Technology

The food delivery giant revealed this week that it’s been working on something big: DoorDash Labs, its robotics and automation arm.

Drones have suddenly been thrust into a crucial position in the humanitarian supply chain, and Elroy Air is the latest company to use drones to deliver aid.

Ree Automotive has unveiled a blank-canvas autonomous vehicle design to last-mile delivery operations.

The Bay Area-based unicorn is investing in repairing America’s broken food supply chain.

Pure-play e-commerce brands are often saddled with higher shipping costs, but Via.Delivery is hoping to change that by offering consumers the choice to have shipments sent to physical store locations.

Berkshire Grey’s revenue was up 750% year-over-year, but it still missed on analyst expectations, more than tripled its net loss and more than doubled its adjusted-EBITDA loss.

Mark Manduca, CIO for GXO, told Modern Shipper the company is proving its logistics business model works, and retailers are responding positively.

Rivian priced its IPO at $78 a share, turning early funding by Amazon, Ford and others into billions in returns on those investments.

Fabric and its microfulfillment networks are already valued at $1 billion despite operating in just three cities.

Autonomous trucks hauling freight for Walmart are running with no driver in the seat in Arkansas, says autonomous vehicle company Gatik.

Square posted a 45% increase in revenue, but lower-than-expected bitcoin revenue dampened analysts’ enthusiasm for the Q3 results.

Few people buy winter coats in May, but inefficiencies in e-commerce returns can mean a coat returned in January remains unsold months later.

Einride has been running its autonomous freight Pods in Europe since 2019, but founder and CEO Robert Falck has high hopes for the company’s entry to the U.S. “It is such a great challenge and I’m really excited. This U.S. freight transportation community is the most competitive in the world,” he said.

Berkshire Grey continues a string of product releases with the robotic shuttle product sortation system for e-commerce retailers.

The California-based robo-delivery company has reportedly reached a valuation of more than $8.5 billion.

Post-purchase experience technology firm Narvar is adding insights into retailers’ logistics networks with a real-time monitoring service.

When electric vehicle maker Rivian makes its public debut, perhaps as early as next week, it could be at a valuation that rivals Ford’s.

Web browsers are responding to privacy concerns by eliminating third-party cookie tracking, but doing so also eliminates a key collection point for e-commerce sellers that rely on the data to create a seamless shopping experience for consumers.

Companies stymied by the chip shortage have figured out a way to keep operating while cutting their losses.

Beans.ai emerges from stealth with $17M in funding and plans to map the final foot of delivery.

Resilient Power lands $5M in seed funding as it looks to commercialize its fast-charging technology.

Uber is partnering with EV charging company Wallbox to offer discounted charging units for drivers in the San Francisco area under a pilot program.

The backyard drone delivery company just completed its third expansion in the state and is nearing airplane certification from the FAA.

Amazon is opening a robotics research and development and manufacturing facility in Massachusetts, bringing 200 jobs to the region.

Wing, the drone delivery subsidiary of Alphabet, just announced a partnership with Walgreens to deliver in densely populated areas.

Zebra Technologies adds three autonomous robots and a fulfillment software package for operations that require order-picking accuracy.

Azuga customer fleets of all sizes, from delivery companies to over-the-road trucking operations, can buy into a new carbon offset program to help them make their vehicles carbon-neutral.

The global supply chain visibility platform is seeking to take some pressure off carriers at the ports with more precise ETAs.

Cloud supply chain provider Stord is opening its fourth warehouse and second in Nevada: a 177,000-square-foot facility in Las Vegas to serve customers’ fulfillment needs.

Instacart’s partnering stores will now have access to smart carts and smart checkout counters from Caper AI.

SPS Commerce is collaborating with C.H. Robinson to open up new LTL capacity to retailers in need of space to move goods this holiday season.

The Singapore-based advanced aerial mobility company wants to fly humans around in autonomous, hydrogen-powered passenger drones.

Ryder has made an investment in and offered vehicles on lease to autonomous technology company Gatik to speed middle-mile autonomous deliveries.

Representatives from both sides of the aisle and company executives convened in a webinar hosted by the Consumer Technology Association.

Warehouse operators that wished their employees were a bit taller can now turn to robotics firm Geek+, which has introduced a 26-foot-tall robot for picking operations.

Saying the restaurants are the “heart of Main Street,” DoorDash launches a $1 million grant program to assist those that suffer business disruptions because of natural disasters.

Many shippers struggle to succeed at last-mile delivery, often at the mercy of a delivery partner. But getting a handle on the middle mile can improve the chances of last-mile success.

In this final Drone Disruptors, Modern Shipper spoke with Chairman and CEO Dan O’Toole of DroneDek, the maker of the mailbox of the future.

The term edge computing scares many technophobes, but the technology is quickly becoming the go-to system for modern supply chains that depend on visibility through to the end consumer.

Australian startup Immertia ran a demonstration of its holographic packaging for pharmaceutical giant Bayer, and it looks the part.

GXO will open a 715,000-square-foot distribution center in Arizona to handle distribution and e-commerce fulfillment for retailer Abercrombie & Fitch.

FedEx Express has completed the first drone delivery as part of a monthlong test in Ireland, moving a package from Shannon Airport to Foynes Port in under 13 minutes and cutting nearly 40 minutes from a vehicle delivery route.

With e-commerce continuing to grow, brands that make the returns experience easier and speed the refund process have a better chance at retaining that customer.

Electric Last Mile Solutions has delivered its first Class 1 all-electric cargo van to a customer, beating a Q4 goal for the first delivery.

Middle-mile autonomous vehicle company Gatik will use Goodyear intelligent tire technology on its vehicles to collect and transmit critical tire data in real time.

E-commerce growth and a shortage of workers have more warehouse operators looking toward automation, but adoption rates remain slow.

Trucks release a lot of data. Two attorneys from the Benesch law firm discuss the ownership of that data on this week’s podcast.

Honeywell hopes its new robot will cut back on warehouse injuries while making case picking more productive than ever.

To lower its insurance rates and protect its drivers and product, cannabis distributor Bloom Farms turned to Azuga’s dashcams and specialty insurer QuadScore.

GoFor’s new strategy will use carbon offsets, EVs, smart packaging and more to make delivery carbon-negative.

Berkshire Grey has introduced a robotic shuttle put wall that it said will dramatically increase the capacity of warehouse operators to process e-commerce orders.

Hai Robotics, a warehouse robotics firm from China that recently entered the North American market, has announced $200 million across two funding rounds.

Engineers and designers of the Wing delivery drone share insights into the aircraft’s development and the overall mission for the company in a new video.

Self-driving technology company Aurora said it will deploy a Toyota Sienna autonomous vehicle in rideshare service in the next six months.

Locus Robotics is acquiring Waypoint Robotics, adding industrial-strength mobile robot platforms to its portfolio.

As companies struggle to ensure independent contractors are properly classified, many are missing out on the value technology can provide in the process.

E-commerce is giving brands of all sizes the opportunity to grow, but without the right partner to make the shopping experience local, they are likely losing out on sales.

Electric-vehicle maker Rivian is said to be looking for as much as $8 billion from its upcoming IPO, which would make it the fourth-largest U.S. IPO in the past 10 years.

Walmart will begin offering delivery of groceries and other products via self-driving vehicles through a partnership with Ford and Argo AI.

Stord, the cloud supply chain company, has raised $90 million and reached unicorn status with a $1.1 billion valuation.

Locus Robotics announced an additional $50 million investment in the company from Tiger Global Management just eight months after a $150 million Series E round.

Delivery drones could be damaged or even grounded by weather, including unseen winds aloft, leaving customers angry at missed deliveries and shippers scrambling.

PICKUP CEO Brenda Stoner said that in last-mile big-and-bulky delivery, it’s a combination of people and technology that makes it work.

3PL and e-commerce warehouse customers of Advanced Handling Systems can now choose robotic solutions from Berkshire Grey.

The financial analysis of Uber Freight does not yet include the impact of Transplace, which the digital brokerage is acquiring.

“Its rapid customer adoption is clear, demonstrable feedback of the value that Fractory brings to manufacturing supply chains,” says investor.

The automaker is committing to hydrogen as its fuel of the future — and not just for its commercial vehicles.

Last-mile delivery firm AxleHire has tapped URB-E and Tortoise for nationwide pilots of zero-emission delivery programs.

The IPO is expected to take place after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission completes its review.

Kiwibot is rolling out delivery robots in four new locations as it continues to expand its service area.

Motional has unveiled its Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxi that is entering testing in the Los Angeles area.

OneRail makes last-mile delivery profitable for shippers.

Middle-mile autonomous vehicle startup Gatik has announced an $85M Series B funding round and the start of operations in Texas.

Commercial drone highways are gaining traction, but not everyone thinks they’re the way forward.

Last-mile delivery company Point Pickup Technology has acquired e-commerce technology platform GrocerKey.

Logistics technology solutions have never been in greater demand. But companies need to leverage new-age tools and modern-day attitudes to effectively tell their stories, says the founder of Virago Marketing.

A2Z Drone Delivery is adding a dual-drop commercial drone to its tether deployment system, giving last-mile drone delivery a boost.

CalAmp’s new temperature sensor operates under extreme conditions for enhanced cold chain visibility.

Warehouse robotics firm Geek+ and warehouse technology provider WSR Solutions say their combined solution for mixed-pallet picking and loading can increase truck capacity by as much as 30%.

Rising container rates and the semiconductor shortage could hurt electric vehicle startups Arrival and ELMS, but not enough to dampen the outlook, according to the analysts at Cowen.

URB-E and PenguinPickUp are partnering on a pilot project to conduct deliveries with electric bikes and compact containers.

FedEx Ground has begun using robotics from Berkshire Grey in its Queens facility, with plans to add them to more facilities in the coming months.

Motional is expanding its testing grounds to Los Angeles and adding a new facility in the Bay Area.

College campuses are bastions of learning, community, debauchery and … robots?

Faisal Masud, CEO of headless commerce provider Fabric, says e-commerce is still in the early innings, but individual brand growth could be held back by traditional commerce platforms.

When Radio Flyer needed to increase shipping capacity for its iconic products, it realized that label printing was a chokepoint. So it found a solution.

Warehouse robotics firm Fetch and AI-software fulfillment company Lucas Systems are working together to offer solutions that allow for humans and robots to work side by side.

Warehouse software provider STORD is opening an Atlanta warehouse that will focus on designing the next generation of warehouse technologies.

The company successfully tested one of its driverless Arrival vans at a fully functioning parcel depot.

Square will acquire buy-now, pay-later firm Afterpay in a $29 billion stock transaction.

They say every company is a tech company. Is Walmart next?

Boston-based Motional is testing how its AVs can collect and transmit data on electric infrastructure to utility provider Eversource.

Package theft is one reason interest in smart parcel lockers is growing among Americans, and as a result, more businesses are looking at installing them.

Two leading drone associations agree with the NTSB regarding investigation of drone accidents, but they differ on what should trigger those investigations.

Instacart will begin building microfulfillment centers with Fabric robotics to speed order picking in partnership with retailers.

Fetch Package has created a last-mile logistics solution to optimize deliveries to multifamily housing communities, eliminating the need for updated package rooms or lockers and increased staff to handle incoming traffic.

Lyft riders in Miami will be able to choose a self-driving car later this year through an agreement with Ford and autonomous-tech company Argo AI.

Less than six months after announcing a $43 million funding round, headless commerce platform Fabric has announced a $100 million Series B round.

UP Partners is looking for transformative technology companies that will underpin a society dominated by unmanned aircraft.

Even though there is no indication Tesla is interested in eVTOLs at this time, Morgan Stanley says the company will eventually offer services related to urban air mobility.