What needs to move?

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To

Nauvik is an AI-operated freight forwarder. Air, sea, rail and road, quoted in about five minutes.

01 · The business

A freight forwarder owns no ships. It brokers information.

Who has space this week, what it costs, which customs code applies, who to call when the truck is late. That knowledge is the product.

Every shipment means emails, calls, PDFs and portal logins between the shipper, carriers, terminals, customs and the receiver.

Today, people do this coordination. At Nauvik, agents do it. Every message is recorded, and each shipment improves the next quote.

02 · The economics

58.5% of a forwarder's gross profit goes to people.

Kuehne+Nagel, the world's largest forwarder, in 2025: of every 100 francs of gross profit, 58.5 paid for people. 14.1 was left as operating profit.

Lower price, 3.5× the profit per shipment.

One shipment. A forwarder charges €1,600 and keeps €50. We charge €1,500, run it for €75 and keep €177.

03 · The market

391,000 Dutch companies trade goods across borders.

Each dot is a hundred of them. Most are small, and to a forwarder, small means slow to quote and expensive to serve.

279,000 only import. 86,000 import and export. 27,000 only export.

ImportBothExport

This is how we serve them.

Keramiekshop.nl · Tilburg
4 people · ceramics webshop · buys from China

04 · The ask

The customer sends one message.

Keramiekshop.nl sells ceramics online from Tilburg. Sanne runs operations for a team of four. She writes in plain language, by chat, email or WhatsApp.

Press send in the chat

05 · Plan and quote

The agent plans the route.

Behind the chat, the agent works out what the job needs and draws three routes: air, sea, and rail to Poland with a truck from there.

The shop has no loading dock, so every route ends with a tail-lift truck.

05 · Plan and quote

It asks 139 carriers and partners in 4 minutes.

Airlines and rail answer by API. Ocean desks, truckers and hauliers mostly work by phone, so the agent calls them in their own language, dozens at once. 107 answer within 4 minutes.

Sanne never sees the buy rates. She gets three options.

06 · The options

Three options and a recommendation.

Door-to-door prices with customs and insurance included. The agent recommends rail and explains why.

07 · The quote

The quote arrives in 5 minutes.

A forwarder's quote takes a day or more; in a 2015 test, 90 hours on average.

288×faster than a
24-hour quote

08 · Negotiation

The customer negotiates with the agent.

Pick Sanne's reply. The agent knows our cost, each carrier's flexibility and our approval rules.

Pick a reply in the email

08 · Negotiation

Within policy, the agent decides. Outside policy, an operator approves.

09 · Booked

One signature books the shipment.

Transport order, customs mandate and insurance in one signature. The agent then books every carrier.

10 · Shepherd mode

The agent monitors every shipment.

After booking, the agent checks rail GPS, the haulier's slot, the shop's warehouse hours, weather and customs every five minutes.

We record everything, so the agent always has full context.

11 · A small delay

A delay comes in. The agent moves the plan.

Two days before pickup, the train runs six hours late. The agent calls Marek, the Polish haulier, and moves pickup and delivery by a few hours.

Delivery stays inside the shop's receiving hours. On the call the agent says it's an AI, as EU rules require from August 2026.

12 · Their systems

The update lands in the shop's own systems.

One event updates Keramiekshop.nl's WooCommerce store and emails Sanne. Nobody at the shop had to do anything. For another customer, the same event lands in Shopify, SAP or their own system.

13 · Closed

Delivery, invoicing and reconciliation are automatic.

Agent time00:00
Human time0 s
Clock09:14
NauvikFreight desk · replies in seconds
Agent online
Morning, Sanne. What needs to move?
Need to move 6 pallets of ceramics from Shenzhen to our warehouse in Tilburg. Ready 3 Nov. What are my options?Sanne · 09:14
On it. Planning the route, then asking carriers across air, sea, rail and road.
Planning and quoting0 of 139 answered
139 asked · 107 answered · 3 min 52 s
Three options, door to door. I'd go with rail: €2,720 less than air and 19 days sooner than sea. Customs and all-risk insurance included.
Air
€4,8606 days · 9 NovKLM Cargo
Recommended
Rail
€2,14019 days · 22 Novrail to Poland, then truck
Sea
€1,48038 days · 11 DecMaersk
Mail Search mail
PrimaryPromotionsUpdates
  • NauvikYour quote · Shenzhen → Tilburg – Hi Sanne, three door-to-door options below. I recommend rail.
  • Keramiekshop.nl[Keramiekshop.nl] New order #1042 – 2 × Stoneware mug, sand · €64.00
  • Foshan CeramicsSuppliersRe: PI-2210 ready on 3 Nov – Six pallets packed, photos attached
  • bol.comYour weekly sales report – 38 orders, 2 returns
  • Exact Online3 invoices waiting – Approve before Friday
  • PostNLShippingPickup confirmed – Tuesday between 14:00 and 17:00
  • SendcloudYour weekly shipping summary – 112 parcels sent

Your quote · Shenzhen → Tilburg · 6 palletsInboxShipping

Nauvik Freight Deskquotes@nauvik.com · to me

Hi Sanne, three door-to-door options below. I recommend rail.

Air6 days9 Nov€4,860
Rail19 days22 Nov€2,140
Sea38 days11 Dec€1,480
Asked 09:14 · quoted 09:19
S
Sanne de Vriesto quotes@nauvik.com

Nauvik Freight Deskquotes@nauvik.com · to me

Approved by Lisa · Operations
S
Sanne de Vriesto quotes@nauvik.com

Deal. Book it.

Reply
Transport orderOne signature books it
NV-2611-0042
NauvikTransport order
Pickup
Delivery
Goods
6 pallets · ceramics · 2.7 t
Route
Price
Insurance
All-risk, included
Customs mandate: direct representation, NL

Sanne de Vries · Keramiekshop.nl

Booked
NV-2611-0042 · in transit
On schedule
rail · 16 days road · 2 days
Shenzhen
Pinghu rail
Khorgos
Małaszewicze, PL
Tilburg
  1. Picked up in Shenzhen, 6 of 6 palletsdriver app
  2. Departed Pinghu rail terminalrail API
  3. Border cleared at Khorgos, into Kazakhstanrail API
  4. 312 km past Khorgos at 64 km/h, on schedulerail GPS
Checked every 5 minRail GPSHaulier slotWarehouse hoursWeatherCustoms
Stock dates updated by NauvikWooCommerce · 14:24
Stoneware mug, sand€32Sold out
Serving bowl, 28 cm€58Sold out
Dinner plate, speckled€24Pre-order
New email · sanne@keramiekshop.nlWas 11:00. Still inside your receiving hours.
Delivered · NV-2611-0042
Closed
Received
6 of 6 pallets
Damage
None
Signed
J. Peters, warehouse
Photos
4 attached

Invoice and reconciliation

Invoice to Keramiekshop.nlsent
Pickup trucker, Shenzhen−€95matched
Rail operatormatched
Polish haulier−€800matched
Customs clearance−€148matched
Insurance−€38matched
Gross profit
Behind the scenesQuote agent · NV-2611-0042Shepherd agent · NV-2611-0042Pricing agent · NV-2611-0042
0/6 needs · 00:00 Live Margin floor 10% · discounts over 3% need an operator
ShenzhenTilburg07:30–17:00Małaszewicze, PLAir · 6 d€3,640Sea · 36 d€1,090Rail · 16 d€695Road · 2 d€800
  1. Ready 3 Nov in Shenzhenlocal pickup truck
  2. 6 pallets, 2.7 t, fragileall-risk insurance
  3. Not urgentcompare air, sea and rail
  4. Enters the EUcustoms, HS 6912
  5. No loading docktail-lift truck to the door
  6. Receives 07:30–17:00delivery window

Plan ready: 3 routes, 139 partners to ask.

APIAirlines, rail, insurers

Truckers and ocean desks

Hauliers

0/139 answered in 4 minAPI 55Voice 74Email 10
S
Sanne de Vries · reply

  1. Our cost on this lane is €1,776. At €1,950 the margin is 8.9%, below the 10% floor.

    ✗

  2. Rail operator: pickup on 5 Nov instead of 3 Nov saves €80.

    ✓

  3. Counter at €2,040: margin 16.9%.

    ✓

  4. A 4.7% discount needs an operator to approve.

    review

  5. Sent to Lisa, Operations.

    waitingapproved in 38 s ✓

  6. Needs Tilburg by 15 Nov. Standard rail lands 22 Nov.

    ✗

  7. Air lands 9 Nov, but costs €4,860.

    ✗

  8. Express rail slot to Małaszewicze lands 15 Nov.

    ✓

  9. Offer at €2,390: margin 14.0%.

    ✓

  10. Inside policy, no review needed.

    ✓

  11. List price €2,140: margin 17.0%.

    ✓

  12. Train slot on 4 Nov held.

    ✓

  13. Transport order and customs mandate drafted.

    ✓

  14. Inside policy, no review needed.

    ✓

Train6 h lateMałaszewiczerail → road · MarekTilburgKeramiekshop.nl1,250 km by road
Rail operator · ETA changedTrain six hours behind, two days before the handover in Poland
Train into Małaszewicze
06:0012:00+6 h✓
Pickup · MarekPolish haulier, tail-lift
08:0013:00✓
Delivery · Tilburg
11:0015:30inside 07:30–17:00✓
Calling MarekPolish haulier

Dzień dobry, tu asystent AI firmy Nauvik. Pociąg ma sześć godzin opóźnienia. Czy odbiór może być o trzynastej?Hello, this is Nauvik's AI assistant. The train is six hours late. Can pickup be at 13:00?

Tak, trzynasta pasuje. Bez dopłaty.Yes, 13:00 works. No surcharge.

Plan updated, two days ahead. Marek, the terminal and the shop have the new times.

14 · The old way

The same shipment at a traditional forwarder.

At a traditional forwarder, every step is a person: an email, a call, a portal login, a spreadsheet row. About 48 touches for six pallets, and no monitoring in between.

At Nauvik, agents check every feed every five minutes and act on what they find. One person touched this shipment, for 38 seconds.No person touched this shipment at all.

Traditional forwarder0human touches
  • Quote in a day or more
  • Delays found when someone checks
  • Invoice weeks later
Nauvik0human touch · 38 shuman touches
  • Quote in 5 minutes
  • Delay handled two days ahead
  • Invoice at delivery

15 · Built, not stitched

One system, built in-house.

A forwarder runs on eight stitched-together tools, with people as the glue. We build all of it ourselves, on one data model.

Features ship in 10 minutes, not 10 days.

A forwarder files a ticket with its software vendor and waits about 10 days. Our operators build what they need themselves, with agents, including our partner relationship management tool.

TMS CRM Rate portals Email Spreadsheets Accounting Tracking Customs software

Stitched · eight tools, people as glue

Nauvik coreOne data model · one event log
CRMPRMQuotingBookingTrackingCustomsBillingAgents

Built · one system, agents inside

Feature request · Lisa, operations

“Show each haulier’s on-time rate in our partner list.”

Forwarder + software vendor

  1. Ticket filedday 1
  2. Prioritisedday 3
  3. Vendor scopes itday 5
  4. Builtday 8
  5. Testedday 9
  6. Releasedday 10

Nauvik operator + agent

  1. Lisa asks the agent0 min
  2. Agent builds it into the PRM3 min
  3. Lisa checks it8 min
  4. Live for the whole team10 min
1,440×faster from feature request to live

16 · How it grows · Three S‑curves

Growth comes from three S‑curves.

One: SME imports. Product-led and self-serve. A clear benefit for anyone who imports, from one message.

Two: enterprise contracts. Custom logistics for large shippers under contract, delivered by a small team on the same platform.

Three: robotics. Once robots can be deployed, we run the legs we now buy from carriers and keep that money as margin.

Each curve funds the next. Data, partners and processes from one curve carry over to the next.

17 · Curve one · SME imports

SMEs import 16% of the goods value.

In the Netherlands, small and mid-sized companies bring in 16% of import value. It is the long tail of the market, and a legitimate first target: many companies, badly served, quick to decide.

Bottom‑up product, top‑down sales.

Importers find us and quote themselves, and we reach out to the ones that don't. We compete on price and quality, and with a new class of product.

Large companies import the other 84%.

Most of the value sits with enterprise shippers. They need more than a quote.

Bottom-upLanding page → quote in 5 minutes → booked
Top-downOutreach → demo → first shipment

A new class of product

A quote in 5 minutes

Straight from the landing page.

Plugs into the shop

Shopify, WooCommerce and SAP connections.

Bookable by AI assistants

An MCP server lets a customer's own assistant quote and book.

Always-on agents

Every shipment checked every five minutes, day and night.

Competing on price · quality · product

18 · Curve two · Enterprise contracts

Enterprises require end‑to‑end solutions.

A large shipper runs its own ERP, warehouses and EDI, works with several forwarders and dozens of carriers, and has rules for every lane. One in four enterprise shippers manages six or more parcel carriers alone.

Three pillars make the solution.

Digital integration connects their systems. Process alignment turns their SOPs and approval rules into agent playbooks, with exceptions handled around the clock. Carrier procurement replaces their four forwarders with one partner, runs the tenders and holds every carrier to its SLA. We deliver all three on our own platform.

Complexity made enterprise logistics a linear business.

Every contract needed its own integrations, playbooks and carrier management, built by solution architects, process managers, onboarding leads and SAP consultants, and run by operators. None of it carried over to the next contract, so headcount grew with every contract signed.

We turn it into a super‑linear business.

Integrations, playbooks and carrier data carry over from one contract to the next. A small team of forward-deployed engineers and solution leads serves many contracts, so revenue grows faster than headcount.

End-to-end solutionEvery lane on time, every SLA met
01Digital integration
02Process alignment
03Carrier procurement and SLAs
Enterprise shipper14 sites · 40 countries
SAP S/4HANAWMS · site AWMS · site BTMSEDI · IFTMINEDI · IFTSTAEDI · INVOICCarrier portalsCarrier portals automated Lane SOPsSOPs become agent playbooksApproval rulesApprovals built into policyDangerous goodsDG rules checked per bookingException handlingExceptions handled 24/7Monthly SLA reviewLive SLA reportingEmissions reportingEmissions per shipment 4 forwardersOne partner instead of four20+ carriersEvery carrier on SLA6 customs brokersCustoms brokers coordinated3PL warehousesWarehouse slots bookedAnnual tendersTenders run by agentsFreight auditEvery invoice audited
Nauvik platformagents · carrier network · one data model
Traditional: about 9 people per contractNauvik: FDEs and solution leads

19 · Curve three · Robotics

We will be best‑equipped to operate robots once they arrive.

Physical AI is coming. Driverless trucks already run commercially in Texas, and factories install more than half a million robots a year.

Today, 83% of what a customer pays flows out to carriers.

Robots let us keep it. On the same shipment, gross profit doubles, and every lane we automate adds more.

The end vision as we see it today, not something we run yet.

20 · The team

We hire agents over people.

The few people we hire are former founders, YC alumni among them, and industry veterans who already work with AI.

Everything runs from one agent core: quoting, calls, bookings, tracking, customs and invoicing.

21 · Why now

This company can only start now.

Incumbents can't rebuild around agents: Kuehne+Nagel runs on 85,407 people and processes built around them. An AI-operated forwarder has to start from zero. That is what we are doing.

What needs to move?

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To