The Full List of 13 Shipping Unicorn Startups (2026)
The global shipping industry includes 13 unicorn startups. These companies use technology to make shipping goods easier and faster.
Flexport leads the group with an $8 billion valuation. Germany-based Forto is another key company with a valuation of $2.1 billion.
Below is the full list of 13 Shipping unicorn startups at this time.
Top 10 Most Valuable Shipping Unicorns
Flexport built a full-service logistics platform that uses modern software to fix the user experience in global trade. Their technology gives companies a single dashboard to manage freight, customs, and shipping, bringing much-needed transparency to complex supply chains.
| Valuation | $8B (Joined April 2018) |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2013 |
| Founders | David Petersen, Ryan Petersen |
| Funding Amount | $2.7B |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | BoxGroup, Founders Fund, FPV Ventures, Y Combinator, Andreessen Horowitz |
Forto built a digital platform for freight forwarding that gives companies control over their global supply chains. Their technology streamlines the entire shipping process, from booking and document management to real-time tracking of shipments.
| Valuation | $2.1B (Joined June 2021) |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Berlin, Germany |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Erik Muttersbach, Fabian Heilemann, Ferry Heilemann, Michael Wax |
| Funding Amount | $593.4M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series D |
| Top Investors | G Squared, Global Founders Capital, Northzone, Cherry Ventures, IRIS |
Veho built a technology platform to manage delivery and returns for e-commerce brands. Their service focuses on the last-mile experience, giving customers next-day delivery options, real-time communication, and the ability to reschedule shipments.
| Valuation | $2B (Joined December 2021) |
| Headquarters | Boulder, Colorado, United States |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Frederick Cook, Itamar Zur, Lukas Keindl, Matt Graham |
| Funding Amount | $299.2M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | General Catalyst, Bling Capital, Industry Ventures, Plug and Play, Techstars |
Wellong Etown offers a digital freight matching service for global shipments by land and sea. Their platform helps shippers find cost-effective transport while enabling carriers to secure profitable loads.
| Valuation | $2B |
| Headquarters | Nanjing, Jiangsu, China |
| Year Founded | 2007 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | —0 |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | CCB International |
Route builds a post-purchase experience platform for e-commerce brands to turn one-time buyers into repeat customers. Their software provides visual package tracking, shipping protection, and seamless claims resolution for online shoppers.
| Valuation | $1.4B (Joined January 2022) |
| Headquarters | Lehi, Utah, United States |
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Mike Moreno |
| Funding Amount | $288.5M |
| Company Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | Album VC, Craft Ventures, Riot Ventures, Goldcrest Capital, Madrona |
Flock Freight runs a technology-driven freight brokerage that pools shipments into shared truckloads. Their platform offers a more efficient and reliable alternative to traditional less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping, reducing transit times and the potential for damage.
| Valuation | $1.3B (Joined October 2021) |
| Headquarters | Encinitas, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Oren Zaslansky |
| Funding Amount | $459M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series E |
| Top Investors | Alphabet, Foundation Capital, SignalFire, GV, Bracket Capital |
Shiprocket provides a comprehensive logistics platform designed to simplify shipping for direct-to-consumer e-commerce brands. They use an AI-powered recommendation engine to help businesses select the most cost-effective courier service and automate their shipping operations.
| Valuation | $1.21B (Joined August 2022) |
| Headquarters | New Delhi, Delhi, India |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Akshay Ghulati, Gautam Kapoor, Saahil Goel, Vishesh Khurana |
| Funding Amount | $424.6M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series E |
| Top Investors | Lightrock, Gaingels, Temasek Holdings, Tribe Capital, 500 Global |
Sennder operates a digital freight-forwarding platform that connects large commercial shippers with small freight carriers. They focus on digitizing the European road logistics market, making full truckload shipping more efficient and transparent.
| Valuation | $1.1B (Joined January 2021) |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Berlin, Germany |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | David Nothacker, Julius Koehler, Nicolaus Schefenacker |
| Funding Amount | $340M |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series D |
| Top Investors | Dynamo, Lakestar, HV Capital, Earlybird Venture Capital, Accel |
Printful runs a print-on-demand dropshipping platform that helps people turn their ideas into brands and products. They are best known for handling the entire fulfillment process, from printing and packaging to shipping goods directly to the final customer.
| Valuation | $1B (Joined May 2021) |
| Headquarters | Charlotte, North Carolina, United States |
| Year Founded | 2013 |
| Founders | Davis Siksnans, Lauris Liberts |
| Funding Amount | $130M |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | Bregal Sagemount |
ShipBob operates a global logistics platform that gives direct-to-consumer brands the tools for e-commerce order fulfillment. They combine fulfillment center services with software to help businesses automate their shipping and supply chain operations.
| Valuation | $1B (Joined June 2021) |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Year Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | Dhruv Saxena, Divey Gulati, George Wojciechowski, Jivko Bojinov |
| Funding Amount | $330.5M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series E |
| Top Investors | Wefunder, Menlo Ventures, Y Combinator, FJ Labs, Bain Capital Ventures |
The Remaining 3 Shipping Unicorns
The ten most valuable unicorns are only a fraction of the story in global shipping. The next wave of companies is truly international, with founders in India, China, and Sweden raising nearly $900 million together.
These startups are solving key problems in a complex industry, from freight forwarding to last-mile delivery. Here’s a look at the other shipping companies that have reached a billion-dollar valuation.
