Some big acquisition news today in the world of ship tracking…
Brussels-based data intelligence and cargo-tracking company Kpler announced the acquisitions of ship tracking data providers MarineTraffic and FleetMon.
The deal follows MarineTraffic’s acquisition of FleetMon in 2018, which created one of the largest and most comprehensive sources of real-time information on shipping and maritime activity around the world.
Since its founding in 2007, Athens-based MarineTraffic has grown to become a leading provider of ship tracking data for maritime professionals, companies, and enthusiasts alike, providing real-time information about the movements of ships around the world using its large network of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) receivers, as well as information on port activity and vessel statistics. Its website and popular mobile app are used by millions users around the world. It also has a huge database of user-submitted ship photos. Here at gCaptain we have used its services extensively in our reporting.
Rostock-based FleetMon, which was also founded in 2007, also provides AIS ship tracking data, information, and analytics tools to a wide range of users.
Kpler said in a statement that combining these companies’ strong points will allow it to unlock more value for the maritime sector and increase the quality of the products, data, and services it provides to clients. The value of the transaction were not disclosed.
“I am very proud of what MarineTraffic has achieved over the years and really excited for what we can further achieve as part of Kpler, alongside the FleetMon team,” said Demitris Memos, CEO, MarineTraffic. “I am confident that the integration of our products and organisational cultures will lead us to new frontiers, ultimately benefiting our customers and our community. The increasingly connected maritime world needs more digital tools and better analytics and we’ll continue innovating in that direction.”
“Creating transparency for the maritime world has driven our work for over a decade now,” added Lars Brandstäter, CEO of FleetMon. “To combine the experience and excellence of the Kpler , MarineTraffic and the FleetMon teams will push the journey of digitalization for maritime transport and supply chains. Let’s stay active, stay connected – and never stop scaling.”
For Kpler, the addition of MarineTraffic and Fleetmon brings it to five acquisitions in the last 18 months after having secured over $200 million in funding last year from private equity firms Five Arrows and Insight Partners. With these two new acquisitions, Kpler will employ over 500 employees across the world and serve more than a million active users across the wider maritime and commodity industries.
?“Since its creation, Kpler has been focused on tracking cargoes, not vessels. We believe the time has come to marry commodity and maritime intelligence into one single platform,” said François Cazor, CEO of Kpler. “This will lead to improvements in the data and services we provide and drive further innovation in the maritime sector, by incorporating the excellent work of both MarineTraffic and FleetMon.”
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