What Shiplink does

Shiplink is a privately held, Netherlands-based online platform serving the Dutch and Belgian inland shipping (binnenvaart) sector. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Farmsum (Delfzijl), the company operates a community-led directory and marketplace where maritime entrepreneurs can register companies, list vessels, post job vacancies, buy and sell ships and parts, browse a locations directory, and consume aggregated inland shipping news. Its product surface is organized into the core Shiplink Platform plus modular sub-brands: Shipsale (vessel and parts marketplace), Shipcrew (personnel and relief-crew hiring), Shiplink Places (location directory), Shiplink News (industry news), and The Blue Road (a maritime insurance partnership brand with EOC).

The platform is built on a WordPress-based technology stack with a custom Shiplink theme and Pronamic plugins for content and marketplace functionality, supported by Google Analytics for traffic measurement. It distributes services entirely through a self-service web interface with no native mobile application, and reaches users via organic social channels (Facebook, Twitter/X) and content/news syndication. Partnerships span industry associations (BLN-Schuttevaer, CBRB), technology and integration partners (Satcenter, Sandelingen-Maritiem, Petrostar Tankschiffahrt AG), channel/reseller relationships (Sterksen BV for Viterra recruitment), and advertising partners (Gerwil Crewing, Dolderman, Scheepvaartkrant, EOC Insurance).

Shiplink's business model is a freemium construct: maritime entrepreneurs register and list at no cost, while revenue is generated through advertising placements from maritime service providers and a paid 'Exclusieve partner' (Exclusive Partner) premium subscription tier offering enhanced visibility. The company employs 1–10 people, has not raised disclosed outside funding, and operates without a parent company or institutional shareholders based on available data.

Name

Shiplink

Legal name

Shiplink

Website

https://shiplink.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shiplink is a privately held Dutch online platform and marketplace serving maritime entrepreneurs in the Benelux inland shipping (binnenvaart) sector with ship listings, vessel sales, crew hiring, and industry news, monetized via advertising and premium partner subscriptions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Farmsum

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising: The platform generates revenue through advertising placements from maritime industry companies and service providers (such as insurance, translation services, shipping companies) who advertise on the platform.
2. Premium/Exclusive Partner Membership: The platform offers an upgrade option for 'Exclusieve partner' (Exclusive partner) status that provides unique benefits for maximum attention and findability, in addition to free basic registration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shiplink is an online B2B platform serving the Dutch inland shipping (binnenvaart) sector, enabling maritime entrepreneurs to register free companies and ships, post job vacancies, buy and sell vessels and ship parts, browse a maritime location directory, and access aggregated inland shipping industry news. The platform bundles a ship sales marketplace (Shipsale), a crew and personnel marketplace (Shipcrew), a locations directory (Shiplink Places), and a news section (Shiplink News) under a single login.

Product overview

Shiplink is a B2B online platform for Dutch inland shipping entrepreneurs, operating as a directory and marketplace with modular offerings. The core Shiplink Platform enables ship owners, maritime businesses, and crew to create profiles, list vessels, and network. Shipsale provides a vessel and parts marketplace, while Shipcrew handles personnel recruitment for skippers, mates, and relief crew. Additional modules include location directories (Shiplink Places) and industry news (Shiplink News).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shipsale: Ship sales and parts marketplace for the inland shipping sector.
• Shipcrew
• Shiplink Places
• The Blue Road

Products and services

• Shiplink Platform A B2B online community platform for maritime entrepreneurs in the Dutch inland shipping sector, allowing users to create company profiles, list ships, post job vacancies, and access industry news and networking features.
• Shipsale A marketplace module within Shiplink for buying and selling inland vessels and ship parts, featuring listings of barges and components with prices.
• Shipcrew A staffing and crew hiring module of Shiplink enabling users to post vacancies for skippers, mates, relief crew, and deckhands, and to offer maritime professional services.

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• BLN-Schuttevaer and CBRBmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2018Shiplink reported on the announced intention of BLN-Schuttevaer (Royal BLN-Schuttevaer, the Dutch inland navigation association) and CBRB to explore closer cooperation, including potential merger options. This represents significant industry consolidation interest within the Dutch inland shipping sector.
• Gerwil CrewingminorOthersMaritime crewing company displayed as a partner logo on the Shiplink homepage, indicating a collaborative relationship within the maritime industry ecosystem.
• DoldermanminorOthersShipping company and service provider that advertises on the Shiplink platform, appearing as a partner logo on the homepage.
• SatcentercoreTechnology or IntegrationMaritime satellite communications provider listed as a Shiplink partner company. Located in Rotterdam with BTW NL001559993B13 and KvK 67761240. Provides satellite services to the maritime industry.
• Sandelingen-MaritiemcoreTechnology or IntegrationMaritime vessel management and navigation services company. Located at van Kijfhoornstraat 61, H.I. Ambacht. Listed as a Shiplink partner with BTW NL809099834B01 and KvK 29022879.
• Central BargecoreOthersBarge shipping company based in Breda. Listed as a Shiplink partner participating in the Blue Road initiative. Contact at [email protected].
• Viterra via Sterksen BVminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgricultural commodities company using Sterksen BV as recruiter for maritime personnel. Located in Rotterdam. Contact: [email protected].
• Petrostar Tankschiffahrt AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationTank shipping company listed as a Shiplink partner. Located in Rhoon, Netherlands. Contact: John Blettner at [email protected].

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Binnenvaart.com: Binnenvaart.com is another Dutch inland shipping portal. It competes more directly with Shiplink at the niche level, providing information and listings for the same binnenvaart community.
• Equasis: Equasis is a public maritime data platform for ship and company information. While broader in scope, it offers ship and company data comparable to Shiplink's directory listings as a free alternative or complement.

Direct peers

• Ship-Technology.com: Ship-Technology.com is a maritime industry news and contract intelligence platform. It mirrors Shiplink's news aggregation function and serves shipbuilders, owners, and operators, making it a comparable content-led maritime platform.
• FleetMon: FleetMon is a vessel tracking and maritime data platform. Like Shiplink, it monetizes maritime information through subscriptions and serves shipping professionals, making it a comparable platform business in the broader maritime data space.
• VesselsValue: VesselsValue is a ship valuation and transactional marketplace platform. It directly competes with Shiplink's Shipsale marketplace by offering pricing intelligence and transaction services for vessel buyers and sellers, though it focuses more on commercial shipping globally.
• MarineTraffic: MarineTraffic is a global vessel-tracking and maritime information platform. While much larger and broader in scope, it competes for the same maritime professional audience that Shiplink serves with directory, ship, and crew data, making it the closest direct platform comparable.

Regional players

• Binnenvaartkrant: Binnenvaartkrant is a Dutch inland shipping trade publication. It directly overlaps with Shiplink's news aggregation function and shares the same niche audience of Dutch inland shipping professionals.
• Koninklijke BLN-Schuttevaer: BLN-Schuttevaer is the Dutch inland shipping industry association. As a strategic partner of Shiplink, it shares the same target audience (Dutch binnenvaart operators) and competitors for mindshare, while pursuing association-level services rather than a marketplace model.
• CBRB: CBRB is the Dutch inland shipping trade association. Like BLN-Schuttevaer, it serves the same Dutch withinvaart community Shiplink targets and could either partner with or compete against an industry-association-backed digital platform.

Others

• Maritime Industry.com: Maritime Industry.com is a B2B maritime industry directory and marketplace. It serves a similar function to Shiplink's Shiplink Places and Shipsale modules but at a broader European/global maritime level rather than focused on inland shipping.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shiplinkpuntnl
• Facebookfacebook.com/shiplink.nl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/v-o-f-new-vista

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Shiplink