ShipServ

What ShipServ does

ShipServ is a B2B maritime trading platform, founded in 1999 and headquartered in London, that connects ship owners, vessel operators, and offshore buyers with a global network of verified suppliers of marine spare parts, equipment, chandlery, provisions, and marine services. Its core products are the Trade Platform for Buyers (sourcing, RFQ, and procurement optimisation) and the Trade Platform for Suppliers (listings, RFQ responses, premium profiles, and advertising), supported by the IMPA Catalogue partnership that makes 50,000 standardised marine store codes searchable on the platform. The supplier directory spans 40+ categories with 30,000+ verified suppliers — including 14,000 in marine services, 4,000 in pumps and valves, 3,000 in safety and chandlery, 2,000 in provisions, deck spares, and compressors — and features brand-indexed pages for major OEMs such as MAN, Caterpillar, ABB, Alfa Laval, Wartsila, Cobham, Hamworthy, and Sauer.

The company's business model is a two-sided marketplace monetised primarily through supplier-side fees (listing, premium profile, advertising/promotion) and, by implication, commissions or transaction-fee economics on facilitated trade, with pricing not publicly disclosed. It serves global enterprise maritime customers including Altera Infrastructure, Anglo Eastern, ARC, Anthony Veder, Atlantic Towing, APL, Berge Bulk, BOA, Crowley, Costa, and Offen Group, and reaches into at least Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, and South America. Headcount is reported at 101-250, and the company operates as a privately held UK entity under the Marcura group, alongside Marcura's other maritime solutions (DA-Desk, PortLog, PortsDirect, Claims, Compliance, MarTrust, VesselMan). Two historical external funding rounds total approximately $8.25M (a $5M round in 2000 led by Ionian Ventures and a $3.25M round in 2010 with undisclosed investors); no recent funding, revenue, or valuation is disclosed.

Name

ShipServ

Legal name

ShipServ Limited

Website

https://shipserv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ShipServ is a London-headquartered B2B maritime trading platform that connects global shipowners and vessel operators with 30,000+ verified suppliers of marine spare parts, equipment, chandlery, provisions, and marine services via RFQ workflows and the IMPA-coded catalogue, operating under the Marcura group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime B2B Marketplace

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080)

akta.pro primary industry

Deck Fittings & Hardware (Bitts, Fairleads, Cleats, Anchors & Chains) (IMAJAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Engine & Mechanical Overhaul (Main/Aux Engines, Pumps, Valves, Compressors) (TLAHAMAD), Project Management & Owner’s Engineering / Technical Consultancy (Spec Writing, Bid Support, Site Support) (IMAJAGAO)

Keywords

• Maritime procurement
• Marine B2B marketplace
• Vessel supplies
• RFQ management
• IMPA catalogue

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Trade facilitation: Platform facilitates trade between maritime buyers and suppliers, likely earning commissions or transaction fees on completed trades

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ShipServ operates an online B2B trading platform that connects maritime buyers (shipowners, vessel operators) with a global network of over 30,000 verified suppliers of marine spare parts, equipment, chandlery, provisions, and marine services. The platform enables buyers to source products, submit RFQs, and search the IMPA Catalogue's 50,000 standardized Marine Stores Guide codes, while suppliers can list products, respond to buyer RFQs, and grow their maritime business.

Product overview

ShipServ is a maritime trading platform that provides simple, secure, and sustainable trade solutions connecting buyers (shipowners, vessel operators) with suppliers of marine spare parts and equipment. The core platform consists of two main offerings: Trade Platform for Buyers (enabling sourcing from a global network of trusted suppliers) and Trade Platform for Suppliers (connecting suppliers with buyers worldwide to respond to RFQs). The platform integrates the IMPA Catalogue with 50,000 marine store codes for product search. Buyer solutions include Facilitate & Optimise Trade, Sustainable Trade, and Secure Trade Operations. The platform organizes products across 40+ categories including Marine Safety (3,000 suppliers), Pumps (4,000 suppliers), Valves (4,000 suppliers), Marine Services (14,000 suppliers), Compressors (2,000 suppliers), Provisions, Chandlery, Deck Spares, and Welding Supplies. ShipServ also features supplier and brand directories covering major maritime equipment brands including MAN, Caterpillar, ABB, Alfa Laval, and Wartsila.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trade Platform for Buyers A maritime trading platform enabling buyers (shipowners, vessel operators, maritime companies) to source from a global network of trusted suppliers and streamline their maritime procurement process. Includes access to RFQ functionality and IMPA Catalogue search.
• Trade Platform for Suppliers A maritime trading platform enabling suppliers (marine equipment manufacturers, chandlers, service providers) to connect with buyers worldwide, respond to RFQs, showcase products, and grow their maritime business.
• IMPA Catalogue The Marine Stores Guide (MSG) integrated with ShipServ.com, providing free search across 50,000 standardized IMPA codes for marine spare parts and supplies. Available via the IMPA Catalogue partnership with the International Marine Purchasing Association.

Quantifiable outcome

• Connects buyers with 30,000+ verified maritime suppliers globally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• IMPA (International Marine Purchasing Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShipServ partners with IMPA to provide the IMPA Catalogue - The Marine Stores Guide with 50,000 standardized codes. This integration enables maritime buyers to search for products using industry-standard IMPA codes, enhancing procurement efficiency and standardization across the maritime supply chain.
• MarcuracoreTechnology or IntegrationMarcura is the parent company operating ShipServ along with other maritime solutions including DA-Desk, PortLog, PortsDirect, Claims, Compliance, MarTrust, and VesselMan. These integrated solutions provide a comprehensive maritime trade ecosystem.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tradeshift: Tradeshift operates a global B2B trade network and marketplace connecting buyers and suppliers, with similar marketplace dynamics to ShipServ but across multi-vertical trade rather than maritime-specific procurement.

Broad incumbents

• SAP Ariba: SAP Ariba is the dominant enterprise procurement and supplier network platform, with maritime-relevant catalogs and supplier discovery that overlap with ShipServ's procurement marketplace functionality at far greater scale.
• Coupa Software: Coupa is a broad spend management and B2B procurement platform with marketplace and supplier catalog capabilities that increasingly encroach on vertical procurement marketplaces like ShipServ.
• Jaggaer: Jaggaer is an enterprise indirect spend and supplier management platform with category-specific marketplaces, comparable in scope to ShipServ's procurement orchestration but at multi-vertical scale.
• Wärtsilä: Wärtsilä is a major marine engine and systems OEM with direct parts and service channels (Wärtsilä SmartShip, Services) that compete with ShipServ's marketplace for high-value marine equipment and engine spares.

Emerging players

• Keelvar: Keelvar provides AI-driven procurement optimization and sourcing automation, with maritime and shipping customers that overlap with ShipServ's buyer base, representing an emerging competitive vector.
• Hypersonix: Hypersonix offers AI-driven procurement and pricing intelligence with maritime-sector applicability, representing an emerging competitor to traditional procurement marketplaces like ShipServ.

Others

• Veson Nautical: Veson Nautical provides maritime commercial software (Vessel & Cargo management, IMOS platform) used by shipping operators, making it an ecosystem-adjacent player rather than a direct ShipServ competitor.
• MarineTraffic: MarineTraffic is a global vessel tracking and maritime data platform; it operates in the maritime digital ecosystem alongside ShipServ but serves AIS/operational visibility rather than procurement.
• KVH Industries: KVH provides maritime connectivity, VSAT, and content services to commercial fleets, serving the same shipping customer base as ShipServ but in communications rather than procurement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shipserv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors6 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 ShipServ