// Workers AI · dad joke modeDoes ShipMonk have a boat-load of work?
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Third-party logistics |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Jan Bednář |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Key people | Kevin Sides (CEO)[1] |
| Services |
|
Number of employees | 2,000+[2] (2025) |
| Website | www |
ShipMonk is an American logistics company headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It provides warehousing and shipping services for online retailers. Its software is used to manage orders and inventory.[3]
Jan Bednář founded the business in 2014, when it began as a service for forwarding packages from the United States to the Czech Republic.[4]
History
[edit]Origins and growth
[edit]While studying at Florida Atlantic University, Bednář began forwarding products purchased in the United States to customers in the Czech Republic. He called the business BedaBox and later added fulfillment service as well.[4]
In January 2016, BedaBox Fulfillment was renamed ShipMonk.[4] Kevin Sides and Václav Jareš joined Bednář as co-founders of the fulfillment business.[3][5]
ShipMonk initially grew without outside investment.[6] In October 2018, it raised $10 million in a Series A financing round backed by SJF Ventures, Grotech Ventures and Supply Chain Ventures.[7]
Investment and international expansion
[edit]In December 2020, Summit Partners led a $290 million investment in ShipMonk. The company said it planned to expand its warehouse network and invest in automation.[3] Periphas Capital made a further $65 million investment in January 2021.[8] Part of the investment was used to buy shares from existing shareholders, while the rest went to the company.[9]
In 2021, ShipMonk acquired El Mar Mexico, also known as 321 Fulfillment of Mexico. Its facility in Tecate became ShipMonk's first warehouse outside the United States.[10] In November of that year, it acquired Ruby Has Fulfillment, a deal announced in January 2022. The acquisition added warehouses in the United States, Canada and the UK, as well as more than 700 employees.[11][12]
In April 2023, ShipMonk opened a fulfillment center near the German border in Cheb, Czech Republic, to serve customers shipping goods within Europe.[13] It also had a software development team in Prague.[14] ShipMonk's annual revenue exceeded $350 million in 2023.[15]
Leadership
[edit]Bednář stepped down as chief executive in 2023. He remained an executive adviser, and Josh McCarter became CEO.[16] McCarter left ShipMonk in 2024 and co-founder Kevin Sides became chief executive.[1][2][17]
Operations
[edit]ShipMonk stores goods for online retailers and handles order processing, shipping and returns. Its software imports orders from online stores and marketplaces and tracks inventory and shipments.[3]
In recent years, ShipMonk expanded into Mexico, Canada and the UK, and opened a fulfillment center in the Czech Republic.[10][11][13]
ShipMonk appeared on the Inc. 5000 list in each year from 2018 through 2025.[2]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "ShipMonk Named to Inbound Logistics' 2026 Top 100 3PLs". ShipMonk. 2026. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 "ShipMonk is a 2025 Inc. 5000 honoree". Inc. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Shieber, Jonathan (2 December 2020). "Florida-based logistics provider ShipMonk raises $290 million on the back of rising eCommerce demand". TechCrunch. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 Bedřich, Václav (22 November 2017). "Zakladatel startupu ShipMonk, Jan Bednář: zařazení do žebříčku Forbes 30 pod 30 vděčím svému týmu". CzechCrunch (in Czech). Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ "Hurun Future Unicorns Global Gazelles Index 2024". Hurun Report. 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ Dahlberg, Nancy (27 August 2019). "Catching up with ShipMonk: New facility, rapid hiring, more growth on way". Refresh Miami. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ Bedřich, Václav (30 October 2018). "Český startup ShipMonk získal ve svém prvním investičním kole přes 220 milionů korun". CzechCrunch (in Czech). Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ "Bednář může bouchnout šampaňské. Jeho ShipMonk získal další velkou investici". Forbes Česko (in Czech). 29 January 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ Bedřich, Václav (2 December 2020). "Floridská pohádka Jana Bednáře. Za více než 6 miliard korun prodává část svého logistického startupu ShipMonk". CzechCrunch (in Czech). Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- 1 2 Mahoney, Noi (21 October 2021). "ShipMonk establishes international footprint with Mexico expansion". FreightWaves. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- 1 2 Portero, Ashley (24 January 2022). "ShipMonk doubles global footprint, adds 700 employees after acquisition". South Florida Business Journal. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ "ShipMonk Acquires Ruby Has Fulfillment". California Apparel News. 3 February 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- 1 2 Brejčák, Peter (19 April 2023). "Návrat domů. Jan Bednář se startupem ShipMonk otevřel v Česku první sklad v kontinentální Evropě". CzechCrunch (in Czech). Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ Brejčák, Peter (24 August 2022). "ShipMonk očekává nejlepší rok své historie. V Chebu otevře sklad, ze kterého začne dobývat Evropu". CzechCrunch (in Czech). Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ "Jan Bednář – 100 nejbohatších Čechů 2023". Forbes Česko (in Czech). 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ Portero, Ashley (22 June 2023). "CEO and founder of tech 'unicorn' ShipMonk steps down, names replacement". South Florida Business Journal. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ "EverCommerce Announces Josh McCarter as the Leader of Its EverPro Vertical" (Press release). EverCommerce. 12 November 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2026.