venture capital

FreightTech set for AI revolution

This article is the second of three on the landscape of venture capital and FreightTech in 2025 and beyond. Click here for Part I.

In our prior analysis, we noted how private equity firms were cautiously optimistic for venture capital in 2025. Optimistic, because markets were due to benefit from the freeing of some much-needed liquidity as falling interest rates and aging unicorns stimulate exit activity. But cautious, because this forecast is predicated on the expectation that interest rates...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freighttech-set-for-ai-revolution

Venture capital prepares to ignite stores of dry powder

This article is the first of three on the landscape of venture capital and FreightTech in 2025 and beyond.

Falling from the heights of the 2021-22 boom — when near-zero interest rates made for essentially free money — the past few years have been rough for venture capital.

Hugh MacArthur, chairman of Global Private Equity at Bain & Co. and founder of its annual “Global Private Equity Report,” opened last year’s report by declaring that “the year 2023 was one of portent.

“Deal value fell by 37%,”...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/venture-capital-prepares-to-ignite-stores-of-dry-powder

OneRail secures $42 million to solve last-mile delivery problems

Last-mile solutions provider OneRail has raised $42 million in venture capital backing for product development and to expand its team.

The Series C funding round was led by Los Angeles-based Aliment Capital. The venture raise brings OneRail’s total funding to $109 million.

“This new funding round enables us to deepen our decision logic upstream in the order process to help solve some of the acute challenges facing retailers and wholesalers, such as … split orders, out-of-stocks, or worse,...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/onerail-secures-42-million-to-solve-last-mile-delivery-problems

Venture capital continues to flow into FreightTech startups

Although some once-high-flying FreightTech firms folded in 2023 and others are cutting staff, some supply chain-related technology startups continue to secure venture capital and funding deals.

Sayari, a supply chain risk intelligence provider, recently announced private equity firm TPG is making a $228 million strategic majority investment in the company.

Meanwhile, global supply chain-focused startups TrusTrace and Kusari recently secured $24 million and $8 million, respectively, and e-commerce...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/venture-capital-continues-to-flow-into-freighttech-startups

How soon will we see an autonomous trucking shakeout?

It is pretty much acknowledged across the trucking industry that a consolidation of players in autonomous trucking is coming. Money is tight. Borrowing is expensive. Share prices and corresponding book values are in the dumper. 

The coming shakeout

No single factor proves a shakeout among autonomous trucking players is coming. But an accumulation of evidence suggests that not all of today’s entrants will survive as independents.

PitchBook writes of mobility tech in its 2023 Industry and Technology...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-soon-will-we-see-an-autonomous-trucking-shakeout

Last-mile delivery provider OneRail raises $33M Series B

OneRail, the Orlando, Florida-based last-mile delivery provider that uses technology to optimize a vast courier network, announced Wednesday morning that it had raised a $33 million Series B round of capital funding from Piva Capital and Arsenal Growth. American Tire Distributors, a customer, also participated in the round as a strategic investor.

Founded in 2018 by Bill and Lisa Catania, OneRail builds software to help its customers manage their deliveries — sometimes that means helping them...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/last-mile-delivery-provider-onerail-raises-33m-series-b

FreightTech investment now that the cheap money is gone

The tug of war between bear and bull markets is a natural force that elegantly showcases how contrary economic forces actually complement each other over time.

The past few years brought a global health crisis that left economic engines sputtering, including one of the most important — global supply chains.

However, as quickly as closures happened for health and safety reasons, a competing force surfaced. Locked down consumers pushed demand for goods — often purchased through e-commerce pathways...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freighttech-investment-now-that-the-cheap-money-is-gone

North America’s financial services industry saw a drop of 25% in deal activity during April 2022

North America’s financial services industry saw a drop of 25% in deal activity during April 2022, when compared with the last 12-month average, led by Bolt Financial’s $1.5bn acquisition of Wyre, according to GlobalData’s deals database.

google.charts.load(‘current’, {‘packages’:[‘corechart’]});google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawVisualization_Template23_Monthly_April_2022_Financial_services___North_America_);var options={vAxes:[{title:’Deal volume’, titleTextStyle:{italic:false, }},...

https://www.ship-technology.com/deals-analysis/north-americas-financial-services-industry-saw-a-drop-of-25-in-deal-activity-during-april-2022/

Carrier fintech provider Outgo announces platform launch

All-in-one banking platform for freight haulers launched on Thursday.

Carrier-focused financial tech provider Outgo announced its launch Thursday. The Seattle-based venture-backed company has emerged from stealth with its platform that provides a vertical banking solution for carriers, allowing them to automate broker relationships as well as functions like invoicing, factoring and collections.

The company also announced it raised seed funding of $3.4 million in a round led by Neo and PSL Ventures. Other investors included Bezos Expeditions, Convoy co-founder and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/carrier-fintech-provider-outgo-announces-platform-launch

4 reasons The Future of Supply Chain is a must-attend event for VCs

In less than two months, logistics professionals from across the globe will be traveling to Northwest Arkansas to provide insights on emerging FreightTech and to predict trends and deviations in the supply chain industry.

May 9-10, FreightWaves will host supply chain experts at the Rogers Convention Center for a two-day exhibition including world-renowned speakers, rapid-fire demos of the latest industry technologies, captivating discussions, and opportunities to network with decision makers for...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/4-reasons-the-future-of-supply-chain-is-a-must-attend-event-for-vcs

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