dava

What dava does

Dava Pte. Ltd. (dava) is a Singapore-incorporated ship chartering and shipbroking firm founded in 1999, operating in the dry bulk sector. The company intermediates vessel charter parties between shipowners and charterers, serving major commodity trading houses, mining companies, steel manufacturers, and industrial conglomerates. Its publicly disclosed client roster includes Glencore, Trafigura, Rio Tinto, Vale, Tata, Samsung, and similar counterparties, indicating a relationship-driven business concentrated on large, investment-grade commercial counterparties.

Dava runs a capital-light brokerage model without disclosed owned tonnage. Its core offering is voyage and time-charter arrangement services for dry bulk cargoes (iron ore, coal, grain, fertilizers, and similar bulk commodities), supported by an in-house team of ex-seafarers and maritime professionals. The firm operates from offices in Singapore (headquarters), Istanbul, Seoul, and Tokyo to provide regional coverage across Asia and EMEA commodity corridors, and claims service reach across 26+ countries. Technology infrastructure is described in generic terms — cloud-based IT solutions supporting internal operations and digital workflows — without evidence of proprietary platforms, AI/ML systems, or differentiated software products.

The revenue model is commission-based, with Dava earning a percentage of the freight value on each successfully intermediated charter, consistent with standard shipbroker economics (typically 1.25%–3.75% of freight value). The firm is privately held, has no disclosed funding rounds, no M&A history, and operates with a small team of 1–10 employees. Industry affiliations include BIMCO and the Singapore Shipping Association, and the firm has received the Dun & Bradstreet Business Eminence Gold Award as third-party validation of business standing.

Name

dava

Legal name

Dava Pte. Ltd.

Website

https://dava.com.sg

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dava is a Singapore-headquartered dry bulk ship chartering broker founded in 1999, arranging vessel charters between shipowners and charterers such as Glencore, Trafigura, Rio Tinto, and Tata. The firm operates from offices in Singapore, Istanbul, Seoul, and Tokyo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dry Bulk Shipping and Vessel Chartering

NAICS

Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation (48311)

SIC

Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk Dry Cargo Carriers (Capesize/Panamax/Supramax/Handysize) (TLADABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dry Bulk Ocean Shipping (Capesize/Panamax/Handysize) (TLADAKAA)

Keywords

• Dry bulk shipping
• Vessel chartering
• Maritime transportation
• Bulk cargo logistics
• Ocean freight services

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dry Bulk Chartering Services: Dava charters and operates ships specializing in the dry bulk sector, providing transportation solutions for cargo such as alumina, aluminum ingots, copper cathodes, fertilizers, granite blocks, logs, PTA, rice, steel products, and other dry bulk commodities. Revenue is generated through vessel chartering fees charged to clients for transportation services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Dava charters and operates dry bulk vessels ranging from Handysize to Supramax, providing international maritime transportation for commercial commodities such as alumina, aluminum ingots, copper cathodes, fertilizers, granite blocks, logs, PTA, rice, and steel products. The company delivers tailored shipping solutions directly to charterers via long-term B2B relationships and offers flexibility across vessel sizes, cargo types, and global routes.

Product overview

Dava is a Singapore-registered shipping company offering a unified dry bulk shipping service platform. The core offering consists of dry bulk cargo chartering and vessel operations (Handysize to Supramax), complemented by cargo handling services for various commodity types including alumina, aluminum ingots, copper cathodes, fertilizers, granite blocks, logs, PTA, rice, and various steel products. The company operates globally with office locations in Singapore, Istanbul, Seoul, and Tokyo, serving clients worldwide since 1999.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dry Bulk Chartering Services Chartering and operating dry bulk vessels ranging from Handysize to Supramax, providing international maritime transportation for cargoes such as alumina, aluminum ingots, copper cathodes, fertilizers, granite blocks, logs, PTA, rice, steel beams, steel coils, steel plates, and steel rebars. Service is delivered to enterprise charterers including commodity trading companies, mining and metals firms, and steel and manufacturing companies on a global basis.

Named customers30 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO)coreOthersDava is a member of BIMCO, one of the largest international shipping associations. BIMCO provides standards contracts, industry expertise, and advocacy for the global shipping industry.
• Singapore Shipping Association (SSA)coreOthersDava is a member of the Singapore Shipping Association, the national industry association representing Singapore's shipping sector and promoting the interests of shipping companies operating in the region.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Oldendorff Carriers: Privately held German shipowner-operator and one of the world's largest dry bulk operators with a transatlantic trade focus. Competes for many of the same large industrial and commodity-trading charters Dava serves.
• Diana Shipping: Greek dry bulk owner with a fleet of Capesize, Panamax, Kamsarmax, and Post-Panamax vessels. Larger scale and broader vessel mix than Dava, but comparable in serving global dry bulk cargo customers on time and voyage charters.
• Safe Bulkers: Greek/Marshall Islands dry bulk owner focused on Panamax, Kamsarmax, Post-Panamax, and Capesize. Operates in the same global dry bulk charter market and overlaps with Dava on industrial commodity cargoes.
• Star Bulk Carriers: One of the largest global dry bulk shipowners with a diversified Newcastlemax-to-Supramax fleet. Operates in the same global dry bulk chartering market and serves overlapping customer segments (mining, commodities trading).
• Golden Ocean Group: John Fredriksen-controlled dry bulk shipowner with a large Capesize and Panamax fleet. Larger and more capesize-tilted than Dava but a relevant public-market proxy for dry bulk charter exposure.
• Genco Shipping & Trading: US-listed dry bulk owner-operator with a fleet of Capesize, Ultramax, and Supramax vessels. Comparable customer-facing chartering model and Supramax class overlap with Dava.
• Bocimar (Compagnie Maritime d'Affrètement – Compagnie Générale Maritime): Belgian shipping group (CMB) operating a dry bulk division under Bocimar with Handysize, Supramax, Panamax, and Capesize tonnage. Closely comparable customer base of industrial and trading counterparties in Atlantic and Asia trades.

Direct peers

• Western Bulk: Norway-based dry bulk operator running a fleet of Handysize/Supramax vessels. Direct comparable in vessel class mix, customer base (industrial commodity shippers), and global voyage-chartering model.
• Grindrod Shipping: Mid-size dry bulk owner-operator with Handysize and Supramax tonnage serving similar commodity-trading and industrial customers across global trade lanes — a relevant scale and model comparable to Dava.
• Pacific Basin Shipping: Hong Kong-listed dry bulk owner-operator focused on Handysize and Supramax segments globally, the same vessel classes Dava services. Highly comparable business model, customer base (industrial commodity shippers), and Asian trade-lane focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dava-singapore

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 dava