Online shipping marketplace and freight automation software provider uShip has announced a $25 million Series D round led by Germany-based logistics giant DB Schenker.
Founded out of Austin, Texas in 2003, uShip targets individuals and enterprises with an online shipping and freight marketplace that makes it easy to search for and book transport and logistics services for moving just about anything around the world. It could be used by a consumer moving their entire earthly belongings to the other side of the world or a company moving offices to a neighboring city.
The uShip platform also enables people to list items they want moved, with transport firms bidding if they have spare capacity. The company went mobile back in 2010 with its launch on Android and iOS and today operates across 19 countries.
The global transport and logistics market is a trillion dollar industry, and with the growth of online marketplaces it has never been easier to buy goods from the farthest reaches of the planet. Ecommerce heavyweight Amazon has been pushing further into the transport realm and is reportedly looking to develop an Uber-esque app specifically for booking truck freight. Last year, it registered as an ocean freight forwarder to give it more control over products shipped from China to the U.S.
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This latest investment takes uShip’s total funding past the $50 million mark, and the company says it will use the cash influx to expedite development of its logistics platform for “key business segments,” such as “high-volume enterprise shippers and small and midsize businesses,” according to a press release.
“Major players like DB Schenker are taking advantage of technology that will automate and digitize their operations, helping them maintain market leadership and evolve with demand,” says Mike Williams, CEO of uShip. “It’s a thrilling time to be at the leading edge of this macro transformation and to deepen our partnership through DB Schenker’s strategic investment.”
Today’s news comes less than a year after DB Schenker and uShip announced a five-year deal for the launch of “Drive4Schenker,” an online trucking platform that automates and optimizes the management of 30,000 carriers and the execution of up to 5,000 loads each day. Drive4Schenker launched in Germany earlier this month ahead of a Europe-wide rollout.
