Pelicargo Launches to Elevate How Forwarders and Airlines Match Cargo, Capacity and Pricing at Scale

Pelicargo, a tech and services startup out of MIT that partners with freight forwarders, announced the launch and general availability of its air freight sourcing solution, which radically simplifies the air freight sourcing process by matching airlines and freight forwarders with the right cargo at the right time. The solution, which pairs a digital network with a concierge team of air freight experts, equips airlines to fill flights and forwarders to secure competitive rates – leading to higher profits and less work for both parties.

“It’s like the perfect game of Tetris,” said Jon Acquaviva, Pelicargo’s co-founder, who likens the company to a B2B matchmaker. “Pelicargo brings airlines the deals they actually need, when and where they need them, and helps fill challenging flights, like back hauls and non-gateways. Forwarders get more resources, a simpler and more intelligent sourcing experience and easy access to the best deals available to them. Our top users increased quoting by 88% and expanded revenue by 49% within a single quarter – it’s exciting to see the impact and we’re thrilled to collaborate with an industry notorious for its complexity.”

Airlines and freight forwarders depend on each other to grow and profit, but struggle to consistently match cargo and capacity in time for takeoff. While airlines almost always have extra capacity, accumulated legacy inefficiencies make it challenging to field every forwarder request and load match at scale. On the other hand, forwarders have cargo ready to ship, but struggle to quickly and consistently secure competitive rates. When they do work together, the process is mostly manual or conducted across fragmented digital channels – which increases time, costs and frustration on both sides.

Pelicargo’s new hybrid air freight sourcing solution helps both airlines and forwarders solve these issues by tapping into a growing network of air carriers with extra capacity and space to sell, and making matches with IATA-certified forwarders with cargo ready to ship. Its unique technology, together with a concierge team of air freight experts, actively shops and secures rates, matches capacity and routes, and fills flights – leading to higher-yield bookings and more profitable flights.

“The traditional model tends to be quite frustrating and complex. Both parties are strapped for resources, and transactions are usually conducted over email and in an ad-hoc fashion,” said Shinji Angata, one of Pelicargo’s other co-founders. “Our mission is to break this status quo by freeing time on both sides, automating the tactics and adding a deeper layer of intelligence to the process. The results so far have been impressive: we’re cutting the sales and booking cycle by hours and helping both parties grow faster, without the typical risk or complexity.”

In particular, the freight-forwarding community has responded very positively to Pelicargo’s solutions. “Demand has been overwhelming, so we're opening our platform up for additional forwarders while the spots last,” Acquaviva said.