Sabrewing Aircraft Company has developed an unmanned vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) cargo aircraft that is now closer to being a commercial reality, with it getting an order for 10 aircraft from the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island (ACSPI).
Shipwell has introduced a digital loadboard for shippers and carriers, where shippers can bid on loads or instantly book shipments with a “book now” functionality.
Breakout List curates a list of startups that have a high possibility of success, thus making it easier for startup-inclined people to choose a company they would want to work in.
Fast Radius, a leading manufacturing technology company, has announced its Series B financing round of $48 million led by UPS, with strong insider participation from Drive Capital.
In partnership with Reliance Partners …Before autonomous driving systems are commercially available, it is essential to not just work on functional safety but also on cyber security, so as to ensure that the vehicle is completely safe to drive around once deployed.
India-based logistics startup Delhivery has secured $413 million in new funding with Japan’s SoftBank leading the round.
“We’re looking at finding ideas and turning them into billion-dollar companies and working with key leaders in the industry to help them take advantage of the technologies.”
Hwy Haul is a freight logistics startup that uses data science and optimization algorithms to connect carrier capacity with freight volumes over a digital trucking marketplace.
Venture investing in autonomous vehicles continues to heat up, and as startups mature expect late stage investing to increase.
Kenya-based startup Lori has built a logistics platform that is revolutionising the cargo-transport value chain in Africa by seamlessly connecting cargo owners, shippers and transporters via a digital freight marketplace.
Kargo Technologies is an online freight logistics marketplace that connects commercial shippers with truckers across Indonesia.
Israeli-based maritime startup Orca AI provides uses artificial intelligence and data analytics to prevent ships from colliding with obstacles while at sea.
In partnership with Reliance Partners …Speeding has been one of the single largest causes for road accidents. Today, technology can learn from data on dangerous driving behavior to help drivers modify their risky traits via consistent and positive feedback.
Cities witness an increasing number of smart and connected vehicles on its roads, making it extremely crucial for the transportation ecosystem to wake up to the reality of auto cyberattacks.
MatchBack Systems provides an innovative approach to manage shipping container costs and improve efficiency optimization through the use of matchbacks.
OLIMP is a platform that connects shippers and carriers to provide cross docking, on demand warehousing and last mile delivery.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
GreyOrange announced a AI-powered modular sortation system that provides flexible automation in modern distribution and logistics centers, and can sort close to 12,000 parcels per hour.
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.
project44’s Jett McCandless, KeepTruckin’s Ori Franco, Transfix’s Drew McElroy, and Freightos’ Philip von Mecklenburg-Blumenthal were all panelists.
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.
In partnership with Reliance Partners …Telecom operators are terminating cell phone based tracking services, which would be a game changer in the freight industry as many shippers and 3PLs depend on cellphone pings to track freight movement.
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.
Plus One Robotics helps warehousing robots get scene perception, allowing them to identify and pick parcels from a cluttered pile.
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.
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?
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.
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.
Vector is digitizing the trucking sector by extracting information that is offline and moving it online.
Andrew Silver, CEO of MoLo Solutions, looked back at 2018 and talked about the challenges and joys of running a high-growth brokerage, December freight markets, and and MoLo’s plan for 2019.
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.
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.
Vector helps streamline trucking operations by digitizing paperwork and assists carriers and shippers in expediting workflow communication.
In partnership with Slync… Slync CEO Chris Kirchner was in Tokyo this week to meet press, speak with startups and participate in customer discussions at the SAP.iO Foundry—Tokyo ecosystem engagement event.
Uber and Lyft are battling on who would go public first; oil production sees a dip in November; Amazon Go to venture into airport retail.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
CargoX Smart B/L platform would be the first open and neutral blockchain platform in the shipping industry for real-world commercial use.
Virgin Hyperloop One has a new CEO and chairman in the space of a week, with it now looking forward to commercialize and implement the world’s first hyperloop system in India.
Since the launch of Ford Smart Mobility, Ford has been intent on gaining ground in alternate mobility with e-biking being an important segment. Apart from acquiring Spin, the company has also bought GoBike and has launched an e-bike service ‘Jelly’, across the Purdue University campus.
Deliverr is helping businesses ship products on ecommerce platforms with an Amazon-like fulfillment service.
Optimal Dynamics uses AI and machine learning to assist fleets in finding loads a few days into the future, which would help carriers get ahead of their competition, as they could plan their network flow further in advance than usual.
On Monday, November 5th, UPS returns to its pedal power origins with a year-long pilot project that will make deliveries using electric-assist cargo bikes in downtown Seattle.
Uber Inc. has introduced ‘Clean Air Plan’ – a strategy that helps reduce air pollution in London by replacing Uber cars that run on gas with all-electric variants by 2025.
The rapid growth in investment resembles the Fintech sector from 2006-10, but TransportTech is still an understudied and less well understood field for venture investment.
Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, as stepped down from being chairman of Virgin Hyperloop One, stating that the company needs a more “hands-on chair” to invest in its growth.
VAYAVISION, an Israeli startup that works on providing raw data fusion and perception systems for autonomous vehicles has raised $8 million in seed financing, which it plans to invest in its productization process.
Dave DeWalt has been a part of creating 17,000 jobs, $20 billion in shareholder value, $2 billion in revenue, and has 32 years in high tech.
The Indian trucking ecosystem suffers from a lack of visibility and transparency, which Vaahika is looking to address by digitizing logistics and creating a bridge between carriers and shippers.
FreightWaves is planning to add 260 jobs in Chattanooga and open new HQ
Netradyne, a startup that uses computer vision to understand and improve driver behavior, has raised $21 million in its Series B funding, led by Microsoft’s venture arm, M12.
FreightWaves has been named to the 2018 CNBC Upstart 100 List, “a new original list of the brightest, most intriguing, young startups promising to become the great companies of tomorrow.”
Shipwell, a freight shipping platform that makes shipping a seamless experience for SMEs, has raised $10 million in its Series A financing round, led by Fifth Wall VC.
GuardKnox, an Israeli vehicle cybersecurity startup is bringing in technology from the defense sector to make sure vehicles stay safe from data breach and cyberattacks.
Home Depot is Uberizing same and next-day last mile delivery with two startups backed by UPS. It’s part of Home Depot’s $1.2B investment to makes its supply chains faster and more efficient.
We spoke to T Rowe Price VP Andrew Davis about how traditional investors’ view of the digital brokerage had changed over time.
RTS is injecting technology into the archaic garbage industry processes, helping bring visibility and transparency into waste disposal and recycling.
xChange is helping container lines reduce their dead miles, by providing them with one-way container moves or SOCs from 2500 locations across the world.
Serve.io has developed technology protocols using blockchain, which it believes can inject transparency in supply chains and cut out middle-men and exorbitant platform fees within the system.
Freight.Tech Waves InnovationLab is tailor made to provide early-stage startups a high impact and concentrated exposure about the knowledge, network, and funding source.
Aside from providing track and trace solutions, Loginext uses machine learning to provide organized logistics and field service management solutions in the most cost-optimized way.
New bill introduced in the U.S. House asks for a slight reform in the HOS relaxation rules by extending the 150-mile exemption for ag and livestock haulers throughout the year.
At the Future of Transportation World Conference, Andreas Thellmann from Airbus explained the potential of air taxis being used in urban spaces to reduce congestion on the roads.
At the Future of Transportation World Conference, ZapGo described its carbon ion battery solution that has the potential to charge an electric vehicle to full capacity in five minutes, while a Lithium ion battery takes hours to do the same.
Given just 3 minutes to make their pitch and an additional 2 minutes to answer judges’ questions, 15 startup companies did their best to show judges at the Movin’ On conference why their solutions will change the market.
Shippo has launched a new workflow feature that help customers optimize their operations and thereby reduce time spent on deciding their shipping options.
Investors are flocking to the freight industry with million-dollar investments for startups, but what do those investors look for in companies before making an investment?
Demo day session 3 are digital companies providing real solutions in the logistics space.
Convoy revealed Monday morning that U2’s Bono and The Edge quietly invested in the company last year.
Regardless of technology, the transportation industry is still built on relationships.
Drivewyze is a connected truck solutions company which uses vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) technology to provide a SaaS solution that lets drivers bypass weigh stations quickly and efficiently.
LoadDocs uses machine learning to digitize paperwork of fleets, thus helping them reduce operational friction and increase workflow efficiency.
Loadsmart is changing the traditional freight brokerage business by using data analytics to provide instantaneous quotes to shippers for freight hauling.
Starsky Robotics recently tested its unmanned fully autonomous truck on the U.S. highways, a milestone across the autonomous segment.
Shipwell makes it possible for any business to do freight shipping like Amazon via an easy-to-use online platform.
OnTruck creates a digital freight marketplace which brings shippers and carriers together and provides real-time visibility and transparency on freight logistics.
Loadtap automates freight brokerage operations and also makes track and trace easier, all with the help of artificial intelligence.
Konexial uses its ELD device to leverage its dynamic load matching solution, which can act as a one-stop solution for both carriers and shippers.
what3words has created a unique three word addressing system which can accurately pinpoint any location on earth, without the need for local street addressing.
Uber plans to roll-out air-taxis by 2020 and has targeted Dallas Fort-Worth, Dubai, and Los Angeles for pilots.
