What Safmarine does

Safmarine was a global ocean shipping and logistics brand founded in 1946 and headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, operating as a subsidiary brand under A.P. Moller-Maersk. The company served B2B customers including importers, exporters, and freight forwarders with container shipping, freight forwarding, and multi-modal transport solutions spanning global trade routes, including specialized reefer, project, special, and hazardous cargo capabilities. Its product portfolio comprised Safmarine Track and Trace (real-time cargo visibility), the Safmarine Shipment Management / MyFinance portal (ongoing shipment administration and billing/payment), a mobile app for booking management, and a Spot booking platform for spot-market quotations and reservations. Headcount was stated at 1,001-5,000 employees and the company maintained local offices and customer service representatives worldwide.

Revenue was generated on a contract-based, transaction-fee model tied to ocean shipping and logistics services, with a sales-led go-to-market approach. Customer service was a stated differentiator, supported by a tiered segmentation model: a primary B2B shipping/logistics segment (importers, exporters, freight forwarders) and a secondary "Passport" premium tier offering dedicated Customer Experience Partners and priority support. Direct customer communication, dedicated sales representatives, and a self-serve online platform were the core distribution mechanisms, with existing contracts honored through their agreed terms during organizational transitions.

In 2020, A.P. Moller-Maersk executed its "integrator strategy," fully integrating the Safmarine and Damco brands into the unified Maersk organization to deliver end-to-end ocean and logistics services under a single sales force, customer service team, and platform. Safmarine.com Spot booking was discontinued on October 31, 2020, the mobile app was closed on November 15, 2020, and full booking deprecation followed on December 31, 2020. All Safmarine customer relationships, contracts, notifications, and shipment-management workflows were migrated to Maersk.com, and the Safmarine brand was no longer marketed by year-end. Operating status is recorded as closed; Sealand and Twill were confirmed to remain as separate brands under the Maersk Group.

Name

Safmarine

Legal name

Safmarine

Website

https://safmarine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Safmarine was a global ocean shipping and logistics brand under A.P. Moller-Maersk, serving B2B importers, exporters, and freight forwarders with container shipping, freight forwarding, multi-modal transport, and specialized cargo services. The brand was fully integrated into Maersk by end of 2020.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ocean Freight & Container Shipping Services

NAICS

Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111)

SIC

Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)

akta.pro primary industry

Reefer/Temperature-Controlled Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Temperature-Controlled Ocean Freight (Reefer Containers) (TLACAMAG), Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL) (TLACABAF), Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE), Trade Compliance & Ocean Regulatory Services (Sanctions/Export Controls) (TLACABAL)

Keywords

• Ocean freight shipping
• Container logistics services
• Reefer cargo transport
• Cargo tracking systems
• Supply chain management

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ocean Shipping and Logistics Services: Safmarine generated revenue through ocean shipping services, providing container shipping, freight forwarding, and logistics solutions across global trade routes. Revenue was contract-based, with existing customer contracts remaining valid through their agreed duration. The company served customers with diverse supply chain needs, including multiple modes of transport.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Safmarine provided ocean container shipping and logistics services, including reefer, special, hazardous, and project cargo, along with freight forwarding and multi-modal transport solutions. The company supported these services with digital tools for cargo tracking, shipment management, financial administration (MyFinance), and online booking. Operating as a brand under A.P. Moller-Maersk, Safmarine served importers, exporters, and freight forwarders globally until its integration into the Maersk brand by the end of 2020.

Product overview

Safmarine was a shipping and logistics brand offering ocean freight, cargo tracking, shipment management, and booking services. The product portfolio included Safmarine Track and Trace (cargo tracking), Safmarine Shipment Management with MyFinance (shipment and financial management), a mobile app, and Spot booking services. As of 2020, the Safmarine brand was fully integrated into Maersk, with all services and functionalities migrated to Maersk.com. The Safmarine brand was no longer marketed by the end of 2020, and customers were directed to use corresponding Maersk platform services for all future bookings, tracking, and shipment management needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Safmarine Track and Trace Web-based cargo tracking and shipment visibility tool allowing customers to track their cargo shipments in real-time by entering shipment codes. Offered to B2B shipping customers to address supply chain visibility needs during the migration to Maersk.com.
• Safmarine Shipment Management (MyFinance) Customer portal for managing ongoing Safmarine shipments and MyFinance billing/payment services, allowing customers to log in and manage active shipments and financial transactions. Available during the transition period to Maersk.com.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Maersk (Parent Company Integration)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Safmarine brand was integrated into Maersk as part of a major organizational transformation. The integration combined Safmarine's customer service excellence with Maersk's global network to create a unified end-to-end supply chain offering. The Safmarine brand ceased marketing by end of 2020, with all services and customer relationships transitioning to Maersk.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Direct peers

• CMA CGM: Major French container carrier and logistics provider offering ocean shipping, reefer, and supply chain services. Directly comparable to Safmarine in reefer container shipping, multi-modal logistics, and global B2B customer segments.
• ONE (Ocean Network Express): Japanese container carrier formed from NYK, MOL, and K Line. Direct peer to Safmarine in deep sea container shipping and reefer services, serving similar global B2B importers and exporters.
• ZIM Integrated Shipping Services: Israeli container carrier with global ocean freight and logistics services, with notable specialization in refrigerated cargo. Compares directly to Safmarine's reefer-focused value proposition and B2B customer base.
• Evergreen Marine Corporation: Taiwanese container shipping line with global services including reefer cargo. Comparable to Safmarine in ocean container shipping and serving international freight customers across major trade lanes.
• MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company): One of the world's largest container shipping lines offering ocean freight including reefer services. Directly competes with Safmarine/Maersk for global containerized and temperature-controlled cargo on major trade lanes.
• Yang Ming Marine Transport: Taiwanese container shipping line providing ocean freight services globally. Directly comparable to Safmarine in deep sea container shipping, including reefer and project cargo segments.
• Hapag-Lloyd: German container shipping line with significant reefer capacity and global ocean services. Competes head-to-head with Safmarine/Maersk on containerized cargo, including temperature-controlled shipments across major trade routes.
• COSCO Shipping: Chinese state-owned container shipping group and one of the largest ocean carriers globally. Directly overlaps with Safmarine/Maersk in container shipping, reefer, and end-to-end logistics services.

Broad incumbents

• Damco (former Maersk subsidiary): Former Maersk-owned freight forwarder focused on air and LCL, integrated into Maersk in the same 2020 restructuring as Safmarine. Highly relevant peer given the parallel integration journey and shared end-to-end supply chain positioning.
• A.P. Moller-Maersk: Parent company of Safmarine and the world's largest container shipping line. Directly comparable because Safmarine's ocean freight, reefer, and logistics services have been fully integrated into Maersk's integrator platform, making Maersk the closest functional successor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/safmarine

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 Safmarine