Looking East at the Future of Logistics

April 15, 2021

The Daily Stack is a daily private market insights newsletter by PrivCo, a private company intelligence platform. Read our previous insights.
If you have friends who would enjoy reading this newsletter, please forward this email to them.

Although we have written many times about autonomous vehicles and about robotics, including those used for logistics, the most advanced robotics use-cases are in the East. The logistics arm of Alibaba, Cainiao, has been pioneering warehouse automation within China, as online shopping has been spurred on by its parent company’s growing e-commerce platform, Taobao. The e-commerce sector, worth $1.9TN (three times the size of the US market), delivers 64BN parcels per year in China alone.

Photo credit: Cainiao

Automation in the warehouse
China’s smartest warehouse, according to Cainiao, is located in Wuxi, China. The warehouse is home to 700+ automated guided vehicles (AGVs) that are equipped with WiFi and self-charge. Each robot is like a large Roomba vacuum cleaner, sweeping through a 3,000 square meter warehouse to carry up to 500 kilograms of goods across the warehouse. This dynamic means that when someone makes an online purchase in China, the AGV is activated to pick up the order within the warehouse so that human warehouse staff can assemble and ship it out. See the video.

Not just in the warehouse
Xiao G is Cainiao’s delivery cart of the future. Every hour, the 3x5 foot autonomous vehicle -- complete with sensor technology to safely navigate roads -- will pick up packages from a delivery depot in Hangzhou and tour a nearby neighborhood to make its delivery runs. Locals meet the driverless cart at a delivery point, pin in a reference number to open up the designated door flap and pick up their purchased online goods.

Expanding overseas
Cainiao isn’t just targeting operations in China. It is also forming alliances with foreign partners to expand its business overseas. It’s already able to deliver a 2-lb package for around 30 cents within 24 hours in China, but it won’t be long, it claims, before it will be able to deliver the same package anywhere globally within 72 hours for just $3.

SPAC breaks another record

Singapore’s ride-hailing company Grab is going public via SPAC and helping shatter another record for the largest merger ever.
[Read More]

Stitch Fix CEO Steps Down

Katrina Lake was formerly the youngest female CEO to bring a startup public; her exit has caused the stock to dip.
[Read More]

Since last week, PrivCo has added:
1714 Companies | 234 Funding Activities | 111 M&A Deals

Funding & Deal Highlights:

Oda raises $265MM co-led by Prosus Ventures and SoftBank Vision Fund
Delivery Software & Internet Services • Equity • Oslo, Norway

GH Research raises $125MM led by RA Capital Management
Biotechnology • Round B • Dublin, Ireland

Antios Therapeutics raises $96MM led by Soleus Capital
Biotechnology • Round B • Atlanta, GA

Anduril Industries raises an undisclosed amount
Aerospace & Self Defense Software & Internet Services • Equity • Irvine, CA

IRIS.TV raises $18MM led by Intel Capital
Video Software & Internet Services • Round B • Los Angeles, CA

Eblu Solutions raises $11.4MM led by OCA Ventures
Health Care Tech Software & Internet Services • Round A • Louisville, KY

Megagenomi raises $75MM from RA Capital Management, Leaps by Bayer and Humboldt Fund
Biotechnology • Round A • Emeryville, CA

WhiteSource raises $75MM led by Pitango Venture Capital
Cyber Security Software & Internet Services • Equity • New York, NY

Synthesis AI raises $4.5MM
3D Software & Internet Services • Equity • Coyote, CA

Shoreline Biosciences raises $43MM led by Boxer Capital
Biotechnology • Equity • La Jolla, CA

Fuel50 raises $15.5MM co-led by PeakSpan Capital and Shearwater Capital
Talent Management Software & Internet Services • Round B • Laguna Niguel, CA

Cormet ML raises $13MM led by Scale Venture Partners
Big Data Software & Internet Services • Round A • New York, NY

AmazeVR raises $9.5MM
Virtual Reality Software & Internet Services • Equity • San Francisco, CA

Abacum raises $7MM led by Creandum AB
Collaboration Software & Internet Services • Seed • San Francisco, CA

Canvas Medical raises $17MM co-led by Inspired Capital and IA Ventures
Health Care Providers • Round A • San Francisco, CA

Alyce raises $30MM led by General Catalyst Partners
Personalization Software & Internet Services • Round B • Boston, MA

Wonder Dynamics raises $2.5MM
Entertainment Software & Internet Services • Seed • West Hollywood, CA

Andium raises $15MM led by OGCI Climate Investments
Communications Software & Internet Services • Round A • New York, NY

Hearby raises $1.5MM
Big Data Software & Internet Services • Seed • Cambridge, MA

StockX raises $60MM led by Altimeter Capital
E-commerce Software & Internet Services • Round E-1 • Detroit, MI

Volexion raises $1.1MM
Renewable Electricity & Fuels • Seed • Chicago, IL

Higher Ground Education raises $40MM led by Learn Capital Venture Partners
Education Services • Round D • Lake Forest, CA

New Class raises $8.1MM led by Pace Capital
Education Services • Seed • New York, NY

Orum.io raises $21MM
Enterprise Software & Internet Services • Round A • New York, NY

Community.com raises $40MM led by Salesforce Ventures
Communications Software & Internet Services • Equity • Santa Monica, CA

Triller acquires Fite TV and Amplify.ai
Entertainment Software & Internet Services • Acquisition • Los Angeles, CA

The Blackstone Group acquires Sabre Industries
Utilities Industrial Products • Acquisition • Alvarado, TX

Charter Health Care Group acquires The Providence Home Health & Hospice
Health Care Services • Acquisition • Sugar Land, TX

The Vitex Group acquires Infiniscene
Streaming Software & Internet Services • Acquisition • Chicago, IL

Grab merges with Altimeter Growth Corp for $39.6BN
Ride-Sharing Software & Internet Services • Merger • Singapore

Forward to a Friend

Not a subscriber yet? Sign up here!
Have an interesting topic you want us to include. Let us know!

Looking East at the Future of Logistics

Company

Links