Start-up stars

Jochen Freese joins Forto as EVP of procurement and business development

Digital freight forwarder Forto has appointed ex-Ceva executive Jochen Freese (above) as its executive VP of procurement and business development, confirming news broken by Loadstar Premium in October
“Jochen has a proven track record in helping large, worldwide customers in such industry segments as retail and fashion, hi-tech, healthcare and automotive optimise their transport and logistics,” said Forto CEO and co-founder Michael Wax.
“This customer focus, combined with his experience in...

https://theloadstar.com/jochen-freese-joins-forto-as-evp-of-procurement-and-business-development/

Searoutes raises €2.4m to reduce shippers’ GHG emissions

Searoutes, the Marseilles-based start-up that helps shippers reduce the carbon footprint of their transport, has announced a €1.3 million financing round led by WSB Beteiligungs, the venture capital firm founded by Wolf Scheder.
Created in 2019 by Dr. Pierre Garreau and Carsten Bullemer, Searoutes has designed its own, proprietary eco-calculator to compute the carbon footprint of a container along its journey. Incubated and accelerated by ZEBOX, the international incubator and accelerator …

The...

https://theloadstar.com/searoutes-raises-e2-4m-to-reduce-shippers-ghg-emissions/

NYSHEX raises new funds to progress harmony between shippers and carriers

The New York Shipping Exchange (NYSHEX) has set its sights on providing more technology to shippers, with an initial focus on retailers, after raising $13.5m in new capital.
Investment fund NewRoad Capital led the funding round and has joined the list of NYSHEX shareholders.
NYSHEX provides the liner industry with a “simplified and standardised over-the-counter exchange for entering enforceable freight contracts”, which shippers and NVOCCs can use free after receiving accreditation – …

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https://theloadstar.com/nyshex-raises-new-funds-to-progress-harmony-between-shippers-and-carriers/

$28bn invested in freight start-ups since 2015 – most in last-mile and B2C

Venture capital funding into the logistics industry has amounted to nearly $28bn since 2015, research from McKinsey shows.
And although US digital freight forwarder Flexport has taken many of the headlines during this period, it is actually the last-mile and B2C logistics sectors that have received the overwhelming proportion of that finance.
Ocean and air freight platforms – in which McKinsey classes Flexport – follow far behind.
And, somewhat surprisingly, given the focus …

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https://theloadstar.com/28bn-invested-in-freight-start-ups-since-2015-most-in-last-mile-and-b2c/

Flexport just another forwarder forced to adapt quickly to market changes

The news this week that Flexport has laid off some 50 staff has, predictably, caused a flurry of comment about the digital forwarder and its future.
It should, however, be seen in context – it is hardly the only forwarder out there scaling back. DSV Panalpina may have lost between 20% and 30% of Panalpina staff, although admittedly under different circumstances.
Forwarders wax and wane constantly on staff numbers – according to …

The post Flexport just another forwarder forced to adapt quickly...

https://theloadstar.com/flexport-just-another-forwarder-forced-to-adapt-quickly-to-market-changes/

Digitisation and a shift in buying power is putting pressure on shipping rates

The battle for a market that could amount to 30m teu globally is now between carriers, forwarders and digital offerings, delegates at this week’s TOC Container Supply Chain conference in Rotterdam were told.
Lars Jensen, chief executive and partner of SeaIntelligence Consulting, said: “There will be a fundamental change in the competitive dynamics between carriers, and this will take place no matter what happens in terms of supply and demand in the …

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https://theloadstar.com/digitisation-and-a-shift-in-buying-power-is-putting-pressure-on-shipping-rates/

‘Mysterious third party’ prepares Shyp relaunch

Last March we reported on the demise of US-based on-demand shipping start-up, Shyp. The company, which launched in 2016, had struggled to turn the hype surrounding it into a genuine business proposition. But after shuttering its doors, it appears there may be life in the (not so) old dog yet. Tech Crunch is reporting that a third party has acquired the brand and domain name.

Former chief executive Kevin Gibbon tweeted that …

The post ‘Mysterious third party’ prepares Shyp relaunch appeared first...

https://theloadstar.com/mysterious-third-party-prepares-shyp-relaunch/

Maersk joins FreightHub investors as it secures $30m in fresh funds

German digital freight forwarding start-up FreightHub has secured $30m in a series B capital raising round that saw Maersk join its investors.
AP Møller-Maersk’s corporate venture arm, Maersk Growth, and logistics venture capital fund Rider Global joined Northzone, Global Founders Capital, Cherry Ventures and London-based investment firm Unbound, which also ploughed fresh funds into the company.
FreightHub said it would use the proceeds for tech development and to expand its presence in …

The...

https://theloadstar.com/maersk-joins-freighthub-investors-as-it-secures-30m-in-fresh-funds/

Supply chain radar: Flexport targets $1bn in sales this year – and the joke is on who, exactly?

I seem to have reached a point in my career where market contacts send me screen-grabs – with no comments whatsoever – asking how my valuation model changes with a company when its new guidance is finally issued by third parties… on Twitter.
Normally that would be pretty bizarre, but when subject is Flexport these things are almost effortlessly engaging – especially as Flexport is trying harder than in the past to …

The post Supply chain radar: Flexport targets $1bn in sales this year – and the...

https://theloadstar.com/supply-chain-radar-flexport-targets-1bn-in-sales-this-year-and-the-joke-is-on-who-exactly/

Flexport secures a billion dollars in new funds to help grow its global footprint

UK digital-first freight forwarder Flexport has secured “a truly outstanding” $1bn in a new funding round led by Japanese tech investment behemoth SoftBank.
Flexport said the cash would be used to “deepen its technology and data capabilities, grow its global logistics infrastructure footprint and invest in industry expertise”.
SoftBank’s Vision Fund was joined by existing investors in Flexport, including Founders Fund, DST Global, Cherubic Ventures, Susa Ventures and emerging Chinese integrator...

https://theloadstar.co.uk/flexport-secures-a-billion-dollars-in-new-funds-to-help-grow-its-global-footprint/

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