Timbercoast cargo under sail

What Timbercoast cargo under sail does

Timbercoast cargo under sail is a German wind-powered cargo shipping company headquartered in Elsfleth, founded in 2013 by Captain Cornelius Bockermann after two decades in the maritime industry. The company operates the AVONTUUR, a 103-year-old Dutch gaff-rigged schooner measuring 43.50 meters, retrofitted for commercial cargo transport with a diesel backup engine and planned electric propulsion. AVONTUUR completes approximately four Atlantic crossings per year, each voyage spanning 9,923-13,000 nautical miles over 3-10 months and carrying 45-70 tonnes of cargo, with the vessel operational 10-11 months annually. Goods originate from specialty producers in Colombia, Mexico, Belize, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guadeloupe, Marie-Galante, Madeira, the Azores, and La Palma, and are sold under the AVONTUUR sub-brand in European and select US markets.

The business combines B2B ocean freight services with a vertically integrated DTC retail operation. Cargo partnerships serve specialty food and beverage companies including Café William (70,000 kg Colombian coffee shipped to Philadelphia in January 2024), Meo-Ficheaux Coffee, Bielle Rhum, Cacao de Corazón, Cacao Latitudes, TOWT, Café Chavalo, El Puente/MITKA, Zotter Schokolade, and Peter Café Sport. Consumer products are sold through the timbercoast.de e-commerce platform and the Frachtraum physical store and café in Bremen (opened December 2023), with product pricing ranging from €6.50 (chocolate) to €99 (Caribbean Blue Rum). Revenue streams include one-time product sales, transactional freight fees, event revenue (rum tastings at €49-€69/person, ship tours, festival appearances), and corporate sponsorships (Herberg Systems, Global Cargo Service GmbH). Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer with event-driven field sales, supplemented by community-led growth through the Shipmate program (paid crew participation on voyages).

Customer segments split between eco-conscious consumers, fair trade specialty businesses, and adventure travelers seeking Shipmate voyages. The company is registered as Timbercoast cargo under sail UG (haftungsbeschränkt) — restructured from the original Timbercoast GmbH in 2021 after COVID-19 disruption — and is privately held by Cornelius Bockermann with strategic backing from industrialist Hans Georg Näder. No venture capital or private equity rounds are disclosed. The company pursues a "Mission Zero" strategy to eliminate shipping pollution through five stages: awareness, demonstration, premium product sales, demand creation, and building a modern sail cargo fleet. The AVONTUUR sails under the Seychelles flag after a 2020 German regulatory denial.

Name

Timbercoast cargo under sail

Legal name

Timbercoast cargo under sail UG (haftungsbeschränkt)

Website

https://timbercoast.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Timbercoast cargo under sail operates the 103-year-old Dutch schooner AVONTUUR for zero-emission transatlantic cargo shipping, transporting specialty coffee, cocoa, rum, and other goods from Caribbean and Latin American producers to European and US consumers through its e-commerce platform and Bremen retail store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Elsfleth

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Sailed Product Sales: Sale of sailed goods (coffee, cocoa, rum, chocolate, gin, wine, salt, apparel) transported emission-free by sailing ship. Products include AVONTUUR branded rums, coffee, chocolate, and spirits sold through e-commerce and retail store.
2. Cargo Shipping Services: Transport of goods for partners and customers using wind power. Cargo partners include Café William, various fair trade companies, and direct customers. Products include Colombian coffee, Caribbean rum, Belizean cocoa.
3. Event Revenue: Rum tasting events (69€ per person), ship tours, and festival appearances generate revenue while building brand awareness and community engagement.
4. Sponsorships and Partnerships: Corporate sponsors provide financial support and equipment donations. Sponsors include Herberg Systems GmbH (Fleettracker software), Global Cargo Service GmbH (freight forwarding expertise), and investor Hans Georg Näder.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Timbercoast operates wind-powered transatlantic cargo shipping using the 103-year-old Dutch schooner AVONTUUR to transport fair-trade goods (coffee, cocoa, rum, chocolate) without fossil-fuel emissions. In addition to its B2B freight service for fair-trade partners, the company sells sailed products directly to consumers through an online shop and a physical retail store called Frachtraum in Bremen, Germany.

Product overview

Timbercoast cargo under sail operates a cargo shipping service using the 103-year-old Dutch schooner AVONTUUR for zero-emission ocean freight. The core offering combines wind-powered shipping with a portfolio of sailed products sold through their online shop (timbercoast.de) and physical Frachtraum store in Bremen. Products include specialty foods (coffee from Mexico/Colombia, chocolate from Belize, sea salt from La Palma, wine from Bordeaux) and premium spirits (rum varieties from Caribbean islands including Marie-Galante, La Palma, Madeira; Korn aged in wine barrels; gin from Peter Café Sport in Horta). Customers can participate as Shipmates on voyages, track the ship via Shiptracker, or book special voyage experiences. The company pursues Mission Zero to eliminate pollution from cargo shipping through their five-stage approach: raising awareness, modeling clean shipping with AVONTUUR, selling premium products to support operations, establishing demand for sailed goods, and building a modern sail cargo fleet.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transatlantic Sail Cargo Shipping Zero-emission transatlantic cargo shipping service using the 103-year-old Dutch schooner AVONTUUR, offered to fair-trade businesses seeking to transport goods (e.g., coffee, cocoa, rum, chocolate) without fossil fuels.
• Timbercoast Sailed Products (Coffee, Cocoa, Rum, Chocolate) Direct-to-consumer fair-trade goods (coffee, cocoa, rum, chocolate) that have been shipped via the company's sail cargo service, sold under the Timbercoast / AVONTUUR brand to conscious consumers.
• Frachtraum Retail Store (Bremen) Brick-and-mortar retail store located in Bremen, Germany, where the company sells its sailed fair-trade products directly to walk-in customers.
• Timbercoast Online Shop Company-operated e-commerce store selling the Timbercoast sailed fair-trade product range directly to consumers, complementing the Bremen retail outlet.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 Atlantic crossings per year, 10-11 months operational annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ANNY VON HAMBURGminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2019Second cargo sailing ship from Timbercoast. Appeared at SeeStadtFest Bremerhaven 2019 alongside AVONTUUR. Demonstrates vision of building a modern sail cargo fleet.
• Global Cargo Service GmbH (GCS)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2017Freight forwarding company providing sponsorship and freight forwarding expertise to support low-impact shipping culture. Led by Managing Director Sebastian Lauber.
• International Windship Association (IWSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2017Global association promoting wind-powered shipping. IWSA co-hosted AVONTUUR Arrival Festival in Bremen on World Earth Day 2017, connecting Timbercoast to international network.
• Peter Café SportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric café in Horta, Azores (since 1918) that created Gin do Mar. AVONTUUR loads 1,000 bottles per visit. Partnership includes cultural exchange and product sourcing.
• Educational PassagesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization running miniboat program for marine/environmental education. AVONTUUR takes miniboats on voyages and launches them at sea as part of cultural exchange between USA and Azores/Portugal.
• TrigemaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman textile company producing AVONTUUR T-shirts from 100% sustainable organic cotton. Partnership for sustainable merchandise production.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Berge Bulk: Large dry-bulk shipowner that has piloted wind-assist retrofits and biofuel operations. Comparable as an established carrier investing in low-emission shipping; functions as both potential partner for commodity cargo and barometer for industry decarbonization.
• Maersk: Global container-shipping leader publicly testing wind-assist propulsion on its own vessels. Comparable as a freight incumbent exploring zero-emission technology; not a direct competitor in niche sail cargo but defines the threat/opportunity around carbon regulation.
• Cargill Ocean Transportation (BAR Tech / WindWings): World's largest agricultural shipper and major bulker operator; Cargill is actively backing wind-assist technology projects. Overlaps with Timbercoast on the cargo-shipping customer base (specialty commodities), though at vastly larger scale and using rotor-sail retrofits on engine-driven ships.

Direct peers

• Fairtransport: Dutch sail-cargo operator running schooner-based freight to the Caribbean and beyond; operates the Tres Hombres. Directly comparable on sailing-cargo logistics, European base, and fair-trade product positioning.
• TOWT (TransOceanic Wind Transport): French sail-cargo operator running wind-powered transatlantic freight and named in the data as a Voyage 8 cargo partner. Closest comparable on business model (zero-emission Atlantic shipping + DTC product brand) and routes.
• SailCargo Inc: Caribbean-based sail-cargo venture transporting cocoa, coffee and rum under sail to North America. Most comparable on route (Central America → North Atlantic), product mix and mission-driven structure.

Others

• Zotter Schokolade: Austrian premium organic/fair-trade chocolate maker and Timbercoast chocolate partner. Adjacent on Mission Zero-aligned premium food products rather than direct competition; relevant peer for premium DTC brand-building in sustainable food.
• Peter Café Sport: Historic Horta, Azores café that produces 'Gin do Mar' and partners with Timbercoast (1,000 bottles/visit). Adjacent on experiential maritime retail and sustainable spirits rather than direct shipping competition.
• Café William: Colombian specialty coffee brand and a key Timbercoast cargo customer (70,000 kg delivered on Voyage 8). Comparable as a sustainability-positioned specialty coffee label building a similar mission-led consumer story.
• International Windship Association (IWSA): Industry body promoting wind-assisted commercial shipping; Timbercoast is a recognized IWSA member and featured flagship. Comparable ecosystem participant that drives the addressable market and signals regulatory/industry tailwinds.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=7RvGLJTAPQ4
• Facebookfacebook.com/timbercoast
• Instagraminstagram.com/explore/tags/rethinkshipping
• Xx.com/timbercoastcrew
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/timbercoast-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Timbercoast cargo under sail