The logistics industry had long been considered a “closed club” for established enterprises
that have a lot of vehicles and storage facilities on their balance sheets. But the new
technologies opened a door to this business sector for the new players – ambitious logistics
startups. They are confidently winning the market by creating innovative solutions which
allow for higher delivery speed and efficiency.
For this article, we hand-picked the most top logistics startups in today’s arena.
Xaneta
Xeneta is a Norwegian startup that provides logistics companies (shipping businesses and
freight forwarders) with freight rate data collected in real time. According to Crunchbase,
the company raised almost $29 million of total funding over
five rounds, and this figure automatically makes its products worth attention.
Xeneta is a web-based logistics platform that gives its users access to intelligent pricing data
and, thus, allows them to benchmark their ocean and air freight market rates. Specifically, Xeneta
provides freight forwarders with an opportunity to compare their rates to the average rates on
the market, analyze market movements, and reveal the hidden potential in their freight spend.
Not only does this logistics technology help freight forwarders improve performance and optimize
costs but it also ensures pricing transparency across the whole industry.
Flit
fliit is a food delivery startup located in Germany that raised 10 million Euros
in Series A funding in March 2019. The main purpose of fliit software solution is to connect
food producers with carriers in order to ensure worry-free and effective delivery of fresh produce.
So, basically, it works similarly to Uber Eats or Glovo but on the B2B arena.
Specifically, with the fliit platform and mobile app shippers can order transportation in advance
or spontaneously as they need it. The system will then search for the offers from available carriers
which fit a client’s request best. While the delivery is being executed, the shipper has an opportunity
to monitor its progress, status, and other indicators. On the other end, carriers benefit from
using the fliit solution as well since it offers them an easy way to find the orders.
Zencargo
Zencargo is one of the most promising logistics startups that have the potential to change
the rules of the whole market. A few months ago, it raised $20 million
in Series A funding and, according to Zencargo’s founder, all these funds will be spent on the
enhancement of the company’s proprietary software solution.
Having used machine learning and other disruptive technologies, the startup built a platform
that allows logistics companies to get online quotes and book
freight forwarding services,
track goods in real time, and generate advanced analytics. Zencargo makes freight management much easier
and effective. The technology company doesn’t disclose its clients but rumor has it that Amazon
appears to be one of them.
Cubyn
Cubyn is an emerging star among shipping startups. It’s located in Paris and it has recently
received an enviable amount of money, i.e. 12 million Euros, from
venture investors. The company provides logistics services to e-commerce stores allowing
online merchants to focus on selling rather than delivery.
The Cubyn innovative solution is, basically, a platform that can be integrated with the retailer’s
shop or marketplace enabling the automation of its shipping process. To ensure the speed of delivery,
Cubyn system effectively leverages a vast amount of shipping data. Once a customer places an
order, it’s automatically processed by a Cubyn warehouse and then the parcel is injected in the
most optimal carrier’s network. As a result, customers receive their purchases much faster.
Locus.sh
Locus.sh is an Indian logistics startup that raised $22 million in the latest
funding round with the aim to expand its activity globally. The company doesn’t provide supply
chain services in the classical sense. But it offers an AI-based solution that helps businesses
from FMCG, logistics, and e-commerce sectors optimize their delivery processes.
Simply put, Locus.sh’s platform allows its users to map out their supply chains,
logistics route planning
track fleets, get insights and analytics on every delivery, as well as sort shipments
and allocate carriers automatically. In addition, the solution facilitates the increase of sales
as it considers historical data and real-life constraints, for example, time of day, seasonality,
and even fatigue, to create a beat plan for field personnel.
Project44
Project44 is a Chicago-based startup that automates the cooperation between shippers and
logistics service providers. As of today, the total funding it has received from venture
investors amounts to $90.5 million with the
largest lump of $45 million raised in the latest Series C round.
In short, Project44 offers a state-of-the-art management platform that deals with key processes
associated with the transportation of goods: planning, tracking, document generation, and analytics.
On top of that, the company puts a strong focus on visibility and effortless real-time communication
which, as they believe, eliminates most bottlenecks occurring during the delivery.
The final word
Although the entire logistics industry is going through digital transformation, tech startups remain the force that drives innovations. The main good news here is that the logistics sector isn’t yet over-saturated with all kinds of software products that businesses need to satisfy their supply chain needs, especially in the field of same-day delivery. That’s why a quality solution built with advanced technologies has all chances to receive good funding from venture capitalists and flourish on the global market.