Shipping technology player Marcura Group has struck a milestone deal to take over procurement platform ShipServ.

The agreement is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks and is viewed by the companies as a necessary step in unifying the fragmented shipping services marketplace online.

ShipServ’s 126 employees will come together with Marcura’s 850 to serve a combined customer base of 800 blue-chip maritime customers and a network of 47,000 maritime suppliers globally.