What Kuehne+Nagel does

Kuehne+Nagel is a publicly listed Swiss global freight forwarder and contract logistics provider headquartered in Schindellegi, Switzerland, and operating through approximately 1,300 locations in nearly 100 countries with approximately 85,000 employees. Founded in 1893 and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under ticker KN, the company served 400,000 customers in fiscal Q2 2026 and reported net turnover of Sfr 6.6 billion (+8% year-over-year). Its service portfolio spans sea freight (full container load and less-than-container load), air freight, European road logistics, contract logistics (warehousing and fulfillment), customs clearance, cargo insurance, e-commerce fulfillment, project logistics, 4PL integrated supply chain management, and cold chain logistics.

The technology backbone is the myKN customer platform, which provides instant quotes, booking, and end-to-end shipment tracking across air, sea, and road modes, supplemented by the Konnektivität data-integration layer for EDI/API connectivity and the seaexplorer CO2-optimized route planner. Specialized assets include the GDP-compliant Cool Corridor pharmaceutical airfreight network (12 lanes across four regions as of July 2026) and the wholly owned Apex Logistics charter subsidiary based in Hong Kong, which is under strategic review for a potential partial sale or Hong Kong IPO. Revenue is generated primarily through transaction fees on freight movements, with managed-services economics in contract logistics and 4PL, and quote-based pricing on all service lines. The go-to-market is sales-led with direct enterprise engagement, complemented by the self-serve myKN platform and request-a-quote forms, targeting verticals including aerospace, automotive and new mobility, consumer goods, healthcare, high-tech and semiconductors, industrial, and perishables.

Name

Kuehne+Nagel

Legal name

Kühne + Nagel (AG & Co.) KG

Website

https://kuehne-nagel.de

Company type

Public

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Kuehne+Nagel is a Swiss global freight forwarder and contract logistics provider operating across ~1,300 sites in ~100 countries with ~85,000 employees, serving 400,000 customers in air, sea, road, customs, and supply chain management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Schindellegi

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sea Freight: Full container (FCL) and less-than-container-load (LCL) shipping solutions with door-to-door service, integrated transport by truck, rail, and inland waterway.
2. Air Freight: Airfreight services with revenue of Sfr2.4bn in Q2, growing 16.1% YoY, with EBIT of Sfr154m (up 35%) driven by tech sector demand for AI infrastructure shipments.
3. Road Logistics: European road transport with real-time tracking and carrier solutions.
4. Contract Logistics: Warehousing, fulfillment, and distribution services with scalable solutions.
5. Customs Clearance: Import and export compliance, documentation management, and regulatory support.
6. Insurance Services: Cargo insurance and risk protection services.
7. E-Commerce Solutions: End-to-end e-commerce logistics including last-mile delivery.
8. Project Logistics: Specialized logistics for oversized and complex cargo.
9. 4PL Integrated Logistics: Supply chain management and optimization services.
10. Cold Chain Logistics: Temperature-controlled logistics for perishables and healthcare products including GDP-compliant Cool Corridor network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kuehne+Nagel is a global freight forwarder and logistics provider selling multimodal transportation (sea, air, road) along with contract logistics, customs clearance, cargo insurance, e-commerce fulfillment, project logistics, 4PL supply chain management, and cold-chain/pharma logistics. Services are delivered through roughly 1,300 locations in nearly 100 countries, supported by the myKN digital platform for quoting, booking, and tracking.

Product overview

Kuehne+Nagel offers a comprehensive logistics and supply chain management portfolio centered on its myKN digital platform. The core services include Sea Freight (FCL/LCL with door-to-door capabilities), Air Freight (global air cargo), Road Logistics (European transport with real-time tracking), and Contract Logistics (warehousing and distribution). Supporting services encompass Customs Clearance, Cargo Insurance, E-commerce fulfillment, Project Logistics for oversized cargo, 4PL Integrated Logistics, Order Management, and Cold Chain Logistics for temperature-sensitive products. The company operates approximately 1,300 locations in nearly 100 countries with nearly 85,000 employees serving 400,000 customers worldwide. Recent additions include the GDP-compliant Cool Corridor pharmaceutical airfreight network with 12 lanes connecting major healthcare hubs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• myKN Customer-facing digital platform providing instant quotes, booking, and shipment tracking for air, sea, and road freight, available globally with multi-language support.
• Sea Freight (Seefracht) Global ocean freight services covering full container loads (FCL) and less-than-container loads (LCL) with door-to-door solutions, integrated transport by truck, rail, and inland waterway, and real-time tracking.
• Air Freight (Luftfracht) Global air cargo transportation services for time-sensitive shipments with comprehensive coverage across major trade lanes; Q2 2026 turnover of Sfr 2.4 billion (+16.1% YoY), EBIT up 35% to Sfr 154 million.
• Road Logistics (Landverkehr) European road freight transport with real-time shipment tracking and carrier solutions across the continent.
• Contract Logistics (Kontraktlogistik) Warehousing, fulfillment, and distribution services with scalable solutions for businesses of all sizes.
• Customs Clearance (Zollabfertigung) International trade compliance management including import/export documentation, tariff classification, and regulatory adherence.
• Cargo Insurance (Frachtversicherung) Risk protection and insurance services for freight shipments covering loss, damage, and transit-related risks.
• E-commerce Logistics End-to-end e-commerce fulfillment solutions including cross-border logistics and last-mile delivery capabilities.
• Project Logistics (Projektlogistik) Complex oversized cargo transportation and logistics for large-scale industrial and infrastructure projects.
• 4PL Integrated Logistics Fourth-party logistics services providing end-to-end supply chain management and optimization for complex operations.
• Order Management Coordination and management of order fulfillment processes from placement through delivery.
• Cold Chain Logistics (Kühlkettenlogistik) Temperature-controlled logistics for perishables, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare products requiring precise environmental conditions.
• Road Visibility Solution Real-time tracking and visibility tool for European road shipments enabling proactive shipment monitoring.
• Cool Corridor GDP-compliant airfreight network for temperature-sensitive healthcare and pharmaceutical logistics with 12 airfreight lanes connecting major pharmaceutical hubs across four regions.
• Road Carrier Solution European carrier-side road logistics solution complementing Kuehne+Nagel's shipper-facing road logistics product.

Quantifiable outcome

• Q2 2026 net turnover Sfr6.6bn (+8% YoY), earnings up 10% to Sfr276m
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ChangAn AutomobilecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2025Kuehne+Nagel signed strategic partnership agreements with ChangAn Automobile to support the company's European market entry. ChangAn is implementing an 'In Europe for Europe' strategy with plans to launch eight new models over three years, expanding from approximately 100 dealerships in 10 European countries to over 1,000 by 2030.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DB Schenker: DB Schenker provides European road, air, and ocean forwarding plus contract logistics; now owned by DSV, it remains a directly comparable peer in European land transport and global air/ocean forwarding to Kuehne+Nagel.
• Expeditors International of Washington: Expeditors is a pure-play asset-light global freight forwarder (air, ocean, ground) with customs brokerage, closely matching Kuehne+Nagel's forwarding economics and customer base across multinational shippers.
• CEVA Logistics: CEVA Logistics is a global 3PL offering contract logistics, freight forwarding, and supply chain solutions, with comparable scale in warehousing and managed transport services to Kuehne+Nagel's Contract Logistics segment.
• DSV A/S: DSV is one of the world's largest freight forwarders, operating global air, sea, and road forwarding plus contract logistics — directly comparable to Kuehne+Nagel's core forwarding business at similar scale, with DB Schenker now integrated following its 2025 acquisition.

Broad incumbents

• CMA CGM (CEVA Logistics): CMA CGM operates ocean container shipping plus CEVA Logistics contract logistics, directly overlapping with Kuehne+Nagel's sea freight forwarding and contract logistics, particularly in Europe and emerging markets.
• FedEx Logistics: FedEx Logistics provides global air/ocean freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and supply chain services — a comparable forwarding and contract-logistics peer with a strong North American footprint similar to Kuehne+Nagel's Americas presence.
• UPS Supply Chain Solutions: UPS Supply Chain Solutions offers freight forwarding, contract logistics, customs, and healthcare logistics that overlap with Kuehne+Nagel's portfolio, particularly in North American air freight and high-tech/healthcare verticals.
• DHL Group (Deutsche Post DHL): DHL Group operates Global Forwarding, Freight (ocean/air), Supply Chain (contract logistics), and Express, overlapping with Kuehne+Nagel's forwarding, contract logistics, and customs services across all major geographies.
• A.P. Møller–Maersk: Maersk is an integrated ocean carrier and logistics provider offering end-to-end container shipping, supply chain services, and customs — directly competing with Kuehne+Nagel's sea freight forwarding and contract logistics offerings.

Regional players

• Sinotrans Limited: Sinotrans is China's largest freight forwarder and logistics company with extensive air/sea forwarding and contract logistics; relevant as a regional peer where Kuehne+Nagel also operates and is growing (e.g., ChangAn partnership, Apex in Hong Kong).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Kuehne+Nagel