Metafour
Metafour is a UK-based software company founded in 1980 that provides cloud-based delivery management software for courier companies and corporate mailrooms. Its NetCourier platform automates rate shopping, booking, tracking, and invoicing across 40+ carrier integrations for 150+ enterprise customers globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Metafour does
Metafour is a UK-headquartered, privately held software company founded in 1980 that builds cloud-based delivery management software for courier operators and corporate mailrooms. Its flagship NetCourier platform provides end-to-end workflow automation — rate shopping across 40+ carrier integrations (DPD, DHL, FedEx, UPS, TNT and others), booking, label printing, driver dispatch with Google Maps-based run planning, real-time tracking, proof of delivery capture via the MetApp mobile application, and invoicing reconciliation that exports to Sage, Xero, QuickBooks, and Pastel. A parallel Mailroom Software line covers inbound and outbound corporate parcel tracking (MTrak), chain-of-custody audit trails, automated recipient notifications, and smart locker integrations with six providers. An open NetCourier Shipping API Suite enables 3PLs, ERP and WMS integrators, and retail fulfilment companies to embed Metafour between their systems and parcel carriers.
Metafour serves more than 150 enterprise and mid-market customers globally, including DX (UK's preferred Government and embassy document handler, ~40M shipments annually), Hellmann Worldwide Logistics (~65,000 daily shipments across 263 offices), ILG / Yusen Logistics (70,000 daily orders across 15 sites), Allen & Overy, Sky, LF&E Refrigerated Transport, and Santis Global. The platform runs on secure cloud infrastructure certified to ISO27001, ISO22301, and Cyber Essentials standards.
The company generates revenue primarily through subscription-based software licensing with a modular, sliding-scale pricing model across Standard, Plus, and Enterprise tiers, supplemented by professional services for implementation, training, and consulting. Metafour UK Ltd. is structured as an Employee Ownership Trust, with no external private equity or venture capital, and operates from London with stated global reach across EMEA and Africa.
Metafour firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Metafour
- Legal name
- Metafour UK Ltd.
- Website
- https://metafour.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Metafour is a UK-based software company founded in 1980 that provides cloud-based delivery management software for courier companies and corporate mailrooms. Its NetCourier platform automates rate shopping, booking, tracking, and invoicing across 40+ carrier integrations for 150+ enterprise customers globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Metafour is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Metafour business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Subscription-based Software Licensing: Metafour offers modular, sliding-scale pricing where customers only pay for modules they use with cheaper rates per unit as shipping volume increases. Three service tiers (Standard, Plus, Enterprise) are available to suit company size and needs.
- Professional Services: Implementation, training, and consulting services provided by in-house team and dedicated account managers during onboarding and ongoing operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Standard - Essential cloud-based delivery management with standard hosting, software support, access to friendly support desk, regular reviews, and annual reporting. |
| Subscription | Annual | Plus (Advance) - Enhanced features including advanced hosting, dedicated account management, faster support turnaround, regular reporting, additional training, and access to Plus Infosec pack. |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Enterprise - Full-featured solution with dedicated bespoke hosting, dedicated consultancy, enterprise support SLA, regular service reviews, bespoke reporting, extensive training programs, access to Enterprise Infosec pack, and 24/7 support options. |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Metafour product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Metafour develops and sells NetCourier, a cloud-based courier delivery management platform used by courier companies to handle rate shopping, bookings, label printing, tracking and invoicing across 40+ global and regional carriers. It also offers a complementary Mailroom Software suite for corporate mailrooms to track inbound and outbound parcels with full chain of custody. Both product lines are sold as modular subscription software with three service tiers and supported by an open booking API for ERP/WMS integration.
Product overview
Metafour offers a modular, cloud-based delivery management platform with two core product lines: NetCourier (courier delivery software) and Metafour Mailroom Software (corporate mailroom management). The platform operates on a platform-plus-modules architecture where NetCourier serves as the core engine for courier operations, supplemented by specialized modules including MTrak for internal parcel tracking, MetApp for driver mobile operations, Datasense for analytics and reporting, the Client Portal for white-labeled customer-facing features, and Smart Locker Integration for automated collection. The mailroom solution encompasses Inbound and Outbound Mailroom Software with compliance and reconciliation capabilities. The NetCourier Shipping API Suite enables 3PL and fulfilment companies to integrate with carriers (DPD, FedEx, DHL, UPS, TNT) and existing ERP/WMS systems. All products are hosted on secure, ISO27001 and Cyber Essentials certified cloud infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NetCourier: Flagship courier management software platform enabling booking, label printing, tracking, and invoicing for courier companies.
- MetApp
- MTrak
- DataSense
- NetCourier Shipping API Suite
Products and services
- NetCourier Courier Software End-to-end cloud-based courier delivery management platform for courier companies, supporting rate shopping, bookings, scheduling, label printing, tracking, driver dispatch and invoicing across 40+ carriers.
- Metafour Mailroom Software Cloud-based corporate mailroom management software for tracking inbound and outbound mail and parcels across multi-site organizations, with secure audit trail, automated notifications and smart locker integration.
- NetCourier Shipping API Suite API suite enabling 3PLs, outsourced logistics providers and retail fulfilment companies to integrate with ERP, WMS and parcel carriers for seamless booking, label generation, tracking and reconciliation.
- Client Portal White-labeled, customer-facing portal that lets end-users compare shipping services, generate quotes, book collections, track deliveries and access reporting; supports a public booking page with integrated payment gateway.
- Internal Parcel Tracking Software Software that manages the full in-house delivery process from mailroom to recipient, providing real-time tracking, chain of custody, and proof of delivery via signature, photo ID or QR code scanning.
- Inbound Mailroom Software Specialized inbound mail tracking software that records incoming items, notifies recipients automatically, and captures proof of collection with secure audit trail.
- Outbound Mailroom Software Outbound mail management software providing full audit trail for items dispatched, rate-shopping via carrier integrations, and billing to the correct client matter or department.
- International Courier Software Specialized software for global shipping operations, with customs documentation automation, customs clearance support and cross-border delivery management.
- Overnight Courier Software Next-day delivery software handling overnight bookings, scheduling and delivery network management for courier companies.
- Sameday Courier Software Same-day delivery software providing real-time tracking, urgent booking management and rapid dispatch capabilities for time-critical courier operations.
- Smart Locker Integration Integration with multiple smart parcel locker providers (Hublok, VPOD, MyPup, Smartbox, BoxAsOne, Keynius) for 24/7 automated contactless parcel collection in corporate mailrooms and residential buildings.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced data entry time by 50%
- +9 more outcomes
Companies that use Metafour
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Metafour technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration20 records
AI capability5 records
Feature13 records
Metafour partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- DPDcoreMajor European parcel delivery company integrated into Metafour's courier software for automated booking, label printing, and tracking. DPD handles hundreds of thousands of parcels during peak periods in South Africa and is a key carrier partner for e-commerce deliveries.
- DHLcoreGlobal logistics company integrated via API for rate shopping, booking, tracking, and proof of delivery. One of the major carriers used by Metafour customers for international and overnight delivery services.
- FedExcoreInternational express delivery company integrated into Metafour's carrier network for seamless booking and tracking across global delivery routes.
- UPScoreGlobal package delivery company integrated with Metafour's software for automated shipping operations and real-time tracking capabilities.
- TNTcoreInternational express delivery carrier integrated into Metafour's carrier ecosystem for overnight and international shipping services.
- What3WordscoreRevolutionary geolocation technology that divides the world into 3-meter squares with unique three-word addresses. Integration with NetCourier enables precise delivery location identification, reducing lost parcels and delivery times by up to 30%.
- Google MapscoreGoogle Maps integration for driver run planning, real-time driver view, live congestion data, and comprehensive fleet visibility in Metafour's courier software.
- Yusen LogisticsmajorParent company of ILG (International Logistics Group). Yusen acquired ILG and partners with Metafour for fulfilment and delivery services software across 15 warehouse locations globally.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Metafour competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Descartes Systems Group: Descartes is a long-standing logistics technology vendor offering transportation management, routing, and global trade compliance software. It directly overlaps Metafour's courier delivery management and rate shopping capabilities but at much greater scale and across a broader portfolio.
- project44: project44 is a global supply chain visibility platform connecting shippers, carriers, and 3PLs with API-based tracking and orchestration. Its carrier API integration breadth and 3PL focus make it a direct competitor to Metafour's NetCourier Shipping API Suite.
- FourKites: FourKites provides real-time transportation visibility and predictive supply chain analytics across modes. It competes with Metafour's tracking, ETA prediction, and DataSense analytics modules for enterprise shippers and logistics providers.
Direct peers
- Shippo: Shippo is a shipping API and platform offering multi-carrier rate shopping, label generation, and tracking for SMBs and mid-market merchants. It overlaps directly with Metafour's rate shopping engine and NetCourier carrier integration suite, though Shippo focuses more on merchant shipping than courier operators.
- EasyPost: EasyPost is a multi-carrier shipping API platform used by developers and enterprises for label generation, tracking, and rate shopping. Its API-first approach to connecting ERP/WMS systems with carriers parallels Metafour's open booking API positioning.
- Metapack: Metapack (part of Auctane/Stamps.com) provides delivery management software for retailers and carriers, including carrier selection, label printing, and tracking. It is one of the closest direct competitors to Metafour's courier delivery platform.
Emerging players
- Bringg: Bringg is a delivery orchestration platform for last-mile logistics, offering driver apps, dispatching, and route optimisation for enterprise retailers and 3PLs. It overlaps with Metafour's MetApp driver module and run planning capabilities, with a stronger emphasis on retail orchestration.
- Onfleet: Onfleet provides last-mile delivery management software with driver apps, route optimisation, and customer notifications. It is comparable to Metafour's MetApp and run planning features, primarily targeting SMB and mid-market couriers.
- ParcelLab: ParcelLab offers a delivery experience platform focused on post-checkout tracking notifications and branded communications. Its tracking and customer notification functionality parallels parts of Metafour's MTrak mailroom and customer-facing portal capabilities.
- Smartlane: Smartlane is a European route optimisation and dispatching platform for courier and delivery fleets. Its run planning, ETA prediction, and driver dispatch features are directly comparable to Metafour's Controller Screen, run planning, and time/ETA modules.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Metafour social profiles
Digital presenceMetafour financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Metafour leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Metafour funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Metafour 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 Metafour
What does Metafour do?
Metafour develops and sells NetCourier, a cloud-based courier delivery management platform used by courier companies to handle rate shopping, bookings, label printing, tracking and invoicing across 40+ global and regional carriers. It also offers a complementary Mailroom Software suite for corporate mailrooms to track inbound and outbound parcels with full chain of custody. Both product lines are sold as modular subscription software with three service tiers and supported by an open booking API for ERP/WMS integration.
Is Metafour a public or private company?
Metafour is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Metafour founded?
Metafour was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Metafour based?
Metafour is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Metafour make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Subscription-based Software Licensing is the primary driver. The others are professional Services.
Who are Metafour's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Descartes Systems Group, project44 and FourKites. Direct peers are Shippo, EasyPost and Metapack. Emerging players are Bringg, Onfleet, ParcelLab and Smartlane.
Does Metafour have an API?
Yes. Metafour offers an open booking API that enables integration with ERP, WMS, or any other third-party systems. The API facilitates easy transfer of bookings between third parties and ensures full tracking can be sent back to customers. Perfect for 3PLs, outsourced logistics, and retail fulfilment companies, sitting between customer ERP/WMS and parcel carriers. The NetCourier Shipping API Suite provides carrier booking integrations with over 40 global, regional and local carriers.