About Freight Forwarders
There are 33.7K companies in the Freight Forwarders sector across the world, with 1.01K funded companies having collectively raised $54.8B in venture capital money and private equity. Overall 1.71K of these are Series A+ funded, and 1 of these is a unicorn.
Freight Forwarders sector has seen 1.22K acquisitions and 395 IPOs.
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 included in Freight Forwarders sector
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 hereCompanies excluded in Freight Forwarders 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 excludedMarket Map of Freight Forwarders
The market map of Freight Forwarders gives a visual overview of the sector, showing key business models, their interactions in the value chain, and industry evolution.
Reports related to Freight Forwarders
Here are some reports related to Freight Forwarders sector:
Free
Freight Forwarders - Sector Report
Edition: November, 2025 (63 Pages)
Premium
Freight Forwarders Investor Landscape
Edition: May, 2025 (12 Pages)
Premium
Freight Forwarders Exit Landscape
Edition: August, 2025 (15 Pages)
View all reports related to Freight Forwarders. Sign up today!Top Companies in Freight Forwarders
There are more than 33.7K companies in Freight Forwarders. CMA CGM is the top Freight Forwarders company globally, ranked using Tracxn Score (what's this?).
Here are 5 of the top Freight Forwarders companies globally:
Company | Description | Location | Founded | Current Stage | Private Funding Raised |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Provider of end-to-end shipping, logistics, and air freight transport solutions | Marseille (France) | 1978 | Acquired | - | |
Provider of multimodal logistics services | Gurugram (India) | 1958 | Public | - | |
Provider of express, freight, and logistics solutions | Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | 1982 | Acquired | - | |
Provider of international express shipping, freight, and supply chain services | Bonn (Germany) | 1969 | Public | - | |
Provider of web-based payment management solutions for the transportation industry | San Francisco (United States) | 2019 | Series B | $142M |
Companies founded year-on-year in the Freight Forwarders sector
2 new startups have been founded so far in 2026 in the Freight Forwarders sector. 2,122 Freight Forwarders startups were founded in 2020 - 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 | 2 |
2025 | 18 |
2024 | 117 |
2023 | 788 |
2022 | 1,588 |
2021 | 1,849 |
2020 | 2,122 |
2019 | 1,457 |
2018 | 1,078 |
2017 | 701 |
Companies founded across countries in the Freight Forwarders sector
United States has 6,844 Freight Forwarders startups, the most by any country, followed by India which has 4,495 startups and United Kingdom which has 3,113.
- Total Number of Companies
Country | No. of companies |
|---|---|
United States | 6,844 |
India | 4,495 |
United Kingdom | 3,113 |
Germany | 1,263 |
Canada | 946 |
China | 699 |
United Arab Emirates | 684 |
Australia | 598 |
Indonesia | 554 |
Estonia | 515 |
Stage-wise distribution of the Freight Forwarders sector
Out of the total 33,659 Freight Forwarders companies, 1,012 have secured funding. Among them, 1,714 have reached Series A or higher, and 1,678 to Series B or beyond.
Founded - 33,659
Funded - 1,012
Series A+ - 1,714
Series B+ - 1,678
Series C+ - 1,664
Company Stage | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Founded | 33,659 |
Funded | 1,012 |
Series A+ | 1,714 |
Series B+ | 1,678 |
Series C+ | 1,664 |
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- 33.7K+ Total Companies
- $54.8B+ Total Funding
- 1K+ Funded Companies
- 390+ IPOs
- 1.2K+ Acquisitions
Funding Trends in the Freight Forwarders sector
Total funding year-on-year in the Freight Forwarders sector
The Freight Forwarders sector saw a total funding of more than $40.2B in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding was in 2018 at more than $9.98B. There has been a total funding of $12.1M in 2026 till date.
- Total Funding
Year | Total Funding |
|---|---|
2026 | $12.1M |
2025 | $160M |
2024 | $1.87B |
2023 | $332M |
2022 | $3.14B |
2021 | $9.77B |
2020 | $3.54B |
2019 | $9.76B |
2018 | $9.98B |
2017 | $1.6B |
Total funding across countries in the Freight Forwarders sector
In the last 10 years, Freight Forwarders startups in United States have recieved the highest funding among all countries - $6.5B. China follows with $5.54B and France with $1.74B.
- Total Funding
Country | Total Funding |
|---|---|
United States | $6.5B |
China | $5.54B |
France | $1.74B |
India | $545M |
United Arab Emirates | $322M |
Germany | $286M |
Canada | $193M |
United Kingdom | $131M |
Italy | $13.1M |
Belgium | $10M |
Total funding amount raised by stage in the Freight Forwarders sector
Over the last 10 years, the Freight Forwarders sector have seen $114M into Seed Stage funding rounds, $849M into Early Stage funding rounds and $6.87B go into Late Stage funding rounds.
Funding Stage | Total Funding |
|---|---|
Debt | $17.4B |
Post IPO | $12.8B |
Late Stage | $6.87B |
PE | $1.41B |
Early Stage | $849M |
Grant | $546M |
Seed Stage | $114M |
Recent Funding Rounds in Freight Forwarders
In the year 2026, till February 2026, Freight Forwarders companies have raised $12.1M in equity funding across 3 rounds.
In the same period last year (i.e. till February 2025), Freight Forwarders companies had raised $3.41M across 2 rounds.
So, 2026 has seen a 254.77% rise in funding in Freight Forwarders companies as compared to 2025.
Here are some recent, important funding rounds in Freight Forwarders:
Company | Round Raised | Amount Raised | Funding Date | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Unattributed | 1858 | Feb 02, 2026 | ||
Seed | 5087 | Jan 28, 2026 | - | |
Series C | 8416 | Jan 05, 2026 | and 3 more | |
Series A | 9593 | Dec 16, 2025 | ||
Seed | 6037 | Dec 03, 2025 | and 1 more |
Top Investors in Freight Forwarders
Europa is the top investor in Freight Forwarders companies based on number of companies invested.
Here are some top investors in Freight Forwarders:
Investor | Location | Top Portfolio Companies |
|---|---|---|
Washington, DC (United States) | ||
Washington, DC (United States) | ||
Washington, DC (United States) |
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M&A activity in Freight Forwarders
In the year 2026, till March 2026, 13 acquisitions happened in Freight Forwarders sector. Last year, in 2025, a total of 69 acquisitions happened in Freight Forwarders sector.
Here are some recent, important acquisitions in Freight Forwarders:
Company | Acquisition Type | Acquisition Date | Acquirers |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Acquisition | Mar 23, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Feb 19, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Feb 17, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Feb 16, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Feb 16, 2026 |
Acquisition trends in Freight Forwarders
Here are the acquisition trends in Freight Forwarders:
- Total Number of Acquisitions
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 13 |
2025 | 69 |
2024 | 96 |
2023 | 95 |
2022 | 168 |
2021 | 130 |
2020 | 69 |
2019 | 137 |
2018 | 113 |
2017 | 89 |
IPOs in Freight Forwarders
In the year 2025, till December 2025, 10 IPOs happened in Freight Forwarders sector.
Here are some recent, important IPOs in Freight Forwarders:
Company | IPO Date | Exchange Symbol |
|---|---|---|
Dec 24, 2025 | Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) | |
Oct 31, 2025 | Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV) | |
Oct 08, 2025 | Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) | |
Oct 08, 2025 | Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), National Stock Exchange (NSE) | |
Oct 07, 2025 | Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) |
Colleges which produce the most Freight Forwarders companies
Companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the Freight Forwarders sector
Most number of Freight Forwarders startups have been founded by alumni from Cornell University, New York University and Harvard Business School.
College | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Cornell University | 7 |
New York University | 6 |
Harvard Business School | 4 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 4 |
Tel Aviv University | 4 |
INSEAD | 3 |
Stanford University | 3 |
Yale University | 3 |
Ben-Gurion University of The Negev | 2 |
Carnegie Mellon University | 2 |
Total funding in companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the the Freight Forwarders sector
In the last 10 years, Harvard Business School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and The University of British Columbia graduates' Freight Forwarders companies have raised the most funding among top colleges.
College | Total Funding |
|---|---|
Harvard Business School | $10.2B |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $10.2B |
The University of British Columbia | $10.2B |
Cornell University | $2.74B |
Johns Hopkins University | $142M |
IIT Madras | $94.5M |
London School of Economics and Political Science | $66M |
Technische Universität Berlin | $66M |
Princeton University | $32M |
University of Toronto | $30.2M |
Top News in Freight Forwarders
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Saudi Ports Add New Shipping Services Amid Strait of Hormuz DisruptionInternational Finance•Mar 30, 2026•CMA CGM, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company
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CEVA Logistics Launches New Maritime Transport Service for Used Lithium-Ion BatteriesBatteriesnews•Mar 24, 2026•CEVA Logistics
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Navigator Gas Announces Availability of its Annual Report on Form 20-FGlobeNewswire•Mar 13, 2026•Navigator Gas
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Navigator Gas Announces Preliminary Q4 2025 Results (Unaudited)GlobeNewswire•Mar 12, 2026•Navigator Gas
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