Plan for specialized enterprise needs. The main product lines are: Yeti Supply Chain (including Supplier Search, Power Query, Smart Bookmarks, Quick Contact, and Shipment Analysis modules) for finding manufacturers and competitors' suppliers; and Yeti Logistics (including Mexico Data, Advanced Sales Filters, Raw Data, and Shipment Analysis) for logistics and freight sales prospecting. All plans include access to the core search database of 70+ million shipment records, with differentiated by download limits, data exports, and API access.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ImportYeti Free Free forever tier providing unlimited human search across 70 million U.S. customs shipment records for verified importer/supplier lookups. Limited to US Import data only and requires no credit card.
- ImportYeti Professional (Supply Chain) Premium annual subscription at $50/month per user (billed annually at $600/year, or $300/year for small businesses under $2M revenue) providing unlimited human downloads, PowerQuery advanced search, Smart Bookmarks, Quick Contact info, and Shipment Analysis. Targets product sourcing, supplier discovery, and competitor supplier analysis.
- ImportYeti Enterprise (Supply Chain) Enterprise organization-wide subscription starting at $1,000/month with unlimited user seats, enterprise data customization, API access, and Single Sign-On (3rd-party OAuth). Custom pricing for large organizations with complex supplier intelligence and procurement needs.
- Yeti Logistics Professional Monthly subscription at $130/month for sales prospecting features targeted at logistics operators, freight forwarders, and customs brokers. Includes Mexico trade data, Advanced Sales Filters (geography, HS code, port, TEU, time period), Smart Bookmarks, Raw Data downloads, Shipment Analysis, and Quick Contact.
- Yeti Logistics Enterprise Enterprise tier for logistics operations with unlimited seats, advanced customization, and organization-wide access for logistics sales and freight forwarding teams.
- 30-Day Access Pass Short-term non-subscription access option at $130 per user for 30 days, targeted at users who want ImportYeti capabilities without committing to an annual plan.
- ImportYeti Custom Plan Tailored subscription for specialized use cases including Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), ESG analysis, Economic Development Organizations, Education, News/Media, and raw data-based workflows for commercial machine learning and market analysis.
Quantifiable outcome
- Free tier provides unlimited human search for US import data with no credit card required
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ImportYeti
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
ImportYeti technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability4 records
Feature6 records
ImportYeti partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- XenetacoreXeneta provides shipping rate benchmarking and freight cost estimation for shipments displayed on ImportYeti. When viewing Bill of Lading details, users can see estimated shipping costs based on lane routing and benchmark their shipments against current market rates. The partnership provides 42% coverage of estimated freight costs.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ImportYeti competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ImportGenius: ImportGenius aggregates U.S. and Latin America customs and shipping records into a searchable database for competitor intelligence, supplier verification, and sales prospecting. Directly comparable to ImportYeti in product offering (BOL search, supplier discovery), customer base (importers, exporters, logistics), and business model (subscription).
- ImportData: ImportData provides U.S. customs import and export data with bill of lading records for supplier sourcing, market research, and competitive intelligence. Closely comparable to ImportYeti in core offering (BOL search) and target market (importers, exporters, manufacturers).
- Panjiva: Panjiva (now part of S&P Global Market Intelligence) is the most direct competitor, providing US and global trade data from customs shipment records for supply chain intelligence, supplier discovery, and competitor analysis. Targets similar enterprise customers (procurement, supply chain, compliance) with overlapping feature sets around bill of lading data.
- Datamyne: Datamyne provides global trade data with bill of lading records for market research, competitive intelligence, and supplier sourcing. Directly comparable to ImportYeti in product category (customs BOL aggregation) and customer use cases (product sourcing, sales prospecting).
- Zepol Corporation: Zepol provides U.S. trade data tools including shipment records, customs data, and supplier sourcing for small and mid-sized businesses. Comparable to ImportYeti in core product (BOL search, supplier discovery) with overlap in target customer segments.
Emerging players
- 52Waves: 52Waves is a smaller, emerging player in the trade data intelligence space offering bill of lading search and supplier discovery tools. Comparable to ImportYeti in focus area but with narrower scale and product scope.
- Freightos: Freightos is a digital freight marketplace with freight rate benchmarking and visibility tools — overlapping with ImportYeti's freight cost benchmarking feature (via Xeneta). Comparable in serving shippers and forwarders with trade logistics data, though focused on real-time pricing rather than historical shipment records.
Broad incumbents
- Descartes Visual Compliance: Descartes is a large logistics technology company offering trade compliance, customs filing, and global trade intelligence. As a broad incumbent in the trade data space, it competes with ImportYeti in the supply chain visibility category while serving much larger enterprise customers with bundled offerings.
- S&P Global Market Intelligence: S&P Global Market Intelligence (parent of Panjiva) is a broad incumbent offering enterprise-grade trade, supply chain, and market intelligence data. Competes with ImportYeti in the enterprise segment with bundled offerings, deeper datasets, and established enterprise sales motions.
Regional players
- xChange: Container xChange operates in the container logistics space with a marketplace and data platform for shipping container availability and freight intelligence. Adjacent peer with some overlap in freight/shipping data, though primarily focused on container leasing rather than customs BOL aggregation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ImportYeti social profiles
Digital presenceImportYeti financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ImportYeti leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
ImportYeti funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ImportYeti 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 ImportYeti
What does ImportYeti do?
ImportYeti aggregates, enriches, and organizes U.S. and Mexico customs shipment records (bills of lading) from government databases into a searchable SaaS platform covering 70+ million shipment records updated daily from 2015 to present. The platform serves two primary use cases: Supply Chain (finding suppliers, competitor supplier analysis, and product sourcing market research) and Logistics (sales prospecting for freight forwarders and customs brokers based on import/export activity), delivered via freemium web access with paid Professional and Enterprise subscriptions and API access. Customers include Amazon FBA sellers, eCommerce businesses, large enterprises (Nike, Walmart, Apple, Microsoft, FedEx), consultants (BCG, McKinsey, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG), and government and academic institutions (DoD, MIT, Harvard).
Is ImportYeti a public or private company?
ImportYeti is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ImportYeti founded?
ImportYeti was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ImportYeti based?
ImportYeti is headquartered in Laguna Hills, United States, in the North America region.
How does ImportYeti make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Subscription - Professional Tier is the primary driver. The others are subscription - Enterprise Tier, short-term Access, logistics Subscriptions, custom/Raw Data Plans and free Tier.
Who are ImportYeti's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ImportGenius, ImportData, Panjiva, Datamyne and Zepol Corporation. Emerging players are 52Waves and Freightos. Broad incumbents are Descartes Visual Compliance and S&P Global Market Intelligence. xChange is listed as a regional player.
Does ImportYeti have an API?
Yes. ImportYeti offers API access as part of their Enterprise plan ('Enterprise Data Customization & API'). The API enables enterprise customers to access and integrate ImportYeti's customs shipment data into their own systems. No public API documentation or developer portal was found.
What industry is ImportYeti in?
ImportYeti's product category is Trade Intelligence Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAEAOAF, Trade Document Generation & Management (Commercial Invoice, Packing List, COO, Certificates), with a secondary code of TLAEAOAD, Duty, Tax & Landed Cost Calculation / Trade Finance Document Support. Its NAICS code is 51314 and its SIC code is 4731.