Startups

OLIMP is a platform that connects shippers and carriers to provide cross docking, on demand warehousing and last mile delivery. 

Aviation apps are gaining popularity among pilots, and the ForeFlight product has gained significant traction in business aviation.

Smaller fleets see best growth in driver capacity, but shippers only tap them once in a while, creating more volatility.

Last-mile delivery network aggregator Shipsi announced a new roster of ecommerce and retail partners across the U.S. to support and fuel its march towards the future of retail.

VayaVision, a startup that develops perception software for autonomous vehicles, today announced that they are the recipient of a €2.45 million SME Instrument Grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC) to support its expansion into the European market.

BLOC recently collaborated with mining company BHP, Japanese shipping company NYK, and biofuel company GoodFuels, to deliver sustainable biofuel to the BHP-chartered, NYK-owned bulk carrier – all via BLOC’s blockchain fuels assurance platform.

Happy Returns has unveiled a self-service return solution that would allow shoppers to return items at the storefront – eliminating the need for them to return items through a laborious mail process that is the norm today.

Truck Spot is an app that helps truckers sub-lease parking spots on an hourly or daily basis and make sure they do not run out of options to park their trucks at the end of their HOS, or when they want to take a break.

Worklete helps frontline workers in the logistics ecosystem to avoid workplace injuries by focusing on their body movement and the way they interact with the environment.

Scanlog, a Scandinavian logistics company will use ShipChain’s technology to improve visibility into its trucking operations, and plans to monitor up to a dozen Scanlog trucks by the end of the year.

dexFreight introduced the Early Adopters Program, through which companies that sign up will have exclusive access to early release versions of the dexFreight platform, and have the opportunity to interact with dexFreight’s development and product teams. 

Start-up is latest seeking to automate the fraught process of securing truck capacity with its test bed at busiest port in U.S.

Trella is a Cairo-based startup that is looking to optimize truckers’ routes so they’re no longer driving empty by connecting them with shippers across Egypt.

FreightWaves has closed $20 million in Series B funding from large strategic investors including Hearst Ventures, Prologis Ventures, and Revolution Ventures

Unpredictable demand, expectations of a high service level, and labor scarcity are the most significant challenges that face logistics today, and it is crucial for warehouses to face up to it by having the right mix of automation and human resources on its floor.

VC-backed freight forwarder wants to expand geographic coverage and add freight expertise after latest cash infusion.

Up-and-coming freight forwarder aims to flip script in how to reach customers and Japanese fund is on board for that.

Hong Kong-based Lalamove promises same-day deliveries in under an hour. The company has just closed a $300 million round of funding to expand its geographic footprint further.

Flexible automation in warehouses is about maintaining floor robots that are mobile, scalable based on demand volatility, and equipped to collaborate with humans for optimizing operations.

Pointivo, an Atlanta-based startup that makes artificial intelligence 3D analytics technology, has closed a Series A funding round of $7 million.

Ecommerce is revolutionizing the way supply chains work, with predictive analytics and warehouse optimization playing a huge role in keeping up with consumer expectations.

Haulynx adds the turn-by-turn navigation feature to its software app, integrating it with the smart load matching algorithm it was previously offering. Based on the available hours of service, geographic location, and truck type, Haulynx will suggest loads that can maximize truck capacity utility.

Uber announced its fourth quarter earnings yesterday, with the results showing its market dominance in the cab-hailing segment and its extensive investment across different niche verticals it has expanded into recently.

Road Hunter, an app that provides tools for truckers, has launched a trip-planning feature on its platform that its active users can use for free.

Ike CEO Alden Woodrow and TuSimple chief product officer Chuck Price discuss the value of being the first company to bring a fully autonomous truck to market, the trucking hardware challenge and how to get buy-in from the public and regulators.

Elroy Air is working to expand the reach of expedited logistics by introducing an aerial cargo vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) system that is designed specifically for carrying medium payload cargo over fairly long range distances.

“It’s all about the cost savings, and, by the way, we’re also using the lowest emission option.”

The Houston-based startup is run by executives with decades of experience in global logistics, and plans to tackle the oil and gas vertical first.

San Francisco-based logistics provider Flexport is rumored to be in talks to raise about $500 million in a deal lead by SoftBank Group Corp. (OTC US: SFBTF), according to an article published on Axios Wednesday.

Plus One Robotics helps warehousing robots get scene perception, allowing them to identify and pick parcels from a cluttered pile.

The company will use the investment  to grow its commercial autonomous fleet.

Food delivery startup Zomato is mobilising its last-mile workforce to move towards mechanical and electric bikes for delivery – a move that the company believes would drastically reduce its carbon footprint.

Aurora Cannabis revenues have jumped since the legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada. The company is ramping up production to meet the needs of Canadian consumers who contend with frequent shortages.

Visual positioning make make GPS old-school… Learn what UK-based Scape Technologies is doing to bring this technology to market.

Shippabo has created its own version of a fixed-rate contract, which helps small and mid-sized shippers gain access to direct-to-carrier contracts, allowing them to cut their shipping costs and secure reliable capacity.

Pronto built a high-performing Level 2 solution for commercial vehicles with dynamic throttling, braking, and steering.

Zoovu solves issues that consumers face with massive inventory lists on ecommerce platforms, by asking relevant questions and displaying only the curated items that match the preferences of the consumer.

Predictive supply chain visibility platform FourKites has tripled its revenue since its Series B financing last year, and plans to expand its team, add features to its platform, and fund its zero deadhead initiative with the $50 million it has raised in the fresh round of investment this year.

Ruckit specializes in trucking management software for the heavy construction and materials marketplace and brings transparency by networking the TMS systems of the stakeholders involved in a hauling process.

Workhound bridges the gap between fleets and drivers by actually listening to what drivers want and translating that into real-time actionable insights for fleets to help them reduce turnover.

A peer-to-peer delivery startup underscores what everyone knows but doesn’t always point out about the origin of sharing economy businesses – they draw on century-old practices common in developing countries.

The financial tech and freight tech sectors both have a huge addressable market, and both have been traditionally resistant to change. Will the disruption continue, and what should we expect after similar patterns of explosive growth?

Inxeption has designed the first blockchain-based e-commerce platform for B2B that catalogs and digitizes product information.  

Bringg is a delivery logistics startup that integrates with logistics players and also with brands, bringing them together on an open platform where they can leverage the network and serve their customers optimally.

Nova Dynamics is testing DAX the robot in the tiny town of Philomath, population 4,760.

Wheels, a relatively new entrant to the electric scooter-sharing ecosystem has raised an investment of $37 million, which further reinforces the explosive interest shown by investors towards this segment.

Port truck operators could potentially increase their wages by using a new service from NEXT that helps them run shorter runs and return to ports with empty containers. The company just secured $97 million in funding to help it expand.

Blockchain based supply chain startup Citizens Reserve has partnered with IoT platform Smartrac to assign physical items a digital identity that can be carefully and accurately traced along the supply chain.

Lattice materials can be used to manufacture stronger yet lighter objects through the technique of additive manufacturing. A good place to start would be the automobile industry, which could do well with reducing its dead weight for improved fuel efficiency.

VAYAVISION’s new software is an autonomous vehicle environmental perception engine that fuses raw sensor data together with AI tools  to create an accurate 3D environmental model of the area around the self-driving vehicle.

Plus: Skewering Theresa May, B.C. rail investigations, California clean air program assessment

“I thought: I can  book a flight online, a hotel online. Why can’t I book a shipment online?”

Vector is digitizing the trucking sector by extracting information that is offline and moving it online.

Manufacturing supply chains must deal with counterfeit parts. One company is hoping that its blockchain-based tracking solution can help solve that while also providing transparency in the freight supply chain.

Off late, electric scooter company Lime has been in the news for the wrong reasons. Batteries burning up, bike vandalism, fragile bikes breaking down, and the latest – abrupt braking issues.

Storing real-time data from aircraft and sea vessels on the cloud has been subject to a lot of debate, as the data that gets transmitted could be hacked in by people with nefarious motives. Blockchain could be a respite.

Judging from the number of business exhibitors showing here for the first time, CES might well be rebranded as “UTS2019” – the Ubiquitous Technology Show.

Ride hailing companies are expanding services across various verticals like electric vehicles and autonomous driving cars, as growth of regular users in the cab hailing market seems to stagnate.

IBM estimates that less than one percent of all data is collected and analyzed. If all data was gathered and studied, “wonderful things would happen,” said Ginni Rometty, CEO and president of IBM.

Wise Systems is building a fully automated system that allows teams to manage their entire fleet through cloud-based machine learning and provides dispatch routing that lets businesses plan, manage, and coordinate all aspects of deliveries with complete visibility.

SecurSpace develops Airbnb-like model for container storage as intermodal hubs getting tighter on space.

Maritime startup Neoline is working along with the Renault Group to develop transatlantic vessels that use sails as the primary propulsion system and travel at the speed of 11 knots – a move that could reduce fuel consumption by atleast 80%.

Logistics startup Opus9 provides automated and digital transportation services for small and medium companies to ship truckload and LTL nationwide.

Logistics startup SmartHop helps automate route planning and provides real-time dispatch advice for truckers, while also assisting shippers in sourcing capacity for their loads.

The rapidly growing connected sensor and software company doubled its valuation and positioned for future progress ahead of what could be 2019’s “winter for venture capital.”

Transfix is reportedly trying to raise a Series D that values the company at 10x gross revenues.

The platform uses OCR and machine learning to streamline carrier payables.

The web-based TMS automates operations and financial activity, and integrates with other trading partners.

Technology proponents see automation as aid to driver, not replacement, in short-term as challenges persist for driverless truck.

On-demand warehousing provider STORD has raised just under $3 million in 2018 and is looking to hire 20+ people in the Atlanta region to scale up operations.

On-demand warehousing provider STORD has raised just under $3 million in 2018 and is looking to hire 20+ people in the Atlanta region to scale up operations.

Bellhops Moving, a startup based in Freight Alley, set a new fundraising record for the area on Tuesday with a $31 million Series C round.

The vision for truck video systems goes beyond reducing one-time accident claims to creating more efficient, less risky fleets.

Vector helps streamline trucking operations by digitizing paperwork and assists carriers and shippers in expediting workflow communication.

Investors are pumping millions into on-demand transit startups working in taxi-hailing and e-scooter sharing, but questions still remain if they can turn in positive bottom lines in the years to come.

Founded in 2014, the company replaces legacy telematics solutions with a revolutionary IoT ecosystem designed to unlock the value of disconnected data streams throughout the transportation and logistics industry.

Merge Transit is a spot market agency that helps owner-operators and small fleets reduce inefficiencies in their business, and looks to automate the process of dispatching.

Zipline has focused on humanitarian needs, delivering medical supplies to rural communities around the world.

After unveiling its full-scale passenger hyperloop capsule in October, HyperloopTT is at the thick of things again, now partnering with Hamburg port terminal operator HHLA for a possible cargo hyperloop route.

New service aims to provide smaller shippers more certainty when booking ocean freight.

Canadian province tackles stricter driver training and Chinese goods to Europe move along the world’s longest freight route. Plus Uptake takes innovation award and improving truck driving jobs.

Tunnel boring in the U.S. is extremely expensive due to the high labor costs and the inefficiency in boring technology. Elon Musk’s The Boring Company is looking to solve this by bettering boring machinery and envisioning a futuristic underground transit. However, questions on its feasibility still prevail.

Beijing-based startup Geek+ is a pioneer of AI-enabled logistics robots for warehouses, and is powering technological transformation of the logistics industry.

Coming in at number 10 on our Freight.Tech 25, KeepTruckin continues innovate and collaborate. One of their more recent tech additions to their product line is the App Marketplace.

Same-day shipping has been made popular by the likes of Amazon, but small-time retailers find it hard to keep pace. California-based startup Shipsi is changing that by assisting shippers to plug into last-mile delivery options and helping them provide the elusive same-day shipping experience.

Rally, is a startup working on creating an on-demand mobility service by helping communities look at bus ride-sharing as a way to get to concerts, festivals, and sporting events.

Being one of the world’s fastest-growing predictive supply chain platform and delivering real-time visibility and analytics to a wide range of Fortune 500 companies and 3PLs, has helped FourKites take the #7 spot in the Freight.Tech 25. 

Upply is looking to pioneer a more efficient and transparent supply chain market that could effectively help industry stakeholders unleash their full potential.

Last-mile delivery is especially difficult for oversized items such as furniture, where retailers face challenges with rising customer expectations in speed, flexibility and quality.

Ambrosus enables consumers and supply chain stakeholders to have better trust over the products they receive or consume, by using sensors that communicate to the blockchain.

Resilience360 offers end-to-end supply chain risk management. The platform alerts customers about supply chain incidents globally and risks to their global supply chain in almost real time. It’s an ever-expanding market, and the company is well-positioned for continued data aggregation.

E-scooter startup Lime is having problems with vehicles catching fire – a problem it attributes to the batteries produced by Ninebot. It also is hearing complaints of bikes breaking down, which it figures is a design flaw of all Okai-manufactured vehicles, leading to a mass recalls on the said bikes.

Shippers seeking visibility into their freight will find APIs provide an easier solution than legacy data interchange systems.

Emerge, a startup providing Private Freight Marketplace (PFM) and TMS, and striving to increase visibility into freight supply chains, has raised $20 million in a seed round led by Greycroft Partners.

dexFreight founders Hector Hernandez and Rajat Rajbhandari want the supply chain community to realize that blockchain is for them.

SwanLeap tops another prestigious list recognizing the fastest-growing North American companies in technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, and energy tech sectors based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2014 to 2017.

World’s largest container lines plan to look at emerging technologies as new options come to the market.

BiTA member, Filament, demonstrated an important new product, and announced a major partnership this week.

CargoX Smart B/L platform would be the first open and neutral blockchain platform in the shipping industry for real-world commercial use.

“It’s such a massive market. If you don’t stay focused, you’re going to die.”