About Western Bulk
Western Bulk is a publicly listed company based in Oslo (Norway) founded in 1982 by Tellef Thorleifsson, and was acquired by Kistefos in February 2016. It operates as a dry bulk vessels are owned and operated for commodity transportation. Western Bulk has raised $15 million across 2 funding rounds from investors including Ojada and Kistefos. The company has 94 employees. Its chief executive is Hans Aasnaes. Western Bulk offers products and services including Dry Bulk Chartering. Its focus areas include Transportation and Logistics, Maritime Shipping, Shipping Vessels and Dry Bulk Shipping. Its legal entity is Western Bulk Chartering AS.
Company details
Western Bulk was established in 1982 in Oslo, Norway, within the maritime sector. Transportation services for dry bulk commodities, such as grains and minerals, are offered through a dedicated fleet of vessels. Ownership and operation of these ships enable reliable global shipping. The company maintains its base in Norway while supporting international trade networks.
- Headquarters Oslo, Norway
- Employees 94
- Founders Tellef Thorleifsson
- Stage Public
- SectorsTransportation, Automotive & Logistics
- Website category Business and Consumer Services · Shipping and Logistics
- Email••••••••
- Phone•••• ••••
- Website westernbulk.com
- Social LinkedIn
- Acquired by Kistefos (Feb 2016)
- Legal Name Western Bulk Chartering As
Products & Services of Western Bulk
Western Bulk offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services, including Dry Bulk Chartering.
Chartering of dry bulk vessels for global commodity trade
Funding Insights of Western Bulk
Western Bulk has successfully raised a total of $15M across 2 strategic funding rounds. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $15M
- Total Rounds 2
- First Round $15M
(Apr 2019)
- Investors Count 1
All 2 funding rounds of Western Bulk with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
2 investors in total: 2 institutional.
Investors in Western Bulk
Western Bulk has secured backing from 2 investors, including venture fund investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Ojada and Kistefos.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
- | – | ojada.no | - | |
A private investment company managing diversified portfolios is operated. | 1998 | kistefos.no | Oslo, Norway |
Investor details for Western Bulk
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People of Western Bulk
2 people are tracked at Western Bulk (2 in leadership); the tracked headcount is 94.
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Tellef Thorleifsson | Founder | Leadership |
Hans Aasnaes | CEO | Leadership |
Complete people profiles for Western Bulk
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IPO & Listings of Western Bulk
Western Bulk is a publicly listed company on the OSL with ticker symbol WEST in Norway, operating in the Transportation sector. As a publicly traded entity, the company provides investors with opportunities to participate in its growth story through equity ownership. The listing enables access to capital markets, enhances corporate visibility, and provides liquidity for shareholders while maintaining transparency through regulatory compliance and regular financial disclosures.
- IPO date24 Sep 2021
- Listed onFRA: 7EJ
- Listed entityWestern Bulk Chartering AS
- Exchange sectorTransportation
- ISINNO0010768096
- Share price24.70 NOK (+10.76% on the day) · 2026-10-14
- Market capitalisation749,719,656.00 NOK
- Price to earnings78.7
- EPS (diluted, trailing year)0.31 NOK
- Dividend yield5.4%
- Volume (last session)16,285
Financials of Western Bulk
| Year | Revenue | Net income | EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10.79B NOK | 55.8M NOK | 26.3M NOK |
| 2024 | 13.65B NOK | -29.6M NOK | -60.6M NOK |
| 2023 | 11.81B NOK | -165.1M NOK | -134.8M NOK |
| 2022 | 15.54B NOK | 634.7M NOK | 616.0M NOK |
| 2021 | 12.79B NOK | 696.7M NOK | 535.6M NOK |
Detailed financial statements for Western Bulk
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Timeline of Western Bulk
4 dated milestones of Western Bulk across 39 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Western Bulk is founded.
- Exit Acquired by Kistefos.
- Funding First funding round of $15.0M.
- IPO Lists on the stock exchange (IPO).
Web traffic of Western Bulk
The website of Western Bulk (westernbulk.com) receives about 3.1K visits a month and ranks #2,503,646 among all websites worldwide, #9,294 in Shipping and Logistics.
- Monthly visits3.1K
▼ 66.4% vs previous month
- Unique visitors3.2K
per month
- Global rank#2,503,646
among all websites
- Category rank#9,294
Business and Consumer Services · Shipping and Logistics
- Bounce rate42%
- Pages per visit1.6
- Average visit27 sec
- DevicesDesktop 39% · Mobile 61%
Websites whose visitors overlap most with Western Bulk. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vships.com | 100% | 4.5K | #3,454,601 | View details | |
| clipper-group.com | 100% | – | – | View details | |
| coscon.com | 100% | – | #882,019 | View details | |
rederi.no | rederi.no | 100% | – | #3,155,647 | – |
Top companies in Maritime Transport & Shipping
10 companies that operate in the same segment as Western Bulk (Maritime Transport & Shipping), ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Provider of brand design services | 1972 | Miami, Florida, United States | – | USD 24.53 B | – | |
Company specializing in liquid and gas seaborne logistics | 2002 | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | USD 86.87 M | USD 147.32 M | 110 | |
Maritime transportation and logistics services are provided. | 1916 | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | – | USD 265.33 M | 186 | |
Supply chain, logistics, and transportation services are provided globally. | 1904 | United States | – | USD 56.16 B | 108,160 | |
Provider of maritime transportation services | 1978 | Marseille, Provence-alpes-cote D'azur, France | – | – | – | |
Container, dry bulk, passenger transportation, and terminal operations are provided. | 1961 | Pudong, Shanghai, China | – | USD 31.21 B | 32,409 | |
Railway services including passenger enquiry, freight operations, and digital ticketing in India. | 1853 | Delhi, Delhi, India | – | – | – | |
Maritime transportation services provider | 1952 | Rome, Lazio, Italy | USD 39.88 M | – | – | |
Marine shipping and logistic services are provided globally. | 1999 | Algiers, Algeria | – | USD 5.4 B | 8,630 | |
Dry bulk goods are transported via maritime services. | 1996 | Oslo, Oslo, Norway | – | USD 10.24 M | – |
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Related news about Western Bulk
Complete news archive for Western Bulk
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Frequently Asked Questions about Western Bulk
Western Bulk was founded in 1982 and raised its 1st funding round 37 years after it was founded.
Western Bulk is headquartered in Oslo, Norway. It is registered at Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Hans Aasnaes is the current CEO of Western Bulk.
Western Bulk is a funded company, having raised a total of $15M across 2 funding rounds to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Private Equity Round of $15M, raised on Apr 2019.
Western Bulk has 94 employees.
Annual revenue of Western Bulk is $1.07B as on Dec 31, 2025.
Western Bulk was established in 1982 in Oslo, Norway, within the maritime sector. Transportation services for dry bulk commodities, such as grains and minerals, are offered through a dedicated fleet of vessels. Ownership and operation of these ships enable reliable global shipping. The company maintains its base in Norway while supporting international trade networks.
Western Bulk offers Dry Bulk Chartering.
Yes, Western Bulk is publicly traded on OSL under the ticker symbol WEST.
Western Bulk has 2 investors. Key investors include Ojada, and Kistefos.
Western Bulk operates through Western Bulk Chartering As.
Yes. Western Bulk was acquired by Kistefos in February 2016.