Image Credit: portcast.io

In today’s global maritime logistics, shippers, freight forwarders, and supply chain managers face upheavals from unpredictable port congestion, extreme weather, carrier delays, and fragmented data sources. Traditional tracking spreadsheets, manual lookups, delayed carrier updates creates blind spots and reactive firefighting. Portcast emerged to fill this void, offering real-time tracking, predictive visibility, and context aware insights to make maritime logistics intelligent and proactive. Portcast was co-founded by Nidhi Gupta, CEO, a seasoned logistics leader with leadership roles across Asia at DHL, and Dr Lingxiao Xia, CTO, a machine learning and cloud computing expert with a PhD in ML.

Portcast has attracted strong investor backing through multiple funding rounds, reflecting growing confidence in its AI-driven supply chain visibility solutions. In September 2021, the company secured US $3.2 million in a Pre-Series A round led by Newtown Partners, with participation from Wavemaker Partners, TMV, Innoport, and SGInnovate. This was followed by a Series A round in November 2024, raising US $6.5 million led by Susquehanna Asia Venture Capital, alongside Hearst Ventures, Signal Ventures, and repeat investors Wavemaker Partners, TMV, and Innoport. With a total funding of approximately US $9.7 million across its growth journey, Portcast is well positioned to scale its predictive visibility technology and expand partnerships across the maritime logistics sector.

Portcast’s platform, which was described as a “next-generation logistics operating system” by TechCrunch, offers:

• Real-Time Container Tracking (aggregating vessel, port, satellite, and carrier data)
• Predictive ETAs and ETDs, with explainable delay causes
• Port Terminal & Congestion Visibility, enabling dwell-time planning
• Exceptions Reporting & Alerts, risk-aware notifications
• Analytics & CO₂ Emission Dashboard, performance benchmarking
• APIs for TMS/ERP Integration, seamless workflow embedding 

Seafarers and logistics teams benefit from proactive alerts, schedule predictability, reduced detention/demurrage, and end-to-end visibility that transforms day-to-day operations.

Portcast’s platform works by aggregating vast datasets from over 70 sources, including carrier schedules, AIS vessel tracking, port congestion reports, weather forecasts, and satellite data, which are then processed through advanced machine learning and AI models to deliver real-time and predictive supply chain visibility. The system continuously updates container locations, forecasts estimated times of arrival (ETA) and departure (ETD), and provides delay explanations based on factors such as weather disruptions, port bottlenecks, or vessel rerouting. Users can access this information through a web-based dashboard or integrate it directly into their existing Transport Management Systems (TMS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tools via APIs, enabling proactive decision-making and optimized maritime logistics operations.

Image Credit: portcast.io

Portcast offers significant advantages for maritime logistics, including proactive delay forecasting, comprehensive global coverage across most major shipping routes, integration-friendly APIs for seamless adoption, and explainable AI insights that not only flag delays but also identify their root causes. Its sustainability-focused features, such as CO₂ emissions tracking, further support ESG compliance for shipping companies. However, the platform also has some limitations: the enterprise-level pricing may be challenging for smaller operators, initial adoption can require user training to fully utilize its capabilities, certain trade lanes may still experience data gaps, and reliance on AI predictions means occasional anomalies still require human verification to ensure operational accuracy.

Portcast’s technology has been applied across diverse maritime and logistics scenarios, delivering tangible results for major clients. For instance, Siemens Digital Logistics integrated Portcast’s predictive visibility into its AX4 collaboration platform, enabling global shippers to anticipate delays and optimize routes with greater accuracy. In the agri-trade sector, DiMuto adopted Portcast to monitor perishable shipments in real time, reducing spoilage risks and improving cold chain reliability. Additionally, a leading food and beverage multinational leveraged Portcast to maintain delivery commitments amid port congestion and weather disruptions, benefiting from proactive alerts and actionable insights that allowed operations teams to adjust plans before issues escalated. These cases highlight how Portcast turns raw data into operational resilience across different segments of the maritime supply chain.

Final Thoughts
Portcast has built strategic partnerships and secured high profile clients that strengthen its position in the maritime technology space. Notably, it collaborates with Siemens Digital Logistics to embed predictive visibility into global supply chain platforms and with DiMuto to enhance agri-trade shipment monitoring. The company’s client base spans major industry players such as Ocean Network Express (ONE), AB InBev, and Neele-Vat, who rely on Portcast’s AI-driven insights to improve operational efficiency, reduce delays, and maintain customer satisfaction. These partnerships not only expand Portcast’s reach across diverse shipping and logistics markets but also validate its technology as a trusted solution for enhancing supply chain resilience.

References

Portcast. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved August 14, 2025, from https://www.portcast.io/about-us 

Portcast. (2024, November 18). Portcast secures USD 6.5 million Series A funding led by Susquehanna Asia VC to automate actions through supply chain visibility. Retrieved from https://www.portcast.io/blog/portcast-secures-usd-6-5-million-series-a-funding-led-by-susquehanna-asia-vc-to-automate-actions-through-supply-chain-visibility 

Shu, C. (2021, September 6). Portcast gets $3.2M to create more transparent and sustainable supply chains. TechCrunch. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/06/portcast-gets-3-2m-to-create-more-transparent-and-sustainable-supply-chains 

Siemens Digital Logistics. (2023, April 27). How Portcast and Siemens Digital Logistics create resilient, transparent supply chains. Retrieved from https://blogs.sw.siemens.com/partners/portcast-transforming-supply-chains 

Container News. (2025). Best container tracking software: Portcast—AI-driven predictive insight for improved supply-chain efficiency. Retrieved from https://container-news.com/best-container-tracking-software-top-solutions-to-streamline-logistics-management 

Smart Maritime Network. (2024, November 19). Portcast raises $6.5 million. Retrieved from https://smartmaritimenetwork.com/2024/11/19/portcast-raises-6-5m 

Contributor: Ariana Tri Asti
Reviewer : Imam Buchari, David Ratner