BOXHUB

BOXHUB operates as an online marketplace focused on the buying and selling of new and used shipping containers. The company aims to digitize and streamline a traditionally fragmented and manual industry. It was founded in 2017 by Maximilian Birner and Philip Skov. Birner's background includes co-founding a geospatial data network and a non-profit social impact platform, reflecting an interest in leveraging business for social good that carries into BOXHUB's mission.

The company's business model is centered around its e-commerce and logistics platform, which provides transparent pricing, automated checkout, and customer support. By connecting shipping lines and leasing companies that have a surplus of containers with buyers, BOXHUB addresses the costly issue of repositioning empty containers, an expense estimated to be around $20 billion annually for the shipping industry. Revenue is generated through the sale of these containers on its marketplace. While headquartered in Toronto, Canada, its primary service areas are in the United States. The platform caters to a diverse client base, including B2B customers like NASA, General Electric, retailers, and construction firms who use the containers for storage or operational space. It also serves a growing B2C market of individuals and entrepreneurs who repurpose containers into homes, offices, vertical farms, and pop-up retail spaces.

The platform offers a range of container sizes, such as 20ft and 40ft options in both new and used conditions. Key features include upfront pricing, a simplified online purchasing process, and delivery coordination, typically within five business days. This approach is designed to transform the cumbersome, paper-based process of acquiring shipping containers into a straightforward e-commerce experience. Since its inception, the company has secured significant funding, including a $2.7 million seed round in 2022 and a $12.4 million Series A round in 2023, which is intended to fuel international expansion and further product development. Keywords: shipping container marketplace, online container sales, used shipping containers, new shipping containers, intermodal containers, container logistics, B2B e-commerce, container repurposing, tiny homes, modular construction, portable storage, container upcycling, sustainable building, automated logistics, freight tech, Maximilian Birner, Philip Skov, container trading, logistics platform, empty container repositioning, supply chain technology