Top 10 Innovative Freight Solutions to Watch in 2026

Executive Summary: Which are the Top 10 Freight Solutions to Watch?

1. Zarpar (Brazil): Provides a digital ocean freight platform that consolidates carrier pricing, booking, and tracking to automate global shipment workflows.
2. Apunto (Mexico): Builds a cloud-based freight forwarding system that automates quotes, documentation, and financial dashboards for logistics teams.
3. OTR Load Board (USA): Develops a freight load board platform with AI-powered route optimization, fraud detection, and live broker communication.
4. QuoteZen (USA): Offers a freight rate quoting platform for SMB shippers, enabling instant quote comparison, analytics, and margin control.
5. Easyport (Indonesia): Provides an AI-powered B2B SaaS platform that automates rate management, customs clearance, and container monitoring.
6. JETWAY CARGO (India): Designs durable unit load devices (ULDs) for air freight operations to optimize cargo space, safety, and shipment handling.
7. Freightnaut (India): Builds a real-time shipment tracking platform integrating AI-powered documentation, carrier recommendations, and pricing negotiation.
8. Swiftway Shippers (Ghana): Delivers a digital shipping platform for African markets with automated booking, tracking, and customs clearance.
9. SpotGo (Lithuania): Develops an AI-driven light freight management system that automates data extraction, load matching, and communication workflows.
10. Xfrate (Australia): Provides a cloud-based freight operating system with real-time load matching, dispatch tracking, and automated payments.

Global Startup Heat Map highlights Global Freight Solutions to Watch

Through the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering over 9M+ startups, 20K+ technology trends, plus 150M+ patents, news articles & market reports, we identified the top freight companies.

The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights emerging freight startups you should watch in 2026, as well as the geo-distribution of 670+ startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research.

According to our data, we observe high startup activity in the USA and India, followed by the UK. The top 5 Startup Hubs for freight are Dubai, London, New York City, Mumbai, and San Francisco.

Meet Emerging Freight Solutions to Watch [2026]

We hand-picked startups to showcase in this report by filtering for their technology, founding year, location, funding, and other metrics. These emerging freight startups work on solutions ranging from freight load board software and real-time shipment tracking to freight operating systems and ocean freight platforms.

1. Zarpar – Ocean Freight Platform

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: São Paulo, Brazil
• Prominent Partnerships: Logcomex, Bossanova, and Vixtra

Brazilian startup Zarpar provides a digital ocean freight platform that consolidates real-time pricing and booking data from global shipping lines into a single interface.

It automates complex quotation workflows and instantly generates transport proposals based on cargo details such as weight, volume, origin, and destination. The platform delivers immediate access to market freight rates, enables one-click booking across carriers, and centralizes reservation tracking and documentation.

This reduces manual input, eliminates errors, and accelerates operational turnaround. Zarp enables freight forwarders, exporters, importers, and logistics teams to streamline pricing operations, make faster decisions, access transparent rate comparisons, and coordinate international shipments more efficiently.

2. Apunto – Cloud-based Freight Forwarding Software

• Founding Year: 2024
• Location: Monterrey, Mexico
• Major Clients: Salzillo, Beyond Logistics, Incafosa, Tamsal Logistics Mexico

Mexican startup Apunto develops a cloud-based freight forwarding software that streamlines logistics operations for businesses of all sizes. This solution centralizes shipment data, automates workflows, and calculates real-time profit margins by integrating modules for quotes, document management, customer history, and financial dashboards.

Moreover, the system operates through pre-configured flows and a clean, intuitive interface. This enables logistics teams to manage shipments, validate carriers, and track performance without relying on spreadsheets.

Its features include smart templates for instruction letters, AI-assisted incident resolution, and 360° operational assessments, designed to reduce errors and enhance visibility. Apunto enables forwarders and brokers to scale efficiently while maintaining full control over financial and logistical performance.

3. OTR Load Board – Freight Load Board Software

• Founding Year: 2025
• Location: Fort Myers, USA

USA-based startup OTR Load Board builds a freight load board software that streamlines carrier operations. The intuitive platform connects carriers with available loads using an interface that matches trucks to freight efficiently, minimizing downtime and maximizing load utilization.

Moreover, it integrates advanced route planning tools that reduce fuel consumption and travel time. Its features include AI-powered fraud detection and document verification to ensure secure transactions and protect carriers from fraudulent activities. Further, the platform incorporates market rate analytics, traffic data, and weather insights to facilitate decision-making.

Built-in messaging and in-app calling features enable direct communication with brokers, dispatchers, and team members. OTR Load Board addresses industry challenges like high pricing, fraud, and poor usability and helps carriers optimize operations, reduce risks, and maximize profitability.

4. QuoteZen – Freight Rate Quoting for SMB Shippers

• Founding Year: 2025
• Location: Dover, USA
• Prominent Partnerships: Keymark

USA-based startup QuoteZen specializes in freight rate quoting for small and mid-sized shippers. It allows them to request, receive, and award freight quotes directly within a unified interface, eliminating the need for emails or phone calls.

The platform enables rate requests and comparisons of responses, while maintaining organized oversight across teams and locations. Moreover, it utilizes advanced analytics to track historical rates, monitor carrier responsiveness, and identify cost-saving opportunities. Shippers access these features from any device via a secure cloud-based infrastructure.

Further, it offers white label customization, enabling businesses to tailor the interface to their brand. QuoteZen enhances quoting speed, visibility, and strategic decision-making, thereby helping shippers control margins and optimize freight spend.

5. Easyport – AI-Powered Freight Forwarding

• Founding Year: 2025
• Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
• Funding: Secured USD 125K Pre-Seed Funding from Antler
• Startup Stage: Pre-Seed

Indonesian startup Easyport offers an AI-powered B2B SaaS platform to automate and optimize freight forwarding operations. The platform integrates modular tools, including rate management, document validation, real-time container monitoring, financial management, and customs clearance into a single intelligent system.

Each module operates through proprietary AI algorithms and direct system integrations to streamline workflows and reduce manual intervention. Its conversational interface handles client queries to improve responsiveness and reduce agent workload.

Moreover, the system provides visibility across the logistics chain, scalable configuration, and continuous access to operational data. By consolidating freight management into a single intelligent interface, the platform enables logistics providers to minimize delays, reduce costs, and maintain compliance across global shipping networks.

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6. JETWAY CARGO – Unit Load Device (ULD)

• Founding Year: 2024
• Location: New Delhi, India

Indian startup JETWAY CARGO provides unit load devices (ULDs) to improve efficiency and reliability in air freight transportation. The ULDs feature standardized dimensions and reinforced construction, allowing integration with aircraft cargo systems while protecting shipments from turbulence and temperature shifts.

Each device maximizes available aircraft space through precise engineering that reduces unused volume and minimizes loading inefficiencies. Moreover, the ULDs accommodate cargo types including perishables, hazardous materials, and oversized goods through adaptable configurations and secure locking mechanisms.

JETWAY CARGO streamlines shipping workflows by eliminating the need for specialized equipment and reducing operational complexity for airlines and logistics providers.

7. Freightnaut – Real-time Shipment Tracking Platform

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: Pune, India

Indian startup Freightnaut offers a real-time shipment tracking platform that streamlines freight operations for exporters and logistics teams.

The platform automates export documentation using AI-powered autofill and smart suggestions, which generate accurate paperwork without relying on templates.

It continuously analyzes shipment history and cargo context to recommend carriers, routes, and service levels aligned with organizational preferences.

The startup validates data against saved records to reduce manual errors and accelerate workflows across repeated shipments.

Moreover, the platform integrates digital freight forwarding and pricing negotiation tools to facilitate shipment management.

Freightnaut enables full shipment visibility, instant updates, and faster deal closure, thereby helping logistics teams ship smarter and maintain compliance without operational delays.

8. Swiftway Shippers – Digital Shipping Platform

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: Accra, Ghana
• Major clients: Eminent Prime Realty, FruVeg Farms Ghana, Hauls Transport Services, Cold Krush Beverages

Ghana-based startup Swiftway Shippers delivers a digital shipping platform that automates freight logistics across Africa. It replaces manual processes with a centralized system that enables users to book shipments, track cargo in real time, and manage customs clearance through a single interface.

The platform integrates features such as instant quote generation, digital payment options, and automated notifications to streamline operations from booking to delivery.

This supports both air and sea freight, providing flexible solutions for time-sensitive and bulk cargo while ensuring full visibility and control throughout the shipment lifecycle. The startup helps businesses to move goods faster, reduce costs, and operate with greater transparency across global supply chains.

9. SpotGo – AI-driven Light Freight Management System

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: Vilnius, Lithuania

Lithuanian startup SpotGo provides an AI-driven light freight management system to automate data extraction and order processing for freight forwarders. It scrapes freight details from emails, documents, and web portals, then instantly inputs them into transport management systems or freight exchanges without manual intervention.

The system integrates via API and enables freight forwarders to manage loads, trucks, and communications from a single interface. Moreover, this solution accelerates freight collection through Flash SPOT technology, improves internal collaboration with a centralized exchange, and enhances decision-making using real-time analytics.

SpotGo empowers logistics teams to operate faster, allocate resources more effectively, and maintain profitability in a competitive transport environment.

10. Xfrate – Freight Operating System

• Founding Year: 2024
• Location: Sydney, Australia

Australian startup Xfrate offers a cloud-based transport management system designed for shippers to manage mid-mile logistics efficiently. The system connects shippers and fleet owners by allowing transporters to onboard participants, receive freight orders, and match them in real time with available vehicle capacity.

Moreover, it integrates AI-powered load matching, automated bidding and auction tools, and live dispatch tracking to optimize resource utilization and streamline execution.

Further, this solution facilitates financial reconciliation through automated payment and commission tracking, while offering analytics for shipment performance and operational metrics.

Xfrate empowers shippers to run their own freight networks, generate revenue through subscriptions and commissions, and maintain full visibility across all logistics activities.

Discover All Emerging Freight Startups

The 10 freight startups showcased in this report are only a small sample of all startups we identified through our data-driven startup scouting approach. Download our free Industry Innovation Reports for a broad overview of the industry, or get in touch for quick & exhaustive research on the latest technologies & emerging solutions that will impact your company in 2026!