Descartes acquires BoxTop Technologies for $13M

Supply chain SaaS provider inks third deal of 2024

Descartes continues to roll up supply chain software providers. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Descartes announced Tuesday it has acquired shipment management solutions provider BoxTop Technologies for $13 million.

Headquartered in Windsor, England, BoxTop’s technology provides small and midsize logistics services providers (LSPs) digital tools to manage the full life cycle of shipments. BoxTop was already working with the Descartes Global Logistics Network (GLN) to provide customers shipment visibility and electronic customs filing capabilities.

The deal was funded with cash on hand.

“BoxTop has an excellent solution for small- to mid-sized LSPs and we see an opportunity to integrate it with more solutions on the GLN,” said Scott Sangster, general manager of logistics services providers at Descartes, in a news release. “This will help us deliver more value to BoxTop customers and expand the geographic footprint into more countries in Europe.”

This is Ontario, Canada-based Descartes’ (NASDAQ: DSGX) third acquisition of the year. It acquired trade compliance provider OCR Services in March and customs and regulatory compliance company Aerospace Software Developments in April. The two deals totaled $150 million.

Descartes generated $63.7 million in cash flow from operations in its first fiscal quarter ended April 30. It also closed the period with a $350 million line of credit that had no outstanding balance.

“LSPs will continue to play a vital role in trade in the global economy,” said Descartes CEO Ed Ryan. “As LSPs continue to digitize their operations, we want to make sure that small- to mid-size LSPs have access to the same breadth of solutions to manage the lifecycle of shipments in a secure and efficient manner.” 

Descartes is a global SaaS provider of routing, tracking, invoicing and customs tools.

More FreightWaves articles by Todd Maiden

Upcoming FreightWaves Events
Compliance

Brokerage Compliance Symposium

The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.

October 26, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
Awards

F3 Awards Dinner

The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.

October 26, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
FreightTech

F3: Future of Freight Festival

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

October 27, 2026 – October 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
Compliance Brokerage Compliance Symposium Oct 26 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now
Awards F3 Awards Dinner Oct 26 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now
FreightTech F3: Future of Freight Festival Oct 27 – Oct 28 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now

Todd Maiden

Based in Richmond, VA, Todd is the finance editor at FreightWaves. Prior to joining FreightWaves, he covered the TLs, LTLs, railroads and brokers for RBC Capital Markets and BB&T Capital Markets. Todd began his career in banking and finance before moving over to transportation equity research where he provided stock recommendations for publicly traded transportation companies.