Kotahi
Kotahi Logistics LP is a privately-held NZ containerised freight manager that pools cargo from 40+ exporters and importers to optimise ocean and landside supply chains via long-term carrier and port partnerships, primarily serving primary industry exporters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersAuckland, New Zealand
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Kotahi does
Kotahi Logistics LP is a privately-held New Zealand containerised freight manager founded in 2011 and headquartered in Auckland. The company operates as a collaborative export platform, pooling container cargo from over 40 leading New Zealand exporters and importers to optimise ocean freight and landside transport supply and demand. Cargo categories span dairy, meat, seafood, forestry products, wool, hides, seeds, and pharmaceuticals — covering the bulk of NZ's primary industry export base. Kotahi earns revenue through transaction-fee-based freight management services rather than acting as a principal carrier.
The company's core offering combines two integrated capabilities: global freight management (securing long-term committed capacity with major carriers) and supply chain collaboration services (coordinating members, ports, and landside logistics). Its foundational commercial relationship is a two-decade partnership with A.P. Moller-Maersk, extended in May 2024 to December 2034, covering backbone shipping services across key global markets. Kotahi supplements this with port-side agreements including a six-year cargo volume commitment to 2030 with Timaru Container Terminal (under Port of Tauranga ownership). Over the past decade, the Maersk partnership has moved 1.8 million TEU (23 million tonnes) of NZ cargo.
Kotahi is structured as a New Zealand limited partnership (Kotahi Logistics LP), with no parent company, no institutional external investors, and no subsidiaries. It is member-driven, founded by exporters, and operates with a lean team (101–250 employees). Go-to-market is almost entirely through channel partnerships with carriers and ports rather than direct sales; member acquisition occurs through the Primary Industries NZ ecosystem. The firm has no disclosed AI/ML technology stack, no patents, and no apps or APIs, reflecting its role as a relationship-based logistics coordinator rather than a technology platform.
Kotahi firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kotahi
- Legal name
- Kotahi Logistics LP
- Website
- https://kotahi.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Kotahi Logistics LP is a privately-held NZ containerised freight manager that pools cargo from 40+ exporters and importers to optimise ocean and landside supply chains via long-term carrier and port partnerships, primarily serving primary industry exporters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kotahi industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Ocean Freight Management
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Support Activities for Transportation (488)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Project & OOG/Breakbulk Ocean Forwarding (Out-of-Gauge, RoRo) (TLACABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Perishables & Fresh Produce Forwarding (Food/Seafood/Floral) (TLACAJAA)
Keywords
Where Kotahi is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Auckland
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Markets served
Kotahi business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Ocean Freight Management: Kotahi operates as a collaborative freight manager, pooling container cargo from over 40 New Zealand exporters and importers to optimize ocean freight and landside transport supply and demand. The company secures long-term committed freight partnerships with carriers to provide reliable, resilient, and sustainable global supply chain solutions for primary industry exporters.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Kotahi product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kotahi operates as New Zealand's largest containerised freight manager, pooling container cargo from over 40 leading export and import companies to optimise ocean freight and landside transport supply and demand. The company secures long-term committed freight partnerships with major carriers such as A.P. Moller - Maersk and port operators including Timaru Container Terminal and Port of Tauranga to deliver reliable, resilient and sustainable global supply chain solutions for primary industry exporters of dairy, meat, seafood, horticulture, forestry, timber, pulp, hides, wool, seeds and pharmaceutical products.
Product overview
Kotahi operates as a unified platform offering global freight management and supply chain collaboration services. The company pools cargo from over 40 of New Zealand's leading export and import companies to optimize ocean freight and landside transport. Their services focus on consolidation, efficiency, service quality, and landside innovation for various product categories including seafood, timber, pulp, meat, hides, wool, dairy, seeds, and pharmaceutical products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Global Freight Management Kotahi operates as New Zealand's largest containerised freight manager, pooling cargo from over 40 exporters and importers to create optimised ocean freight and landside transport solutions for moving cargo around the world. The service is targeted at New Zealand primary industry exporters across seafood, timber, pulp, meat, hides, wool, dairy, seeds and pharmaceutical categories.
- Supply Chain Collaboration Services A collaboration platform enabling exporters, importers and industry partners to work together to maintain a sustainable and secure supply chain and remain competitive on the world stage. Provides consolidation, efficiency, service quality and landside innovation across the collective supply chain for primary industry exporters.
Quantifiable outcome
- NZ$160 billion cargo value secured on reliable supply chain network for the next decade
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Kotahi
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Kotahi technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Kotahi partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Maersk (A.P. Moller)coreSecond decade long-term freight agreement to December 2034 with A.P. Moller - Maersk, providing New Zealand international trade with a stable, resilient and sustainable global supply chain. Over the past decade, the partnership shipped 1.8 million TEU or 23 million tonnes of New Zealand cargo to market. Maersk brought additional vessel capacity and containers to New Zealand during peak Covid-19 disruption, growing capacity for the whole export market.
- Timaru Container Terminal (TCTL) / Port of TaurangacoreExport cargo volume agreement to 2030 with Timaru Container Terminal, committing up to 180,000 TEU over the 6-year agreement commencing 1 August 2024. The commitment provides certainty to the terminal's operations and supports New Zealand's regional port network. The arrangement enables investment in maintenance and upgrades.
- 40+ Exporters, Importers and Industry PartnerscoreCollaboration with over 40 exporters, importers and industry partners ensures New Zealand maintains a sustainable, secure supply chain and remains competitive on the world stage.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Kotahi competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Toll Group: Asia-Pacific focused logistics provider (owned by Japan Post) with ocean and road freight services across Australasia. Comparable as a regional freight forwarder serving similar NZ-Australia and Pacific trade lanes.
Emerging players
- Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: Mid-sized global logistics company with ocean freight forwarding across 160+ countries. Comparable as a global forwarder competing for NZ primary industry export business, particularly in perishable and specialised cargo.
Broad incumbents
- Expeditors International: Global logistics company with strong ocean and air freight forwarding capabilities and a notable technology platform. Comparable as a competing freight forwarder for NZ primary industry export volumes.
- Kuehne+Nagel: Top-three global ocean freight forwarder with significant NZ and Asia-Pacific presence. Comparable as a competing ocean freight arranger for NZ primary industry exporters with deeper global lane coverage.
- DHL Global Forwarding: World's largest air and ocean freight forwarder with global network. Comparable as it competes for the same NZ exporter ocean freight business and offers integrated forwarding at greater scale and digital capability.
- DSV: Global transport and logistics company with major ocean freight forwarding operations following its Schenker acquisition. Comparable as a competing ocean freight forwarder for NZ-based importers and exporters.
- CEVA Logistics: Global supply chain operator with ocean freight forwarding, contract logistics, and finished goods distribution. Comparable as a competing end-to-end logistics provider for NZ exporters and importers.
- DB Schenker: Global logistics provider with extensive ocean and air freight forwarding networks (now owned by DSV). Comparable as a competing forwarder for international NZ export freight across multiple lanes.
Others
- Maersk (Logistics & Services): Kotahi's primary carrier partner and global ocean carrier that is also expanding into end-to-end logistics and forwarding services. Comparable as both a strategic partner and an emerging integrator that could vertically disintermediate around NZ shippers over time.
Direct peers
- Mainfreight: NZ-headquartered global logistics provider with freight forwarding across road, rail, sea, and air. Most directly comparable peer given shared NZ roots, similar trans-Tasman and Pacific trade lane exposure, and overlapping target customers in NZ primary industry exporters.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kotahi social profiles
Digital presenceKotahi financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kotahi leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Kotahi funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kotahi 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 Kotahi
What does Kotahi do?
Kotahi operates as New Zealand's largest containerised freight manager, pooling container cargo from over 40 leading export and import companies to optimise ocean freight and landside transport supply and demand. The company secures long-term committed freight partnerships with major carriers such as A.P. Moller - Maersk and port operators including Timaru Container Terminal and Port of Tauranga to deliver reliable, resilient and sustainable global supply chain solutions for primary industry exporters of dairy, meat, seafood, horticulture, forestry, timber, pulp, hides, wool, seeds and pharmaceutical products.
Is Kotahi a public or private company?
Kotahi is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kotahi founded?
Kotahi was founded in 2011. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Kotahi based?
Kotahi is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Kotahi make money?
One revenue line is on record: ocean Freight Management.
Who are Kotahi's main competitors?
Toll Group is listed as a regional player. Hellmann Worldwide Logistics is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Expeditors International, Kuehne+Nagel, DHL Global Forwarding, DSV, CEVA Logistics and DB Schenker. Maersk (Logistics & Services) is listed as an others. Mainfreight is listed as a direct peer.
Does Kotahi have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kotahi.
What industry is Kotahi in?
Kotahi's product category is Ocean Freight Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACABAH, Project & OOG/Breakbulk Ocean Forwarding (Out-of-Gauge, RoRo), with a secondary code of TLACAJAA, Perishables & Fresh Produce Forwarding (Food/Seafood/Floral). Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.