Leipzig-based CargoBeamer bags €65M to drive freight’s much-needed transition from road to rail

Leipzig-based CargoBeamer, a German logistics and intermodal terminal operator, has secured up to €65M in equity and debt financing from Orion Infrastructure Capital (OIC). 

This funding follows €50M from an existing shareholder and €90M in grants from the German and Swiss transport authorities in 2024. 

In total, the company has raised €205M over the past year to support its freight transport operations.

Jeremy Glick, Investment Partner and Head of Infra Growth at OIC, says, “CargoBeamer’s proprietary technology will be instrumental to enabling the road to rail freight transition, which aligns with our objective to build cost-advantaged logistics solutions that also enhance decarbonisation efforts.”

“We are confident that CargoBeamer will drive the modal shift to rail in Europe with its two extremely innovative new intermodal terminals.”

New York City investment bank Ancoris Capital Partners served as CargoBeamer’s exclusive financial advisor for the funding.

Logistics service provider in “combined transportation road-rail segment”

CargoBeamer provides road-rail logistics solutions using automated technology that transfers semi-trailers onto freight trains in 20 minutes, nine times faster than conventional crane terminals.

Currently operating in Germany, Italy and France, its system reduces carbon emissions by 85 per cent compared to diesel trucking while helping to ease highway congestion and truck driver shortages.

The company’s technology includes patented wagons, transhipment terminals, and logistics software, enabling the transport of non-craneable semi-trailers by rail. 

CargoBeamer is also looking to expand its network across Europe with plans to establish more intermodal terminals and high-frequency rail connections.

Capital utilisation

CargoBeamer plans to build two new terminals in Kaldenkirchen, Germany, and Domodossola, Italy, to facilitate the transfer of road freight units to rail. 

Construction is set to begin in 2025 and finish by 2026. These will be the second and third CargoBeamer terminals in Europe, following the first in Calais, France, which opened in 2021.

Nicolas Albrecht, CEO of CargoBeamer, says, “We are excited for our capital partnership with OIC, in which we have laid important cornerstones to make CargoBeamer the intermodal champion that drives the much-needed modal shift of freight from road to rail.”

“From the first day, OIC has proven to be a visionary partner dedicated to helping to realise state-of-the-art infrastructure that allows to decarbonise land-based transportation in Europe.”

“Our terminals in Kaldenkirchen and Domodossola are perfectly placed on the ends of the most-frequented intermodal corridor in Europe, and the unmatched density and speed of our rail connections in between will be instrumental in shifting freight to rail at scale,” adds Albrecht.

Brief about the investor

Orion Infrastructure Capital (OIC) oversees around $5B in assets, investing in North America and select global markets. The firm supports middle-market businesses with credit, equity, and growth capital to expand and develop sustainable infrastructure. 

Its investment focus includes energy efficiency, renewable power, waste management, digital infrastructure, transportation, and logistics. Established in 2015 by industry experts in energy, sustainability, and infrastructure, OIC has a team of about 48 professionals based in New York, Houston, and London.