Entrepreneur Of The Year US National Award winner

By applying innovative tech to a mature business, Jan Bednar created ShipMonk, a nimble third-party logistics (3PL) company that competes with the shipping giants. Founded in 2014, ShipMonk started as a way for Bednar to deliver US goods to his friends and family in his native Czech Republic. It went on to disrupt an industry plagued by slow turnaround, inefficiencies and labor constraints.

From his Florida Atlantic University (FAU) dorm room, Bednar ordered products to consolidate and ship overseas, inspiring a business plan that won both the FAU Business Plan Florida and the Venture Forum Collegiate Competition. With the prize money, he dropped out of school to pursue his passion full-time.

Despite advisors’ warnings that the shipping industry was too complex for an inexperienced startup, Bednar saw that established fulfillment companies relied on antiquated tech and had poor customer service. Leveraging automation to modernize e-commerce logistics, ShipMonk’s multichannel 3PL platform integrates the inventory, shipping, order and warehouse management fulfillment processes. The software allows for a streamlined approach that includes live shipping rates, branded shipping tracking and customizable product protection. 

Today, ShipMonk is focusing on growth through securing new customers, developing its in-house logistics systems, and with the help of two recent acquisitions.

“I knew that if I worried about the little things in software features, warehouse efficiencies and user experience, the larger picture would sort itself out,” Bednar says. “I was right. At ShipMonk, we sweat the small stuff so our clients don’t have to worry.”