FreightWaves is featured as one of 21 “portfolio companies” in the Rise of the Rest’s inaugural report. Entitled “Place Matters,” the annual report “highlights next-wave portfolio companies scaling in rising ecosystems.” To view the ROTR annual report, follow this link.
The Rise of the Rest (ROTR) Seed Fund is an early-stage venture capital fund, investing in entrepreneurs across the United States “to give more founders, in more communities, the opportunity to build world-changing companies that solve real-world problems.”
ROTR is part of Revolution, a Washington-based investment firm founded in 2005. Revolution’s mission is to help build disruptive, innovative companies that offer consumers more choice, convenience and control in their lives. ROTR complements the Revolution Growth and Revolution Ventures funds. Revolution backs startups at nearly every stage of their life cycles.
Rise of the Rest invested in FreightWaves through its Rise of the Rest bus tour in 2018. Craig Fuller, the founder and CEO of FreightWaves, was the winner of Rise of the Rest’s pitch competition in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Fuller said, “In 2018, when Rise of the Rest invested in FreightWaves, the company was a small startup just beginning its journey to create products and services for the logistics, supply chain and freight industries. The ROTR recognition gave FreightWaves additional credibility and helped the company along its path to success. I will always be grateful to Steve Case and ROTR for that early recognition.”
After reviewing the ROTR annual report, Fuller stated, “‘Place Matters’ is a testimony to companies across the United States that are creating opportunities for their employees, investors and customers. We are honored to be one of the companies featured in the first ROTR annual report.”
About Rise of the Rest
Rise of the Rest backs companies that prove it’s possible to scale a startup in cities outside of Silicon Valley. The fund’s annual report illustrates that point “by breaking down what it looks for in ‘tentpole companies’ — local startups that are the standout successes of a community’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
The ROTR team evaluates potential investment opportunities using standard venture capital metrics, including “market, product, team and traction.” In addition, ROTR also uses the tentpole company metrics: “If successful, will this company, its founders and team members contribute directly to the rise of their startup community today and support its future growth?”
About FreightWaves
As noted by Fuller above, FreightWaves was an early startup in 2018. Today, it is the world’s leading provider of freight market forecasting, data, news and analysis. Logistics and supply chain firms depend on FreightWaves for benchmarking, analytics, monitoring and forecasting of pricing, capacity, demand, energy and carbon intelligence. The company provides the most up-to-date data and market insights through SONAR, a subscription SaaS platform, and through the world’s largest streaming media network focused on logistics and supply chain information.
FreightWaves SONAR provides near real-time freight market data and supply chain intelligence to 750-plus enterprises. FreightWaves Carbon Intelligence provides supply chain firms with transparency on carbon emissions and solutions to achieve carbon neutrality.
FreightWaves Media operates the FreightWaves, American Shipper and Modern Shipper brands. FreightWaves Media serves more than 3 million unique monthly visitors on its websites, generates 15 million monthly minutes of streaming TV and 100,000 monthly podcast downloads.
“The men and women of FreightWaves are grateful for the support and recognition from Rise of the Rest. We are working to develop additional products and services to serve the logistics, supply chain and freight industries now and in the future,” Fuller said.