How will venture capitalists shape the future of freight?

Trucking in the fall

Investors who have been holding on to their cash due to pandemic-related uncertainty have reentered the arena, and many are eyeing the logistics space. The coronavirus pandemic simultaneously highlighted the industry’s importance and illuminated areas ripe for improvement in the space, drawing attention from private equity and venture capitalists alike. 

“It takes investment to create new things, especially when technology is involved. Any industry that has undergone significant change and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-will-venture-capitalists-shape-the-future-of-freight

Emerge draws investor attention with digital procurement, mini bids

Emerge has built a name for itself by digitizing the freight procurement process and revolutionizing RFPs. Emerge CFO Brad Blomstrom recently appeared on Freightwaves’ Great Quarter, Guys to discuss what the company has to offer shippers and carriers alike. His appearance came on the back of Emerge’s most recent Series B funding round, announced Sept. 23.  

Freight is attracting record levels of investment right now, and Emerge’s dedication to making the industry more flexible and efficient...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/emerge-draws-investor-attention-with-digital-procurement-mini-bids

Shippers be nimble, shippers be quick – to survive

The past couple years have made it clear that rapid market shifts are simply part of doing business in the transportation and logistics industry. How a company reacts to those changes has the power to make or break them, either growing their bottom line or plunging them into the red. 

“COVID has massively disrupted supply chains and changed consumer behaviors,” Kyle Jepson, Emerge Senior Vice President of Product said. “It has had a huge impact on the need for shippers to adjust to changes in...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/shippers-be-nimble-shippers-be-quick-to-survive

Abernathy leaves FreightWaves on the back of record growth to lead freshly funded Emerge

George Abernathy describes a FreightWaves SONAR image. (Photo: FreightWaves staff)

George Abernathy is leaving FreightWaves to become president of Emerge. Following a $130 million fund-raise from 9Yards, Tiger Global and The Spruce House Partnership, Abernathy was chosen as the senior executive to lead the next generation of growth at Emerge. 

“While this means he will be departing as president of FreightWaves, we are honored for the time that he spent in a key leadership role with our company,” stated Craig Fuller, FreightWaves’ founder and CEO. “With his leadership, the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/abernathy-leaves-freightwaves-on-the-back-of-record-growth-to-lead-freshly-funded-emerge

Commentary: The week FreightTech grew up

Finding public exits, driving consolidation and scaling the next generation of startups

Last week, three major FreightTech deals in rapid succession made it clear that the segment has entered a new phase of maturation and increased sophistication. This is a story not just about the abundance of capital currently available for the best FreightTech startups — it’s also about what founders have learned about playing the FreightTech game and how their companies have changed.

On the morning of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/commentary-the-week-freighttech-grew-up

Emerge raises $130M Series B to scale digital freight marketplace

Scottsdale, Arizona-based digital freight marketplace Emerge announced Thursday morning that it has closed a $130 million Series B funding round led by 9Yards Capital, Tiger Global Management and The Spruce House Partnership. Existing investors New Road Capital Partners and Greycroft also participated in the round.

“We’ve been fortunate to experience explosive growth in the past few years, and this funding will be very useful to Emerge’s future success,” said founder and co-CEO Michael Leto....

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/emerge-raises-130m-series-b-to-scale-digital-freight-marketplace

Tap into a digital network to expedite your RFP process

The RFP process can be tedious during a normal year. In a year when capacity is tight, e-commerce is surging and the course of the coronavirus pandemic remains unpredictable, it can be downright overwhelming. 

Many shippers would benefit from taking their RFP process digital as they attempt to navigate this precarious landscape. This streamlines the bidding process, allowing them to spend less time and money caught up in this often stressful process.

“The first thing I would recommend would be to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/tap-into-a-digital-network-to-expedite-your-rfp-process

Building a digital freight marketplace with Emerge CEO Michael Leto – FreightWaves Insiders

On this episode of FreightWaves Insiders, Dooner catches up with Emerge CEO Michael Leto to talk about building a digital freight marketplace and redefining the industry. Find out how Michael and his brother Andrew turned the family business digital and are now moving more than a billion dollars in freight spend.

Michael Leto has been in the transportation industry for over 21 years and played an active role in creating one of the largest and fastest-growing 3PLs in the country. He has been...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/building-a-digital-freight-marketplace-with-emerge-ceo-michael-leto-freightwaves-insiders

Roadrunner $50M equity raise led by GlobalTranz, Emerge founder Leto

Roadrunner will use proceeds from equity raise to improve technology

Roadrunner (OTC: RRTS) announced Thursday it recently closed an equity private placement for $50 million. The round was led by a $10 million investment from Andrew Leto, who founded third-party transportation providers GlobalTranz and Emerge.

The proceeds are expected to be used for technology investments centered on “planning, pricing and efficiency.” The company will also use the funds to bolster its leadership roster and improve service.

“Roadrunner is really a technology moving trucks, not a...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/roadrunner-50m-equity-raise-led-by-globaltranz-emerge-founder-leto

Emerge’s Leto, marketing expert Pulizzi to keynote Sales & Marketing Summit

FreightWaves Sales & Marketing virtual summit

In a work world that quickly became remote in 2020, organizations faced pressure on a number of fronts – technology, communications and a rapid digitization of the supply chain to name just a few. For sales and marketing professionals used to face-to-face conversations, the challenges were especially acute.

As 2020 turned into 2021, many of the concerns that these professionals faced last year haven’t gone away entirely, and that is leading to a new way to do business. Customer acquisition,...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/emerges-leto-marketing-expert-pulizzi-to-keynote-sales-marketing-summit