What Portagent does

Portagent GmbH is a Bremerhaven-based customs and port logistics provider founded in 2003 by Henryk Lisewski, operating as a full-service agency for importers and exporters moving containerized and RoRo cargo through European ports. The company handles customs clearance (import, export, transit, bonded warehousing, fiscal representation), cargo services (warehousing, container trucking, container yard, breakbulk up to 50 tons), and vehicle import services, processing over 500 containers monthly and 10,000+ customs transactions annually from a single facility strategically located 100 meters from the Bremerhaven customs office.

Underpinning operations is a proprietary digital stack: the Odyssey platform links Portagent specialists with clients for customs clearance, container release, and transportation management, while Emory Pro (developed with Salico Software Consulting) provides smartphone-based digital cargo inspection with scanning, photo capture, document upload, and real-time customer sharing. A web-based customer portal with shipment tracking (by VIN or container number) and a Car Duty Calculator tool complement these systems. The company reports that digitalization cut per-shipment processing time from 45 to 20 minutes, reduced inbound phone calls by 80%, and increased team capacity by 3x. Microsoft Access remains in use as a legacy system alongside newer cloud-based tools.

The business model is transactional unit-pricing (professional services), with customs procedures priced 40-250 EUR per transaction, container handling 50-1,200 EUR, cargo handling per container or pallet, and vehicle services 100-550 EUR per vehicle. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct, leveraging 18+ years of brand reputation, the website, social media, and a worldwide partner network of 50+ logistics companies spanning USA, Canada, Poland, and Germany. Customers include import/export businesses, private individuals importing vehicles, and automotive importers, with notable enterprise engagements such as a Moldovan vehicle distribution company importing 150 Chinese vehicles. The company is ISO 9001 certified and remains founder-family-owned, with Adam Lisewski serving as Managing Director since 2016.

Name

Portagent

Legal name

PORTAGENT GmbH

Website

https://portagent.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Portagent is a Bremerhaven-based customs agency and port logistics provider offering import/export clearance, container handling, warehousing, and vehicle import services for businesses and individuals moving cargo through European ports.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Customs Brokerage and Port Logistics Services

NAICS

Marine Cargo Handling (48832), Marine Cargo Handling (488320), Warehousing and Storage (493), Support Activities for Transportation (488)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

In-Transit & Special Regimes Processing (Transit, TIR/ATA Carnet, Temporary Import/Export) (TLACAFAJ), Container Terminal Operating Services & Management (Terminal Operator / Concessionaire) (TLAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Customs clearance services
• Port logistics services
• Container handling services
• Bonded warehousing services
• Vehicle import services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bremerhaven

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Customs Clearance Services: Professional customs services including import, export, transit procedures, bonded warehouse management, and consulting. Fees are charged per procedure (40-250 EUR per transaction) and include services like T1 transit, customs inspections, and fiscal representation.
2. Cargo Handling Services: Container handling, warehousing, transloading, cross-docking, and inspection services. Pricing is per unit or per activity (20-1200 EUR depending on service type and container size).
3. Vehicle Services: Vehicle import and registration support including container unloading, storage, inspection, and homologation services. Fees range from 100-550 EUR per vehicle depending on service requirements.
4. Container Trucking and Transportation: Transport services for containers between terminal and warehouse, weighing, and chassis-to-chassis transfers. Pricing from 50-160 EUR per service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Portagent is a customs agency and port logistics provider delivering end-to-end services at the port of Bremerhaven, including import/export customs clearance, transit procedures (T1), bonded warehousing, fiscal representation, container and RoRo shipping, container trucking and yard storage, breakbulk handling, transloading/cross-docking, vehicle import registration (valuation, homologation, technical inspection), and warehousing. The company handles over 500 containers monthly across its facilities and supports customers with proprietary digital tools (Odyssey platform, Emory Pro inspection software, real-time shipment tracking, and a vehicle duty calculator) for paperless, real-time customs and cargo operations.

Product overview

Portagent is a full-service customs agency and port logistics provider offering an integrated suite of services centered around customs clearance and cargo handling at Bremerhaven port. The core offering comprises customs clearance services (import, export, transit procedures, bonded warehousing, and consulting), cargo services (warehousing, shipping, container trucking, container yard, breakbulk, and vehicle services), supported by digital tools including the Odyssey customer portal platform and Emory Pro inspection software. Additional utilities include shipment tracking and a duty calculator for vehicles. The company handles over 500 containers monthly through automated systems, serving clients importing and exporting goods through European ports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Odyssey: An interactive digital platform for Portagent that links company specialists and clients, improving processes such as customs clearance, container release, and transportation management.
• Emory Pro

Products and services

• Customs Clearance Services Comprehensive customs brokerage covering import, export, and transit (T1) procedures with standard and special customs formalities, bonded warehouse declarations, fiscal representation, active/passive refining, and import relocation for EU trade compliance. Priced per procedure from 40 to 250 EUR.
• Bonded Warehouse Services Customs-bonded storage facilities at the port allowing deferral of import duties and taxes until goods are released to free circulation, with ATB bonded warehouse procedures priced at 50 EUR per transaction.
• Warehousing Indoor and outdoor cargo storage solutions in Bremerhaven with cross-docking, transloading, customs inspection capabilities, pallet and package storage, and thousands of square meters of warehouse capacity.
• Container Shipping Container and Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) shipping solutions for cargo transportation via maritime freight, supporting customers importing and exporting vehicles, containers, and general cargo through European ports.
• Container Trucking Port terminal transport services moving containers between port facilities and warehouses, including last-mile delivery (BHV terminal to depot from 150 EUR), roundtrip BHV (160 EUR), VGM weighing (80 EUR), temporary storage (20 EUR/day), and chassis-to-chassis transfers (50 EUR).
• Container Yard Container storage facilities with both customs and regular storage options near the Bremerhaven port terminal, supporting overflow and transit storage needs for import/export customers.
• Breakbulk Services Oversized cargo handling including flat rack and open-top containers for non-standard freight up to 50 tons, transloading and cross-docking (480-1200 EUR per 40ft container depending on cargo type).
• Vehicle Services Comprehensive vehicle import and registration services including container unloading (2-pack, 3-pack, 4-pack), storage, RoRo handling, technical inspection (HU), homologation, air conditioning certification, and valuation, with fees ranging from 100 to 550 EUR per vehicle depending on the service required.
• Odyssey Platform An interactive customer and operations platform linking Portagent specialists with clients to improve customs clearance, container release, and transportation management with document upload and real-time communication capabilities.
• Emory Pro A cutting-edge digital inspection software installed on warehouse staff smartphones enabling cargo scanning, photo capture, document uploading, and immediate customer sharing for paperless warehouse management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Processing time reduced from 45 to 20 minutes per shipment procedure
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Salico Software ConsultingcoreTechnology or IntegrationDevelopment partner for Portagent's Odyssey platform and Emory Pro inspection software. Collaborated on SharePoint-based proof of concept that evolved into Odyssey, Portagent's interactive customer and operations platform. Continued partnership for ongoing software development and digital transformation initiatives.
• Transportation and Logistics PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBroad network of third-party transportation companies enabling domestic transportation within USA, Canada, Germany, and Poland. Used for arranging vehicle transport and forwarding services for customers without their own transport capabilities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German-headquartered global forwarder with strong road, air, and sea freight plus customs services across Europe. Comparable to Portagent in customs expertise and German/Northern European port focus, but operates at much larger scale.
• Röhlig Logistics: Mid-sized German freight forwarder offering sea, air, and road transport with customs brokerage. Closely comparable to Portagent in size, German roots, and customs specialization at North Sea ports.
• Emons Spedition: German freight forwarder with multimodal services including customs brokerage. Comparable to Portagent on European freight forwarding and customs services, primarily serving DACH-region shippers.
• Fr. Meyer's Sohn: Family-owned German freight forwarder with global network and customs expertise. Comparable to Portagent in size, family ownership, German base, and customs/forwarding specialization.

Broad incumbents

• DSV: Global transport and logistics provider with strong customs brokerage, air & sea, and road services in Europe. Comparable to Portagent on containerized freight and customs clearance, but with far broader network.
• Imperial Logistics: International freight forwarding and contract logistics provider with customs services. Comparable business model to Portagent on customs brokerage and freight arrangement, with broader geographic coverage.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarding and customs brokerage arm of Deutsche Post DHL. Overlaps with Portagent on import/export customs clearance, ocean and RoRo freight, and bonded warehousing at European ports.
• DB Schenker: Major German freight forwarder and logistics provider offering comprehensive customs, ocean, air, and contract logistics. Direct overlap with Portagent on customs clearance and port-side cargo handling.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with extensive customs brokerage and ocean freight services. Directly competes with Portagent on customs clearance and ocean freight arrangement but at much greater scale and global reach.

Others

• Eurogate: Operates container terminals at Bremerhaven, Hamburg, and other European ports. Adjacent to Portagent — Portagent depends on Eurogate's terminal operations for container handling, and they share the Bremerhaven port ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/portagent
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/portagent
• Instagraminstagram.com/portagent

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Portagent