Sennder, the Berlin-based digital road freight forwarder, has secured €228 million ($255 million) in a mixed equity and debt financing package. The round was led by existing investors Scania and Poste Italiane, alongside financing facilities from Coface, the European Investment Bank (EIB), cflox, and Deutsche Bank . The company did not disclose its valuation.
The funding comes just weeks after Sennder announced it had achieved positive monthly IFRS EBITDA on an unadjusted basis and is on track to hit €1 billion in annual revenue for 2026, following the completed integration of C.H. Robinson’s European Surface Transportation business.
Sennder Funding Overview By CREDX Media
| Startup Name | Sennder |
| Founders | David Nothacker (CEO), Julius Köhler, Nicolaus Schefenacker |
| Founded | 2015 |
| HQ | Berlin, Germany |
| Round | Mixed Equity & Debt Financing |
| Amount Raised | €228M ($255M) |
| Valuation | Not disclosed (last publicly ~$2B in 2022) |
| Category | FreightTech, Digital Freight Forwarding, Logistics |
| Lead Equity Investors | Scania, Poste Italiane |
| Debt Providers | Coface (€100M), EIB (€40M), cflox & Deutsche Bank (€15M) |
| Equity Raised | €73M (from existing shareholders) |
| Monthly Shipments | 150,000+ |
| Carrier Network | 40,000+ vetted carriers |
| 2026 Revenue Target | €1 billion |
💡 Use of Funds
- Working Capital & Growth: The €155 million in debt facilities primarily covers the working capital gap between paying carriers and receiving customer payments, freeing up equity for growth.
- C.H. Robinson Integration: The €73 million in equity supported the acquisition and integration of C.H. Robinson’s European operations onto Sennder’s sennOS platform.
- AI & Technology: Further development of the sennOS platform and AI-powered freight tools for shippers, carriers, and other forwarders.
Startup Overview: Sennder
What Sennder Is Building in Simple Words
Sennder is a digital freight forwarder that connects large commercial shippers with small and mid-sized trucking companies across Europe. Instead of relying on paper, phone calls, and layers of subcontractors, Sennder uses its proprietary platform, sennOS, to automate bookings, track shipments, and reduce empty truck journeys.
- sennOS Platform: A single operating system that now runs the combined Sennder and C.H. Robinson European businesses, handling over 150,000 shipments per month.
- AI-Powered Workflows: Operator productivity has improved by 45% year-on-year, driven by the unified platform and AI-powered tools across operations.
- Vast Carrier Network: Access to a network of over 40,000 vetted carriers, providing shippers with flexible capacity.
Why Sennder Matters
- Profitability in a brutal market: Freight forwarding is a low-margin, capital-intensive business. Reaching positive IFRS EBITDA and a €1 billion revenue target is a significant milestone that few digital freight startups have achieved.
- The C.H. Robinson integration worked: The acquisition, announced in 2024, was expected to create a €1.4 billion revenue business. Sennder has since optimized its portfolio, prioritizing profitability over volume, resulting in a €1 billion target—but with a healthier bottom line.
- The path to public markets is unclear: CEO David Nothacker noted that public markets in Europe are currently “tense” and an IPO is “less favorable” right now, which is why the company is working with banks and private investors instead.
Founder Background: The Team That Built Europe’s Leading Digital Freight Forwarder
Sennder was founded in 2015 by David Nothacker (CEO), Julius Köhler and Nicolaus Schefenacker. Over the past decade, they have grown the company from a startup into one of Europe’s largest road freight forwarders through a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions, including the European freight business of Uber and the European Surface Transportation arm of C.H. Robinson.
Nothacker’s framing of the milestone: “Over the past ten years, we have built Sennder through innovation and scale. With profitability achieved, we now have the financial flexibility to accelerate our next phase of growth”.
Founder Intelligence: What Founders Can Learn from Sennder
- Profitability is the ultimate leverage: Sennder spent years scaling through acquisitions. Reaching positive EBITDA gave it the credibility to raise a complex financing package from banks and strategic investors, even in a tough market for tech IPOs.
- Use debt for working capital, equity for growth: Sennder structured its raise smartly. The €155 million debt facility covers the working capital gap, while the €73 million in equity funds strategic integration. This structure protects shareholder value.
- Prioritize quality over volume: After the C.H. Robinson deal, Sennder actively sold off parts of the business that didn’t fit its core strategy. Revenue is lower than initially projected, but the company is now profitable.
Investor Intelligence: Why This Round Gets Premium Capital
Scania and Poste Italiane led the €73 million equity portion. Both are long-term strategic partners—Scania has worked with Sennder since 2017, and Poste Italiane manages the Italian joint venture.
The debt facilities came from institutional partners. Coface provided a €100 million non-recourse factoring line, EIB provided €40 million in venture debt, and cflox with Deutsche Bank provided a €15 million supply chain finance facility. The involvement of the EIB signals institutional confidence in Sennder’s role in decarbonizing and digitizing European logistics.
The Road Ahead for Sennder
Expansion Targets
With the new capital, Sennder will:
- Continue its buy-and-build strategy, focusing on the DACH region, Spain, Poland, and Romania, where CEO Nothacker sees many transport companies facing succession issues and modernization needs .
- Expand its AI and platform capabilities to shippers, carriers, and other forwarders .
The IPO Question
Sennder was once mentioned as a potential IPO candidate. Nothacker now says public markets are “tense” and an IPO is “less favorable.” The company has raised roughly €400 million in total equity to date, which it says is enough to pursue its strategy without going public .
Conclusion
Sennder’s €228 million financing package validates the thesis that digital freight forwarding can be a profitable business at scale. The company’s successful integration of C.H. Robinson’s European operations, its positive EBITDA, and its €1 billion revenue target position it as Europe’s leading digital road freight platform.
Market tailwinds favor Sennder: a fragmented European road freight market ripe for consolidation, strategic investors like Scania and Poste Italiane, and a clear path to further M&A in underserved regions. Whether Sennder can maintain its profitability while continuing to grow—and eventually test the public markets—remains to be proven. But for now, the company has the capital, the platform, and the momentum to keep building.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Sennder’s total funding and latest round size?
Sennder has raised €228 million ($255 million) in a mixed equity and debt round. The company has raised roughly €400 million in total equity to date .
2. How much did Sennder raise in its latest round and who led the investment?
Sennder raised €228 million, split into €155 million in debt facilities and €73 million in equity. The equity was led by Scania and Poste Italiane .
3. What is the valuation of Sennder?
Sennder did not disclose its valuation in this round. It was last publicly valued at around $2 billion in 2022 .
4. Who are the major investors in Sennder?
Major investors include Scania, Poste Italiane, Accel, Baillie Gifford, HV, and Lakestar. Debt providers include Coface, EIB, cflox, and Deutsche Bank .
5. Who are Sennder’s founders?
Sennder was founded in 2015 by David Nothacker (CEO), Julius Köhler, and Nicolaus Schefenacker .
6. What is Sennder’s business model?
Sennder operates a digital freight forwarding platform, connecting shippers with a network of over 40,000 carriers. It generates revenue from freight forwarding services .
7. How does Sennder’s platform work?
Sennder’s sennOS platform automates bookings, tracking, and operations. It handles over 150,000 shipments per month and has improved operator productivity by 45% year-on-year through AI-powered workflows .
8. What traction justifies Sennder’s funding?
Sennder has achieved positive monthly IFRS EBITDA, is on track for €1 billion in annual revenue for 2026, and handles over 150,000 shipments per month .
9. What are Sennder’s plans for the funding?
Sennder will use the capital to fund working capital, support the C.H. Robinson integration, expand its carrier network, and further develop its AI and sennOS platform .
10. Who is the CEO of Sennder?
David Nothacker serves as CEO and co-founder .
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