What NEAR does

NEAR is a Barcelona-based logistics technology startup that operates a two-sided freight matching platform for the Spanish road freight market. Founded in 2024, the company targets the persistent inefficiency of empty return trips, connecting transportistas (independent carriers and small fleet operators) running scheduled routes with shippers who need cargo moved along those same corridors. The platform is accessible via web and mobile at app.nearconnects.com, where carriers publish their routes and shippers post shipments in under two minutes; NEAR's engine then analyzes routes in real time and matches compatible loads to maximize revenue per kilometer for carriers while reducing shipping cost and CO2 emissions for shippers. Payment flows are protected through Stripe escrow until delivery confirmation, addressing trust gaps in a market historically reliant on informal freight arrangements.

The product surface includes the core NEAR Platform and NEAR App, a Route Management Dashboard for carrier-side route publishing, a Shipment Publishing module for shippers, and MIRA, an AI copilot for route optimization. NEAR currently operates across six Spanish logistics hubs (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, Sevilla, Zaragoza) and is supported by an ecosystem of partners including Google for Startups, the NVIDIA Inception Program, StartUB at the University of Barcelona, Logistics Incubator, and Consorci. The company is privately held, has between 1 and 10 employees, and does not publicly disclose pricing; access is granted via a request/invitation flow and monetization is structured as a transaction commission on each successfully matched freight booking.

Name

NEAR

Legal name

NEAR

Website

https://nearconnects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NEAR operates a two-sided freight matching marketplace that eliminates empty return trips for Spanish road carriers, connecting transportistas with shippers across six cities via real-time route optimization and Stripe-protected payments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Matching / Logistics Technology

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Cross-Border Freight Marketplaces (Customs-Aware Matching) (TLAEAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dedicated / Contract Carriage Brokerage (Shippers’ Managed Capacity) (TLACACAF)

Keywords

• Freight matching platform
• Route optimization software
• Backhaul load matching
• Transport marketplace
• Logistics technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Freight Matching / Transaction Commission: NEAR takes a commission on each successfully matched and completed freight transaction between transportists and shippers, earning revenue when cargo is placed on return routes that would otherwise be empty.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

NEAR operates a logistics technology platform that matches cargo with carriers who are already driving on a given route, focusing specifically on filling empty return trips in Spanish road freight. Carriers publish their routes through the NEAR app and receive real-time, AI-optimized matches with compatible shipper loads, while shippers can post shipments in under two minutes to reach verified transportistas. The platform integrates Stripe-protected payments held in escrow until delivery confirmation to provide trust between both sides of the marketplace.

Product overview

NEAR is a freight matching logistics platform for the Spanish market, offering a unified product architecture centered on the NEAR Platform and NEAR App. The platform connects transportistas (carriers) with shippers through route-based matching to eliminate empty trips. Key products include the core NEAR Platform for freight matching, the NEAR App for carrier route management, the Route Management Dashboard for route optimization, MIRA (AI Copilot) for AI-powered route optimization, and the Shipment Publishing module for shippers to post cargo. The platform emphasizes real-time route analysis and integrated payment processing via Stripe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MIRA: AI copilot feature within the NEAR app that assists with route optimization and freight matching.

Products and services

• NEAR Platform and App

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 43% increase in transportist income through active cargo matching and route optimization
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NVIDIA Inception ProgramcoreTechnology or IntegrationNEAR is a member of NVIDIA's Inception Program, which supports AI and deep learning startups with tools, GPU resources, and technical expertise, suggesting NEAR leverages AI/ML in its route optimization engine.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Loadsmart: US-headquartered digital freight broker combining AI-powered matching with brokerage capacity — broader incumbent offering similar technology-driven load-to-truck matching across road freight.
• Uber Freight: Large global digital freight brokerage and matching platform operated by Uber — broad incumbent offering similar load-matching and capacity-matching services at significantly larger scale.
• Truckstop.com: Established North American load board and freight marketplace — broader incumbent providing carrier-shipper matching on a much larger, mature scale comparable to NEAR's marketplace model.

Direct peers

• Teleroute (Alpega Group): European freight exchange operated by Alpega, matching road freight loads with carriers across dozens of countries — comparable in marketplace mechanics and target customer base (transportistas and shippers).
• Wtransnet: Spain-based freight exchange connecting carriers and shippers across Iberian and European road freight — directly comparable to NEAR's two-sided marketplace model and route-matching focus.
• 123cargo: Dutch-based digital freight network focused on FTL/LTL matching across Europe — directly comparable on real-time load-matching, multi-modal road freight, and cross-border European footprint.
• Trans.eu: European digital freight platform offering load and vehicle exchange across road freight — directly comparable in marketplace functionality, carrier/shipper matching, and European geographic scope.
• TIMOCOM: One of Europe's largest freight and vehicle capacity marketplaces — directly comparable on freight-brokerage mechanics, two-sided platform design, and load-matching to reduce empty runs.

Others

• Fleetio: Cloud fleet-management platform serving carriers and logistics operators — adjacent/complementary offering targeting similar transportista/operator segment with vehicle and maintenance management rather than load matching.
• project44: Global supply-chain visibility platform serving shippers, carriers, and logistics providers — adjacent enabling technology relevant to NEAR's roadmap for tracking, ETAs, and shipper-trust features around matched loads.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 NEAR