Affinity (Shipping)

What Affinity (Shipping) does

Affinity (Shipping) LLP is an independent shipbroking firm headquartered at 44th Floor, The Leadenhall Building in London, operating as a UK limited liability partnership. Founded in 2015, the firm employs approximately 180 staff across 20 offices in 13 countries spanning Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North America, Oceania, and South America, serving customers in more than 150 countries. Its go-to-market centers on direct broker relationships delivered through a 24/7 global coverage model rather than scale-based positioning, supported by a published research operation that distributes weekly market intelligence to over 2,000 subscribers.

The firm's core product is a portfolio of nine shipbroking service lines: Dry Cargo, Tankers, LNG, LPG, Newbuilding, Offshore, Sale & Purchase, Research, and Valuations, with Carbon advisory and trading services added as a tenth vertical tied to the energy transition. Underlying the service offering is a proprietary research platform and in-house vessel databases tracking 4,000+ offshore vessels and 1,500+ tanker fixtures annually covering 100M+ DWT, with 400+ research reports published in 2024 alone. Revenue is generated through three streams: transaction-based commissions on charter and sale & purchase deals, advisory fees for valuations and strategic consulting, and subscription revenue from research publications. Pricing is bespoke and negotiated per transaction rather than standardized, and customer segments span shipowners and operators, banks and financial institutions, commodity charterers and traders, and shipping-focused investors.

The company is privately held under LLP structure with no external investors, parent company, or funding rounds disclosed. Operational signals indicate steady activity including ISO 27001 certification via LRQA, active website operations through 2026, and ongoing research publication cadence. There is no evidence of AI/ML capability development; the technology footprint is limited to website analytics (Google Analytics, PostHog), hosting infrastructure (Vercel), and proprietary human-authored research. The firm has no recorded M&A, partnerships, or alliances in the supplied data.

Name

Affinity (Shipping)

Legal name

Affinity (Shipping) LLP

Website

https://affinityship.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Affinity (Shipping) LLP is an independent London-headquartered shipbroker with ~180 staff across 20 offices in 13 countries, providing chartering, sale & purchase, valuations, research, and advisory services to shipowners, banks, charterers, and investors across 150+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Shipbroking Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF)

Keywords

• Shipbroking services
• Vessel chartering
• Sale and purchase
• Maritime research
• Vessel valuations

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Shipbroking Commissions: Commission-based compensation for arranging vessel charters, sale & purchase transactions, and other shipping services. Commissions are earned on completed transactions and form the core revenue stream.
2. Advisory Services: Advisory fees for consulting services including market analysis, valuation services, and strategic guidance for shipowners, banks, and financial institutions.
3. Research Subscriptions: Subscription-based access to market research reports and intelligence content. Content may be provided free of charge for initial periods with charges applicable thereafter per Terms of Business.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Affinity (Shipping) is an independent shipbroker delivering chartering (voyage, COA, time), sale & purchase brokering, independent vessel valuations, and advisory services across dry cargo, tankers, LNG, LPG, offshore, newbuilding, and carbon markets. The firm supplements these transaction services with proprietary weekly market research publications and a 24/7 global desk coverage model spanning 20 offices in 13 countries.

Product overview

Affinity (Shipping) is an independent shipbroker offering a unified platform of shipbroking services centered on expertise rather than scale. The core offering comprises nine specialized service lines—Dry Cargo, Tankers, LNG, LPG, Newbuilding, Offshore, Sale & Purchase, Research, and Valuations—supplemented by Carbon advisory services. Supporting the service portfolio is a suite of weekly research publications including the Affinity Dry Cargo Weekly, S&P and Newbuilding Weekly, and Affinity Tanker Weekly, which provide regular market intelligence and analysis. Together, these services and publications enable clients to access chartering, advisory, vessel transactions, and market insights across all shipping sectors globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dry Cargo Brokering Voyage, COA (Contract of Affreightment), and time chartering services for global dry bulk shipments across all vessel sizes, from Capesize to Handysize. Designed for shipowners, charterers, and commodity traders moving dry bulk cargoes.
• Tanker Brokering Brokering of crude and product tankers, offering tailored solutions for chartering, operations, and logistics support worldwide, with deep market insight for efficient transactions. Serves oil majors, traders, and shipowners across 20+ tanker markets.
• LNG Chartering Spot LNG tanker chartering services leveraging top-tier oil industry relationships. Targeted at LNG cargo owners, traders, and vessel operators requiring specialized gas carrier brokerage.
• LPG Chartering Global LPG market navigation services for chartering and market advisory. Designed for LPG producers, traders, and industrial buyers requiring gas carrier capacity.
• Newbuilding Brokering Assistance to shipowners and investors in placing newbuilding orders with reputable shipyards. Includes yard selection, contract negotiation, and project oversight through delivery.
• Offshore Shipbroking Offshore shipbroking services covering OSVs including Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs), Anchor-Handling Tug Supply Vessels (AHTSs), and Subsea/Construction Support Vessels. Serves offshore operators, rig owners, and vessel investors.
• Sale & Purchase Brokering Comprehensive sale and purchase services for second-hand vessels across all shipping sectors, connecting buyers and sellers globally with market insight, valuation support, and deal execution.
• Maritime Market Research Maritime market intelligence delivering forward-looking insights across commodities, freight, and fleet trends, with regular weekly publications and special reports. Available via subscription to clients globally.
• Vessel Valuations Independent, data-backed vessel valuations for owners, banks, and financial institutions worldwide. Supports loan security assessments, sale/purchase decisions, and investment analysis.
• Carbon Markets Advisory Client-specific advisory and trading services across global carbon markets for the energy transition. Targets shipping companies, energy firms, and industrial participants navigating carbon compliance and trading.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000+ research subscribers worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Poten & Partners: Poten & Partners is a long-established independent shipbroker with deep specialization in tankers and LNG, alongside dry cargo and S&P. Comparable to Affinity's tanker and LNG franchise, though more concentrated in liquid cargo segments. Both target similar owner, bank, and charterer clients.
• Barry Rogliano Salles (BRS): BRS is a French-headquartered independent shipbroker with global presence, offering chartering, S&P, and research across bulkers, tankers, containers, and specialized vessels. Closely comparable to Affinity in independent structure, service mix, and global office model.
• GFI Brokers / BRS Brokers (Fearnleys group): GFI Brokers (acquired by BRS, which is itself now part of Fearnleys Group) operates as a global shipbroker with strong tanker and dry cargo desks. Comparable to Affinity in tanker broking scale and transactional volume, though now embedded in a larger group structure.
• Howe Robinson Partners: Howe Robinson is an independent shipbroking group with London origins and global offices, providing chartering, S&P, and valuations across dry cargo, tankers, containers, and offshore. Directly comparable to Affinity in boutique full-service independent positioning and customer segments served.
• Fearnleys: Fearnleys is a Norwegian-headquartered independent shipbroker with global offices, offering chartering, S&P, newbuilding, offshore, and research. Comparable to Affinity in independent positioning, multi-segment coverage, and office network breadth, with stronger offshore and Norwegian tonnage relationships.
• Lorentzen & Stemoco: Lorentzen & Stemoco is a Norwegian independent shipbroker with global reach, providing chartering, S&P, and offshore services. Comparable to Affinity in independent, expertise-led positioning and multi-segment offering, with stronger Nordic towner relationships.
• Braemar ACM (formerly Braemar Seascope): Braemar ACM is an independent shipbroking and advisory group covering chartering, S&P, valuations, and research across tankers, dry, offshore, and specialized segments. Closely comparable to Affinity as a multi-segment independent broker with both shipbroking and advisory revenue streams. Recently merged with ACM to scale up, making it a more direct competitive reference point.
• Simpson Spence Young (SSY): SSY is one of the largest independent shipbrokers globally, offering chartering, S&P, and research across tankers, dry cargo, offshore, and specialized sectors. Directly comparable to Affinity in independent positioning and full-service offering, though larger and longer-established. Closest direct peer by business model and service breadth.
• Maersk Broker / MB Shipbrokers: MB Shipbrokers (formerly Maersk Broker) is an independent global shipbroker covering chartering, S&P, and operations across tankers, dry cargo, containers, and offshore. Closely comparable to Affinity in service breadth and independent (now externalized from Maersk) positioning, with longer operating history.

Broad incumbents

• Clarkson PLC (Clarksons): Clarksons is the world's largest shipbroker and shipping investment bank, listed on the London Stock Exchange. It offers the same core services as Affinity (chartering, S&P, research, valuations) but at vastly greater scale, with deeper capital, proprietary data platforms (Clarksons Research), and broader financial services. The most direct comparable in terms of business model and service mix, but materially larger and publicly listed.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/affinityship
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/affinityship

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Affinity (Shipping)