Espad Darya Paya
Espad Darya Paya is a privately-held Iranian shipping and logistics company operating the largest private container shipping fleet in Iran, serving 4,000+ importers and exporters across 60+ ports in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa with FCL shipping, freight forwarding, and integrated supply-chain services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersTehran, Iran
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Espad Darya Paya does
Espad Darya Paya is a privately-held Iranian shipping and logistics company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Tehran, operating what it describes as the largest private shipping fleet in Iran. The company runs an active container fleet of 300,000+ TEU and ships approximately 420,000 TEU annually through 60+ ports spanning Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and South America, serving 4,000+ customers from 11 offices across Iran. Its core offering is Full Container Load (FCL) shipping, with adjacent products in freight forwarding, supply chain management, China-import services, bitumen export, and logistics consulting.
The customer base spans importers, exporters, and trading companies across at least eight verticals: chemicals, home appliances, machinery, medical equipment, minerals, automotive, pharmaceuticals, and food. Espad operates through an integrated partner stack — Avand Tarkhish for customs brokerage, Rozhaye Rahan Jahan for inland transit, Sayehe Aman Alborz for cargo insurance — and has extended into multimodal transport via the China-Iran Rail Corridor. Digital self-service features include online quote requests, document upload, delivery order booking, and cargo tracking.
The business model is asset-light freight forwarding and NVOCC-style container shipping: revenue is generated per shipped TEU/container, via freight forwarding margins on managed volumes, and through ancillary services (customs, insurance, consulting). Geographic reach covers China, India, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Yemen, Libya, and broader African, European, and South American trade lanes. The Espad Plus loyalty program, launched in March 2025, signals a first move into tiered/retention pricing for repeat shippers.
Espad Darya Paya firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Espad Darya Paya
- Legal name
- Espad Darya Paya (کشتیرانی اسپاد دریا پایا)
- Website
- https://espad-co.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Espad Darya Paya is a privately-held Iranian shipping and logistics company operating the largest private container shipping fleet in Iran, serving 4,000+ importers and exporters across 60+ ports in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa with FCL shipping, freight forwarding, and integrated supply-chain services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Espad Darya Paya industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Maritime Container Shipping Services
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111)
- SIC
- Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE), Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL) (TLACABAF), Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Export/Import Documentation Preparation (Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Shipper’s Letter of Instruction) (TLACAHAD), International Vehicle Shipping & Export (RoRo/Container) (HSAKAFAJ), Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF)
Keywords
Where Espad Darya Paya is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tehran
- HQ country
- Iran
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices11 records
Markets served
Espad Darya Paya business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Container Shipping Services: Espad Darya Paya generates revenue through container shipping services including FCL (Full Container Load) transportation, providing shipping solutions for both imports and exports. The company offers direct container booking, port-to-port services, and integrated supply chain management.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Quote-based freight rates |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Espad Darya Paya product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Espad Darya Paya provides container shipping and maritime logistics services for international trade, specializing in Full Container Load (FCL) transportation for imports and exports. The company focuses on the China-to-Iran import corridor and bitumen/petrochemical exports from Iran, with industry-specific shipping solutions across chemicals, automotive, machinery, food, pharmaceuticals, and other verticals. Services include direct container booking, integrated supply chain management, professional logistics consulting, and supporting digital tools for quoting, document submission, and delivery order booking.
Product overview
Espad Darya Paya is a maritime shipping and logistics company established in 2016, operating as Iran's largest private shipping company. The company provides a comprehensive suite of container shipping services centered around its core FCL (Full Container Load) shipping platform, supported by an extensive network of over 60 ports across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. The product portfolio includes: (1) Core container shipping services with direct booking and competitive rates; (2) Industry-specific solutions covering Chemicals, Home Appliances, Machinery, Medical Equipment, Minerals, Automotive, Pharmaceuticals, and Food sectors; (3) Container types including Dry, Refrigerated, and Special containers; (4) Espad Plus loyalty program offering preferential rates and terms for A-grade customers; (5) Supporting digital services including Online Quote System, Document Upload Platform, and Delivery Order Booking. The company manages over 300,000 active containers and serves approximately 4,000 customers with 420,000 TEU shipped annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Espad Plus: An exclusive service program for loyal and A-grade customers offering financial and credit discounts on freight rates, special discounts on demurrage charges, and acceptance of empty containers at dry ports.
Products and services
- Container Shipping Services Core maritime container shipping services for global trade, offering direct container booking, competitive rates, and specialized solutions for imports and exports with coverage across 60+ ports in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.
- Import from China Services Specialized import services facilitating trade from China to Iran, including logistics coordination and supply chain management for industrial goods, machinery, electronics, and consumer products.
- Bitumen Export Services Specialized export services for bitumen and petrochemical products from Iran to global markets, supporting non-oil export trade with dedicated logistics expertise.
- Integrated Supply Chain Management End-to-end supply chain control from origin to destination, including accurate cargo tracking and comprehensive shipping document management for shippers.
- Professional Logistics Consulting Expert sea freight analysis and consulting for optimized route and container selection, reducing costs and transit times for shippers through professional freight analysis.
- Industry-Specific Shipping Solutions Tailored logistics solutions across eight industry verticals: Chemicals, Home Appliances, Machinery, Medical Equipment, Minerals, Automotive, Pharmaceuticals, and Food, addressing specific cargo handling needs for each sector.
- Espad Plus Loyalty Program Exclusive service program for loyal and A-grade customers handling large annual shipment volumes, offering financial and credit discounts on freight rates, special demurrage charge reductions, and acceptance of empty containers at dry ports.
Quantifiable outcome
- 420,000 TEU shipped annually
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Espad Darya Paya
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Espad Darya Paya technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Espad Darya Paya partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Avand Tarkhish (آوان ترخیص)coreCustoms clearance and customs affairs company that managed effective customs processing and accelerated clearance procedures. Their contribution was crucial in streamlining the overall operation of the Tava vessel success report.
- Rozhaye Rahan Jahan (روشاه را جهان)coreTransit and inland transportation company providing domestic transportation services for cargo movement to and from ports.
- Sayehe Aman Alborz (سایه امن البرز)supportingCargo insurance company providing insurance coverage for shipments. Contact person: Ms. Alavi.
- China-Iran Rail CorridorsupportingRail corridor partnership where Espad Darya Paya allocated part of its container capacity to the China-Iran rail corridor to support multimodal transport solutions and provide alternative routes for customers during regional conditions.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Espad Darya Paya competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CMA CGM: Global container carrier with strong Middle East and Asia presence, offering FCL services on routes overlapping Espad's network. Represents another global incumbent competing for shipper wallet on Iran-related corridors.
- Expeditors International: Asset-light global freight forwarder specializing in ocean and air forwarding with customs brokerage capabilities, structurally similar to Espad's model. Expeditors serves enterprise customers across chemicals, automotive, and industrial verticals that mirror Espad's target segments.
- DSV Panalpina: Global freight forwarder with ocean freight services across Asia-Europe-Middle East corridors, comparable to Espad's FCL forwarding and integrated supply chain offering. DSV's asset-light forwarding model mirrors Espad's service structure.
- Maersk: Global ocean container carrier with extensive Iran trade history and direct services on Asia-Europe and intra-Asia routes that overlap with Espad's China-Iran corridors. Maersk represents the global incumbent benchmark for container shipping capacity and reliability.
- MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company: World's largest container line by capacity, with broad coverage of Asia, Africa, and Middle East ports that mirror Espad's 60+ port network. MSC competes for the same shipper base on key Iran-related trade lanes.
- Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders, offering ocean freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and integrated supply chain solutions analogous to Espad's full-stack import/export services. Comparable in customer segments and trade lane coverage.
Regional players
- Sinotrans: China's leading freight forwarder and logistics provider, with deep China-Iran and China-Middle East trade lane expertise directly comparable to Espad's import-from-China service line. Sinotrans represents the most direct China-based forwarding peer.
Direct peers
- COSCO Shipping: China's largest ocean carrier and a natural counter-party for Espad's China-Iran import flow, operating the very routes Espad's 4,000+ Iranian importers depend on. Direct overlap on FCL ocean forwarding services between Chinese ports and the Middle East.
- Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL): Iran's state-owned national shipping line and Espad's most direct domestic competitor, operating ocean container and bulk services on similar Asia-Iran and Iran-global corridors. IRISL is the dominant incumbent against which Espad positions as the largest private alternative.
Others
- Panalpina (now DSV): Pre-merger freight forwarder comparable to Espad's ocean forwarding and integrated supply chain proposition. Included as a relevant reference point for asset-light freight forwarding business model benchmarking.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Espad Darya Paya social profiles
Digital presenceEspad Darya Paya financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Espad Darya Paya leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Espad Darya Paya funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Espad Darya Paya 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 Espad Darya Paya
What does Espad Darya Paya do?
Espad Darya Paya provides container shipping and maritime logistics services for international trade, specializing in Full Container Load (FCL) transportation for imports and exports. The company focuses on the China-to-Iran import corridor and bitumen/petrochemical exports from Iran, with industry-specific shipping solutions across chemicals, automotive, machinery, food, pharmaceuticals, and other verticals. Services include direct container booking, integrated supply chain management, professional logistics consulting, and supporting digital tools for quoting, document submission, and delivery order booking.
Is Espad Darya Paya a public or private company?
Espad Darya Paya is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Espad Darya Paya founded?
Espad Darya Paya was founded in 2016. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Espad Darya Paya based?
Espad Darya Paya is headquartered in Tehran, Iran, in the Middle East region.
How does Espad Darya Paya make money?
One revenue line is on record: container Shipping Services.
Who are Espad Darya Paya's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CMA CGM, Expeditors International, DSV Panalpina, Maersk, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company and Kuehne+Nagel. Sinotrans is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are COSCO Shipping and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL). Panalpina (now DSV) is listed as an others.
Does Espad Darya Paya have an API?
No public API is recorded for Espad Darya Paya.
What industry is Espad Darya Paya in?
Espad Darya Paya's product category is Maritime Container Shipping Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACABAA, FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding, with a secondary code of TLACABAE, Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF). Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4412.