SHIPEX
Shipex NV is an Antwerp-based freight forwarder founded in 1982 offering ocean container transport — reefer, dry, flex tank and project cargo — plus customs, insurance and warehousing services to enterprise customers in pharmaceutical, food, agricultural and industrial manufacturing verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersAntwerp, Belgium
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SHIPEX does
Shipex NV is a privately held Belgian freight forwarder headquartered in Antwerp (IJzerlaan 54/002), founded in 1982 and operating an asset-light international ocean container transport business. The company employs approximately 60 professionals and serves enterprise customers across reefer (temperature-controlled), dry, flex tank and project (oversized/heavy) cargo segments, with side services spanning customs clearance, maritime insurance, warehousing and inland container transport. Its customer base spans pharmaceuticals/healthcare, food and perishables, agriculture (seeds, plants), and industrial equipment manufacturers, with documented presence in Australia, Turkey, China, the USA, Latin America and Africa via an agent and partner network.
Shipex's technology backbone is the proprietary "Shipex Control Tower," a customer-facing web platform (shipex.app, Azure-hosted) offering 24/7 access with personal logins, automated event-driven notifications, track and trace capabilities, and task/alert-based process monitoring — a workflow automation layer rather than an AI system. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 (obtained January 2024) and EU-GDP certifications and joined Pharma.Aero as a full member in November 2024 to access pharmaceutical manufacturer supply chains. The platform is positioned as the operational differentiator enabling the company's "consultant + forwarder" value proposition.
Revenue is generated transactionally via quote-based fees per shipment, with operational surcharges applied for conditions such as port congestion (e.g., €35 per container for North Europe). Go-to-market is sales-led with a dedicated commercial director, sales managers and account managers, supplemented by a website quote-request funnel and face-to-face meeting requests. Marketing channels combine LinkedIn, Instagram, an industry news blog, curated shipping resources (Incoterms, container specs, EORI, SOLAS VGM), and direct account management. Shipex is privately held with no disclosed external investors or parent entity.
SHIPEX firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SHIPEX
- Legal name
- Shipex NV
- Website
- https://shipex.be
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Shipex NV is an Antwerp-based freight forwarder founded in 1982 offering ocean container transport — reefer, dry, flex tank and project cargo — plus customs, insurance and warehousing services to enterprise customers in pharmaceutical, food, agricultural and industrial manufacturing verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SHIPEX industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL) (TLACABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE), Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Reefer/Temperature-Controlled Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAI)
Keywords
Where SHIPEX is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Antwerp
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SHIPEX business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Freight Forwarding Services: International freight forwarding services including container transport (dry and reefer), maritime transport, and customs clearance services. Revenue generated through fees for logistics coordination, transport arrangement, and related services.
- Container Transport: Container transport services including booking, documentation, and coordination of shipments via maritime transport.
- Customs Clearance: Custom clearance services for import and export shipments, handling compliance with applicable customs formalities.
- Warehousing: Warehouse services mentioned in quote request form.
- Maritime Insurance: Maritime insurance services offered as part of comprehensive logistics solutions.
- Heavy and Project Cargo Solutions: Specialized handling of oversized cargo that exceeds standard shipping dimensions, including route planning, permits, specialized equipment (cranes, heavy-duty trailers), and multimodal transport solutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Quote-based pricing for all services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
SHIPEX product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SHIPEX is an international freight forwarder that arranges ocean container transport for B2B shippers, covering reefer (temperature-controlled), dry, flex tank, and oversized project cargo. It bundles these forwarding services with customs clearance, warehousing, maritime insurance, inland container transport, and strategic logistics consultancy, and provides customers with the proprietary Shipex Control Tower digital platform for 24/7 shipment tracking, automated process notifications, and communication.
Product overview
Shipex is an international freight forwarder offering a portfolio of logistics services centered on ocean container transport. The core offering consists of freight forwarding across multiple cargo types — reefer (temperature-controlled), dry, flex tank, and project cargo — backed by a global agent network. The company differentiates through its Shipex Control Tower digital platform, a proprietary online portal providing real-time track & trace, automated notifications, and process monitoring capabilities. Additional services include customs clearance, maritime insurance, warehousing, and container transport. The portfolio operates from the company's Antwerp headquarters and serves clients across Australia, Turkey, China, USA, Latin America, and Africa.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- International Freight Forwarding Core freight forwarding service covering ocean container transport for B2B shippers, leveraging a global network of agents and partners established since 1982 with contacts in Australia, Turkey, China, USA, Latin America, and Africa.
- Reefer Transport
Quantifiable outcome
- Real-time 24/7 visibility into shipment status via personal login access
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use SHIPEX
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SHIPEX technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
SHIPEX partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Pharma.AerocoreShipex joined Pharma.Aero as a full member in November 2024. This global, cross-industry collaboration platform brings together pharmaceutical manufacturers and certified logistics providers to collaborate on challenges and innovative trends in end-to-end supply chains. The partnership enables Shipex to contribute to multimodal projects including ocean pharma shipping, Air-to-Ocean (A2O) conversion, and CO2 reduction initiatives through ocean transport.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SHIPEX competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CEVA Logistics: Global logistics provider offering ocean freight forwarding, contract logistics, and specialized healthcare/pharma solutions. A broad incumbent competing with SHIPEX for ocean and cold-chain business across Europe and globally.
- Agility Logistics: Global logistics provider with ocean freight forwarding, project logistics, and customs brokerage capabilities. Comparable broad-incumbent competing across SHIPEX's core ocean forwarding lanes.
- Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with extensive ocean freight, contract logistics, and specialized pharma/reefer capabilities (Kn Pharmatec). Directly comparable as a broad ocean forwarding competitor but at massive scale relative to SHIPEX.
- Damco (Maersk Logistics): Maersk-integrated ocean freight forwarder and logistics provider offering global ocean forwarding, customs, and supply chain services. A direct broad-incumbent competitor with significant scale advantages.
- DSV (now DSV + Schenker): Global freight forwarder and logistics integrator with strong ocean, air, road, and project cargo capabilities including cold-chain solutions. A direct broad-incumbent competitor serving many of the same enterprise customers as SHIPEX.
- DHL Global Forwarding: Operates one of the largest global freight forwarding networks, including ocean freight, customs brokerage, and DHL Life Sciences for pharmaceutical logistics. A broad incumbent directly competing in SHIPEX's core ocean forwarding and cold-chain segments.
- Expeditors International: Asset-light global freight forwarder with strong ocean and air forwarding capabilities and proprietary IT platforms. Comparable incumbent competitor with a digital-forward approach versus SHIPEX's regional focus.
Direct peers
- Fracht Group: Family-owned Swiss-headquartered international freight forwarder with ocean, project cargo, and specialized transport services. Comparable mid-sized European forwarder with similar ownership profile and service mix to SHIPEX.
- Blue Water Shipping: Mid-sized European freight forwarder headquartered in Denmark with strong ocean, project cargo, and reefer capabilities across similar industry verticals (industrial, pharma, food). Closest comparable peer in size, geography, and service mix to SHIPEX.
- Royal Cargo: Mid-sized freight forwarder with ocean, project cargo, and customs brokerage services. Comparable smaller-scale forwarder operating in similar specialized forwarding niches to SHIPEX.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SHIPEX social profiles
Digital presenceSHIPEX compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
SHIPEX financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SHIPEX leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
SHIPEX funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SHIPEX 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 SHIPEX
What does SHIPEX do?
SHIPEX is an international freight forwarder that arranges ocean container transport for B2B shippers, covering reefer (temperature-controlled), dry, flex tank, and oversized project cargo. It bundles these forwarding services with customs clearance, warehousing, maritime insurance, inland container transport, and strategic logistics consultancy, and provides customers with the proprietary Shipex Control Tower digital platform for 24/7 shipment tracking, automated process notifications, and communication.
Is SHIPEX a public or private company?
SHIPEX is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was SHIPEX founded?
SHIPEX was founded in 1982. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is SHIPEX based?
SHIPEX is headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does SHIPEX make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Freight Forwarding Services are the primary driver. The others are container Transport, customs Clearance, warehousing, maritime Insurance and heavy and Project Cargo Solutions.
Who are SHIPEX's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CEVA Logistics, Agility Logistics, Kuehne+Nagel, Damco (Maersk Logistics), DSV (now DSV + Schenker), DHL Global Forwarding and Expeditors International. Direct peers are Fracht Group, Blue Water Shipping and Royal Cargo.
Does SHIPEX have an API?
No public API is recorded for SHIPEX.
What industry is SHIPEX in?
SHIPEX's product category is Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACABAF, Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL), with a secondary code of TLACABAE, Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF). Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.