CargoBeamer Secures 140 Million Euro in Investment Capital

Leipzig-based company receives 90 million euros from transport ministries in Germany and Switzerland for new terminal construction projects.

Horizontal transshipment in CargoBeamer-Terminal (Picture: CargoBeamer)

CargoBeamer, the leading logistics company for fast, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly freight transport in Europe, has received commitments totaling 140 million Euro from public and private investors as part of its current Series B financing round. The funds will be used to expand two highly innovative terminals for handling all types of semi-trailers in Kaldenkirchen (Germany) and Domodossola (Italy) near Milan. CargoBeamer is therefore continuing to expand in Europe. Besides private investors, the investors also come from the public sector, including the German Federal Railway Authority and the Swiss Federal Office of Transport.

Both institutions are contributing around 90 million Euro, which will be provided in funding commitments for the construction projects of two CargoBeamer terminals in Germany and Italy. The federal portion of around 40 million euros will benefit the Italian CargoBeamer-Terminal in Domodossola, a central hub for transalpine freight transport. Up to 185,000 craneable and non-craneable truck consignments are to be shifted from road to rail every year. At the site in Kaldenkirchen, where the first CargoBeamer-Terminal in Germany will be built, the final preparations for starting construction are now taking place.

In addition, CargoBeamer has secured an additional 50 million Euro from private investors as part of Series B financing. The group of investors was led by the family office of the Albrecht family (Nordwind Ventures). “With exceptional vision and great confidence, our lead investors have not only supported us financially, but also laid the foundation for our success. Their commitment is the key to our future, and we are deeply grateful for their support,” says Dr Markus Fischer, CFO of CargoBeamer. Until summer, the current round of financing will remain open to other investors as well.

“The fact that public funds are now flowing into CargoBeamer on a large scale is ample proof of the importance of our technology – and yet another strong argument in the ongoing fundraising process”, stresses Nicolas Albrecht, CEO of CargoBeamer. “CargoBeamer is one of the most important innovations in European freight transport in recent decades and is making a significant contribution to the economically and politically desired shift of traffic from road to rail”, Albrecht adds

18 Terminals in the Next Ten Years

The capital commitments once again underscore CargoBeamer’s position as the most promising company in the field of combined transport in Europe – and one that is also fully privately owned. Despite strong growth, CargoBeamer is already operating profitably in its core business and, along with its sites in Kaldenkirchen and Domodossola, has its first fully automated transhipment terminal in Calais, northern France. Together with its partners, additional locations in Perpignan (France), Ashford (Great Britain) and Bari (Italy) are also part of the current network. The new funding allows CargoBeamer to accelerate its growth dramatically. Over the next ten years, a total of 18 terminals and up to 50 routes are to be built across Europe, which will make a considerable contribution to reducing CO2 emissions in European freight transport.

Compared to freight transport by road, CO2 savings due to rail amount to around 85 per cent. CargoBeamer-Terminals, where up to 38 semi-trailers can be loaded onto a train in just 20 minutes – nine times faster than in crane terminals – are providing urgently needed capacity for climate-friendly transport in European freight traffic. At the same time, the innovation is contributing to resolving the acute shortage of truck drivers in the European freight transport industry. CargoBeamer’s transport volume in its core business recently grew by 39 per cent. In contrast, the overall market in the European intermodal sector shrank by around 14 per cent. The European market addressed by CargoBeamer is estimated to be worth around 77 billion euros in the coming years.

Dr Hans Albrecht, as representative of the Albrecht family who provided investment funds, explains: “The transition in freight transport from road to rail is dependent on innovative solutions that save significant costs and energy, such as CargoBeamer. The move towards significant CO2 reduction in the transport sector initiated by numerous European countries offers CargoBeamer enormous economic potential. In freight transport, CargoBeamer has clearly established itself as the most scalable solution, and its growth must now be accelerated."

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