People’s Champion finalist 2017: Kontainers

Start-up name: Kontainers
Founders: Graham Parker and Charles Lee
Started in: June 2015
Based in: Newcastle
Business description: Online booking platform for container shipping

Shortlisted category:

Export Business of the Year

The Kontainers story:

Not all business sectors are sexy but, for Graham Parker and Charles Lee, at least their industry is lucrative.

Operating within a trillion-dollar sector, Parker and Lee’s start-up Kontainers is attempting to revolutionise one of the world’s last pillar industries; shipping.

The so-called cornerstone of world trade, it’s estimated that 93% of the world’s goods start life in a container and this has presented Newcastle-based Kontainers with a huge business opportunity.

With 95% of the industry still believed to be offline, Kontainers gives shipping companies a complete digital experience by offering instant access to live rates, online booking, customs clearance and real-time tracking.

Claiming to save clients 90% of their time as well as increasing international sales and reducing costs, Kontainers was recently recognised for its achievements by being named in the esteemed Maserati 100 list.

With Parker and Lee admitting the UK needs to “overcome the shadow of Brexit”, the duo believe their offering will help exporters ship faster and easier at a time when the country needs to do exactly just that.

Used by “many household names”, the Software-as-a-Service start-up says that each client deal is worth six figures – a good sign Parker and Lee’s ship really is coming in.

Why Kontainers made our shortlist:

With the future of UK trade and exporting looking anything but certain in the continued aftermath of the EU referendum, Kontainers demonstrates that digitalisation and innovation have at last found their place in one of the world’s oldest industries.

With an international client list to make any company jealous, it’s little wonder Kontainers is a finalist in our Export Business of the Year award.

Where to find out more about Kontainers:

Website: kontainers.com
Twitter:  @KontainersUK