Lightship Chartering

What Lightship Chartering does

Lightship Chartering is an independent shipbroking house founded in 1975 in Copenhagen, originally focused on coaster vessels transporting steel, and now operating as one of the world's leading dry bulk brokerage companies. The firm serves charterers, shipowners, operators, and cargo owners through four integrated service lines: Dry Bulk Chartering (across Handysize, Supra/Ultramax, and Panamax/Kamsarmax vessel segments), Sale and Purchase brokerage for vessel transactions, Freight Advisory for cost optimization, and Offshore brokerage covering oil and gas and offshore wind markets. Its core technology is a global trading desk infrastructure connecting 11 offices with advanced IT tools and mature processes that enable instant information sharing and 24x7 service coverage, though the company operates as a relationship-driven traditional broker rather than a technology platform.

The business model is commission-based brokerage on each transaction (fixture) plus professional services fees for advisory work. Lightship generates revenue by intermediating between shipowners and cargo owners, earning transaction fees on the thousands of fixtures it manages annually. Distribution is exclusively through direct enterprise sales, with country managers and specialized brokers in each office handling client relationships across vessel segments. The company is a longstanding member of the Baltic Exchange Broker Panel, a credential signaling industry standards compliance and market expertise. As of April 2026, Mark Roberts serves as the new Chief Executive, having been hired from chemical tanker broker SPI Marine Shipbroking, replacing Sune Fladberg who transitioned to a board position. The company is privately held with no disclosed external investors or parent entity, and operates across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America, and Latin America.

Name

Lightship Chartering

Legal name

Lightship Chartering

Website

https://lightshipchartering.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lightship Chartering is an independent global shipbroking house founded in 1975, providing dry bulk chartering, sale and purchase, freight advisory, and offshore brokerage services to charterers, shipowners, operators, and cargo owners through 11 offices worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Menlo Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dry Bulk Chartering Brokerage: Commission-based brokerage services for dry bulk commodities across Handysize, Supra/Ultramax, and Panamax/Kamsarmax vessel segments. Services include vessel chartering and cargo matching.
2. Sale & Purchase Brokerage: Brokerage services for vessel buying and selling transactions, supporting clients in exploring investment opportunities and providing expert guidance on S&P transactions.
3. Freight Advisory Services: Advisory services for freight management, including cost optimization and trading efficiency enhancement for commodity businesses.
4. Offshore Brokerage: Integrated brokerage services for offshore sector including chartering, sale & purchase, newbuilding, finance, and market intelligence for oil & gas and offshore wind markets.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Lightship Chartering is an independent global shipbroking firm that matches ship owners and cargo owners across dry bulk segments (Handysize, Supra/Ultramax, and Panamax/Kamsarmax). The firm also provides Sale & Purchase brokerage for vessel transactions, Freight Advisory services for in-house freight optimization, and specialized brokerage for the offshore oil & gas and wind markets, all delivered through 11 global offices connected by integrated trading desks.

Product overview

Lightship Chartering operates as a single integrated shipbroker platform offering four core service lines: Dry Bulk Chartering (handling Handysize, Supra/Ultramax, and Panamax/Kamsarmax vessels), Freight Advisory (freight management and optimization services), Sale & Purchase (vessel transaction brokerage), and Offshore (specialized brokerage for oil & gas and offshore wind markets). The company also runs the Lightship Academy trainee program. Services are delivered globally through 11 offices with around-the-clock coverage, connected via advanced IT tools for instant information sharing across trading desks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dry Bulk Chartering Core brokerage service for dry bulk commodities across Handysize, Supra/Ultramax, and Panamax/Kamsarmax vessel segments, providing vessel-cargo matching, market insights, and execution for charterers, ship owners, and operators globally.
• Sale & Purchase Vessel buying and selling brokerage services for ship owners and investors, leveraging global shipping market knowledge and worldwide client relationships to support S&P transactions and investment opportunities.
• Freight Advisory Advisory service for commodity businesses covering in-house freight process enhancement, cost monitoring, and trading efficiency optimization, designed to help clients cut freight expenses whether they manage freight in-house or outsource it.
• Offshore Brokerage Integrated brokerage service covering chartering, sale & purchase, newbuilding, finance, analysis, and market intelligence for the offshore oil & gas and offshore wind markets, delivered by the firm's Oslo-based offshore team.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Baltic ExchangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLightship is a proud and longstanding member of the Baltic Exchange Broker Panel. This recognition reflects the expertise and market insight acquired over decades. As a panel broker, Lightship adheres to Baltic Exchange standards and practices in the shipping brokerage industry.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fearnleys: Norwegian-headquartered shipbroker with global offices offering sale & purchase, chartering (dry bulk, tankers, offshore), and ship finance; comparable Scandinavian-anchored dry bulk heritage and global reach.
• Clarkson PLC: World's largest shipbroker and shipping services group, listed on the London Stock Exchange; offers integrated broking across dry bulk, tankers, offshore, and S&P plus shipping research — directly comparable to Lightship's core service lines, with a much broader wet/dry portfolio.
• Eastport Maritime: Independent global shipbroker covering dry bulk, tankers, containers, and offshore across multiple regional offices; directly comparable independent competitor in the dry bulk chartering space.
• Maersk Broker: Shipbroking arm of the Maersk group with global chartering, S&P, and freight services; competes with Lightship on dry bulk chartering desks worldwide.
• Poten & Partners: Independent shipbroker and consulting firm specializing in tanker and dry bulk chartering, S&P, and freight advisory; comparable service mix with emphasis on advisory and brokerage in shipping.
• Howe Robinson Partners: Independent shipbroker with global presence covering chartering and S&P across dry bulk and tankers; comparable independent brokerage peer with similar size and pan-geographic office model.
• BRS Group (Barry Rogliano Salles): Independent international shipbroker with extensive dry bulk, tanker, and S&P coverage across global offices; directly comparable independent brokerage peer focused on chartering fixtures.
• Simpson Spence Young (SSY): Global shipbroker with strong dry bulk and tanker chartering alongside S&P and offshore; comparable in product mix and global office footprint, with similar panel-broker positioning on the Baltic Exchange.
• Braemar (Braemar ACM): Integrated shipbroking and shipping services group covering chartering, S&P, research, and offshore; competing directly with Lightship in dry bulk chartering and offshore energy brokerage.

Emerging players

• Gibson Shipbrokers: Independent shipbroker with specialty in tanker and offshore chartering plus S&P; comparable in structure and focus but narrower than Lightship's dry bulk core, serving as an adjacent niche competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lightship-chartering/posts/?feedView=all

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Lightship Chartering