What Shipping Strategy Ltd does

Shipping Strategy Ltd is a privately held UK maritime intelligence and professional services firm, founded operationally in 2018 and headquartered in Sandy, Bedfordshire, with a registered office in Milton Keynes. The company provides maritime market research, bespoke consulting, ESG advisory, executive training, and ship valuation services to ship owners and operators, asset managers and investors, shipbuilders, governments, charterers, brokers, insurers, and maritime media. Its keystone product is the Markets Monthly subscription report — a 24-page independent monthly briefing on macro economics and the oil tanker, bulk carrier, and container ship freight markets — supported by the Macro Macchiato newsletter (distributed via Substack), a portfolio of one-off research reports (priced from free executive summaries to £199), and the Shipping Strategy Academy training programme delivered directly and through Lloyd's Maritime Academy and Cambridge Academy of Transport.

The company's monetisation spans five streams: a recurring Markets Monthly subscription (12-month minimum term), one-time report purchases via its online shop, professional services for custom market research and consulting, ESG and ship valuation training, and data products including five-year-ahead freight rate forecasts and independent certified ship valuations. Pricing is denominated in GBP and ranges from free summaries to £199 for premium reports; subscription ACVs are not publicly disclosed. Distribution is primarily direct (phone and email), supported by partner-led education channels and content-led top-of-funnel marketing.

Underlying technology comprises proprietary freight rate forecasting models developed since 1999 and an AI-powered Physical Risk Monitoring tool for maritime fleets, co-developed with AAC Clyde Space and Morphing.ai under UK Space Agency grant funding. The technology stack is domain-specialised — applied AI and statistical forecasting rather than general-purpose AI — with all data processing performed on structured maritime market and fleet data. The firm is led by Managing Director Mark Williams and Principal Sustainability Consultant Paul Stuart-Smith; the Diversity Study Group, co-founded in 2019, was spun off as a separate entity in 2022.

Name

Shipping Strategy Ltd

Legal name

Shipping Strategy Ltd

Website

https://shippingstrategy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shipping Strategy Ltd is a UK-based maritime intelligence firm providing market research, consulting, ESG advisory, executive training, and ship valuations to ship owners, investors, governments, and maritime professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Market Research

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Water Transportation (4400), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Maritime Security Training & Drills (ISPS, Crew Training) (BPAKALAG)

Keywords

• Maritime market research
• Shipping consulting services
• Freight rate forecasting
• Maritime ESG advisory
• Shipping industry training

Headquarters

HQ city

Sandy

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Markets Monthly Subscription Report: A highly-regarded 24-page monthly subscription report covering macro economics, oil tanker, bulk carrier and container ship freight, time charter and asset markets, with in-depth independent commentary and historical perspective. This is the company's keystone product.
2. Market Research Reports (One-Time Purchases): Individual market research reports sold through the online shop, covering topics such as dry cargo market outlooks, bulk carrier market outlooks, energy transition, iron ore production, and shipbuilding analysis. Prices range from free executive summaries to £199 for comprehensive reports.
3. Professional Training and Seminars: One-day seminars to get teams up to speed on the maritime sector, staff training courses, and executive training programs.
4. Custom Market Research and Consulting: Project-based market research engagements including market scoping, freight market outlooks, asset price forecasts, investment prospectus research, and bespoke consulting on maritime ESG issues.
5. Data Products (Freight Forecasting, Valuations): Up to five-year ahead freight rate forecasts for major ship types and independent certified ship valuations, offered as discrete data products to ship owners, investors, lessors, lenders, and insurers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Shipping Strategy Ltd delivers maritime market intelligence and professional training to shipping, finance, and government clients worldwide. Its offerings include subscription reports (Markets Monthly), a free macro newsletter (Macro Macchiato), bespoke market research and consulting, ESG advisory, executive training via the Shipping Strategy Academy, and AI-powered data products covering freight rate forecasting, physical risk monitoring, and independent ship valuations.

Product overview

Shipping Strategy Ltd offers a portfolio of maritime intelligence and professional services organized into four main pillars: (1) Subscription Publications (Markets Monthly report and Macro Macchiato newsletter), (2) Data Products (Physical Risk Monitoring AI tool, Freight Rate Forecasting models, and Ship Valuations), (3) Consulting and Training (ESG consulting, bespoke market research, and Shipping Strategy Academy executive training), and (4) Market Research Reports (published reports on dry cargo, bulk carriers, tankers, energy transition, and commodity-specific shipping demand). The offering is a consultative intelligence platform combining recurring subscription content with custom research engagements and AI-powered analytical tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Markets Monthly: A 24-page subscription report covering macro economics, oil tanker, bulk carrier and container ship freight, time charter and asset markets with in-depth, independent commentary and historical perspective
• Macro Macchiato
• Shipping Strategy Academy
• Macro Macchiato
• ESG for Shipping Certificate

Products and services

• Markets Monthly

Quantifiable outcome

• LR1 oil products tankers earned $47k/day in 2024, their best year since 2008, out-earning MRs ($37k/day) and LR2s ($39k/day), validating the company's market outlook.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• AAC Clyde SpacecoreTechnology or IntegrationAAC Clyde Space, a space technology company, partnered with Shipping Strategy and Morphing.ai to develop an AI-powered physical risk monitoring tool for maritime fleets, funded by the UK Space Agency's Unlocking Space for Business Programme. This tool generates risk track records to inform underwriting, chartering, and financial risk management.
• Morphing.aicoreTechnology or IntegrationMorphing.ai collaborated with Shipping Strategy and AAC Clyde Space on an AI physical risk monitoring tool for maritime fleets, leveraging artificial intelligence and data analytics to model and measure physical risk to ships.
• UK Space Agency (UKSA)coreOthersThe UK Space Agency provided funding through its Unlocking Space for Business Programme to support the development of Shipping Strategy's AI-powered physical risk monitoring tool in partnership with AAC Clyde Space and Morphing.ai.
• Lloyd's Maritime AcademyflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMD Mark Williams and Principal Sustainability Consultant Paul Stuart-Smith serve as course directors for Lloyd's Maritime Academy's online certificate in ESG for Shipping. The company also offers valuation methodology training via this institution.
• Cambridge Academy of TransportcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShipping Strategy teaches ship valuation methodology via the Cambridge Academy of Transport, a maritime and transport training institution.
• SolisminorOthersSolis (solis-marine.com) is listed among the great organisations Shipping Strategy works with. Nature of relationship not detailed beyond the logo placement.
• BIMCOminorOthersBIMCO is listed as a partner organisation. BIMCO is the International Maritime Association representing shipowners and operators.
• InterManagerminorOthersIntertanko (intertanko.com) is listed as a partner. Intertanko is a trade association for independent tanker owners.
• UK Space AgencyminorOthersUK Space Agency (gov.uk) is listed as a partner organisation on the website, alongside its known funding role in the AI risk monitoring project.
• Moore InternationalminorOthersMoore International (moore-global.com) is listed as a partner, likely providing accounting, advisory, or financial services to the maritime sector.
• JS Global AdvisoryminorOthersJS Global Advisory (jsglobaladvisory.com) is listed as a partner organisation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/shipstrategy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shipping-strategy-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Shipping Strategy Ltd