About Freight Forwarders sector in Nordics
The Freight Forwarders sector in Nordics comprises 385 companies, including 34 funded companies having collectively raised $11.8B in venture capital money and private equity. Out of these, 72 are Series A+ funded.
Freight Forwarders sector in Nordics has seen 54 acquisitions and 14 IPOs. This represents almost 17.7% of all such companies - which is higher than the 5.0% exit rate of tech companies in general.
This sector includes companies that act as intermediaries between cargo shippers and transportation service providers to organize shipments from shipper to the final point of distribution.
Freight Forwarders sector is also known as Freight brokers.
Companies that transport freight on behalf of the clients using third-party transporters. Freight transportation companies that do not own a fleet of trucks/ships/aircraft would be covered here are included in this sector. Companies that provide logistic services, booking platforms, software solutions for freight forwarders, freight forwarder marketplace, freight forwarder listings, internet first freight forwarders, customs agents, cargo surveyors, ship agents, CEP companies are excluded.
Top Freight Forwarders Companies in Nordics
There are 385 Freight Forwarders startups in Nordics which include DFDS, DSV, Bring, Viking Line, TORM. Out of these, 34 startups are funded, with 72 having secured Series A+ funding.
Over the past 10 years, an average of 12 new companies have been launched annually.
Here is the list of top Freight Forwarders startups in Nordics
1. DFDS
DFDS is a European shipping and logistics company. The company owns a fleet of vessels, a network of terminals & hubs and offers services for FTL & LTL trucking, ocean freight transportation, container logistics, rail transportation services, and more.
Key facts about DFDS
- Founded Year: 1866
- Location: Copenhagen (Denmark)
- Stage: Public
- Investors: Europa and DSV
- Latest Funding Round: Grant (prize money), Jan 01, 2021, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 58/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 27 of 23,313 Competitors
2. DSV
DSV is a Danish transport and logistics company offering transport services worldwide by road, air, sea, and train. The company is structured in three divisions, DSV Road, DSV Air & Sea and DSV Solutions. Its main activities lie within the European road transport (trucking) network and its air and sea freight forwarding business. The group also has a growing pan-European contract logistics business. DSV does not own any ships or airplanes and only a relatively small number of trucks and trailers. In 2014 DSV reported a turnover of Euro 6,517M and EBITA of Euro 352M. DSV has made 38 acquisitions - Samson Transport (1997), DFDS Dan Transport Group (2000), ABX Logistics (fr) (2008) are some of the important ones. In 2022, the company recorded annual revenues of $30.12B and a net profit of $2.3B.
Key facts about DSV
- Founded Year: 1976
- Location: Hedehusene (Denmark)
- Stage: Acquired
- Investors: BlackRock, Agility Ventures and 2 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Grant (prize money), Apr 17, 2023, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 57/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 1 of 53 Competitors
3. Bring
Offers shipment tracking & delivery services. The company offers a platform for users to track & trace their shipments, cargo & parcels. The company offers courier & express delivery, home delivery, cargo & parcel delivery services.
Key facts about Bring
- Founded Year: 1999
- Location: Oslo (Norway)
- Stage: Acquired
- Tracxn Score: 57/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 5 of 563 Competitors
4. Viking Line
Key facts about Viking Line
- Founded Year: 1959
- Location: Mariehamn (Aland Islands)
- Stage: Funding Raised
- Investors: Europa
- Latest Funding Round: Grant (prize money), Jan 01, 2019, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 55/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 5 of 538 Competitors
5. TORM
TORM is a product tanker and dry bulk company and runs a fleet of approx. 160 vessels. The Company is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. The company provides tankers for carrying oils and gasoline products. The company is listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen.
Key facts about TORM
- Founded Year: 2002
- Location: Copenhagen (Denmark)
- Stage: Public
- Investors: Hamburg Commercial Bank, Hafnia and 3 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Post IPO, Dec 18, 2025, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 53/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 8 of 538 Competitors
Companies founded year-on-year in the Freight Forwarders sector in Nordics
39 Freight Forwarders startups in Nordics were founded in 2021 - this is the most number of startups founded in any year in the last 10 years.
- Total Number of Companies
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | - |
2025 | - |
2024 | 1 |
2023 | 12 |
2022 | 34 |
2021 | 39 |
2020 | 12 |
2019 | 12 |
2018 | 7 |
2017 | 6 |
Stage-wise distribution of Freight Forwarders sector companies in Nordics
Out of the total 385 Freight Forwarders companies in Nordics, 34 have secured funding. Among them, 72 have reached Series A or higher, and 71 to Series B or beyond.
Founded - 385
Funded - 34
Series A+ - 72
Series B+ - 71
Series C+ - 71
Company Stage | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Founded | 385 |
Funded | 34 |
Series A+ | 72 |
Series B+ | 71 |
Series C+ | 71 |
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Funding Trends in the Freight Forwarders sector in Nordics
Total funding year-on-year in the Freight Forwarders sector in Nordics
The Freight Forwarders sector in Nordics saw a total funding of more than $10B in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding was in 2019 at more than $5.41B.
- Total Funding
Year | Total Funding |
|---|---|
2025 | $85.2M |
2024 | $2.54M |
2023 | $972K |
2022 | $379M |
2021 | $3.87B |
2020 | $1.44M |
2019 | $5.41B |
2018 | $262M |
2017 | $10.1M |
Recent Funding Rounds in Freight Forwarders in Nordics
In the year 2024, till December 2024, Freight Forwarders companies in Nordics have raised $2.54M in equity funding across 2 rounds.
Here are some recent, important funding rounds in Freight Forwarders companies in Nordics:
Company | Round Raised | Amount Raised | Funding Date | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
PE | 1495 | Dec 19, 2024 | ||
Unattributed | 1769 | Jan 15, 2024 | and 9 more | |
PE | 2481 | Sep 22, 2022 | ||
Series D | 7183 | Apr 01, 2022 | ||
Seed | 3552 | Sep 15, 2020 |
Top Investors in Freight Forwarders in Nordics
KKR is the top investor in Freight Forwarders companies in Nordics based on number of companies invested.
Here are some top investors in Freight Forwarders companies in Nordics:
Investor | Location | Top Portfolio Companies |
|---|---|---|
New York City (United States) | - | |
Stockholm (Sweden) | TORM and Slproperty | |
New York City (United States) | - | |
Helsinki (Finland) | - | |
Copenhagen (Denmark) | - |
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M&A activity in Freight Forwarders sector in Nordics
In the year 2024, till October 2024, 2 acquisitions happened in Freight Forwarders sector in Nordics. Last year, in 2023, a total of 4 acquisitions happened in Freight Forwarders sector in Nordics.
Here are some recent, important acquisitions in Freight Forwarders sector in Nordics:
Company | Acquisition Type | Acquisition Date | Acquirers |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Acquisition | Oct 15, 2024 | ||
Business Acquisition | Jan 22, 2024 | ||
Business Acquisition | Dec 01, 2023 | ||
Business Acquisition | Jun 01, 2023 | ||
Business Acquisition | May 30, 2023 |
Acquisition trends in Freight Forwarders sector in Nordics
Here are the acquisition trends in Freight Forwarders sector in Nordics:
- Total Number of Acquisitions
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | - |
2025 | - |
2024 | 2 |
2023 | 4 |
2022 | 11 |
2021 | 9 |
2020 | 6 |
2019 | 5 |
2018 | 2 |
2017 | 5 |
IPOs in Freight Forwarders in Nordics
In the year 2022, till March 2022, 1 IPO happened in Freight Forwarders sector in Nordics.
Here are some recent, important IPOs in Freight Forwarders sector in Nordics:
Company | IPO Date | Exchange Symbol |
|---|---|---|
Mar 25, 2022 | Stockholm Stock Exchange (STO) | |
Dec 07, 2018 | Stockholm Stock Exchange (STO) | |
Jul 11, 2016 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) | |
Oct 26, 2007 | Iceland Stock Exchange (ICE) | |
Sep 22, 2005 | SIX Swiss Exchange (SWX) |
Top News in Freight Forwarders in Nordics
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TORM plc Increases Capital Following Vessel Delivery and Incentive ProgramPR Newswire•Nov 12, 2025•TORM
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TORM plc Q3 2025 Results, Dividend Distribution, and Financial Outlook 2025Mining Stock Education•Nov 06, 2025•TORM
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TORM GAAP EPS of $0.77 in-line, revenue of $342.6M beats by $84.12M; narrows FY outlookSeeking Alpha•Nov 06, 2025•TORM
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DSV’s airfreight volumes jump 64% in Q3 following Schenker acquisitionIndia Seatrade News•Oct 25, 2025•DSV
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DSV: Interim Financial Report Q3 2025 Shows Schenker Integration and Stable PerformanceGlobeNewswire•Oct 23, 2025•DSV
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Scan Global Logistics expands operations to Egypt to bolster MENAT presenceLogistics Manager•Oct 07, 2025•Scan Global Logistics
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