The Munich technology startup Smartlane has successfully completed its first financing round. The family office Ideenschaft Invest GmbH & Co. KG is investing a six-figure sum in the further development of the technology and the development of the company. The investor was provided with Smartlane in BayStartUP Financing network presented.
Drivers are under intense time pressure, cost constraints are tight, and customers are frustrated while waiting – the logistics industry is facing ever-increasing challenges. With increasing competitive pressure, delivery and service fleets must meet all customer requirements while simultaneously becoming more efficient. This is where Smartlane software comes in. The system collects and uses "Smart Mobility Data" to enable dynamic order and route management. Routes are optimized in real time – taking into account fleet resource utilization, fuel costs, and traffic volume. Several hundred drivers can be re-coordinated within seconds.
Significant cost reduction and all-round service for all involved
Fleet visualization for the route manager, along with a mobile driver app and automatic messages to end customers, offer a comprehensive service for everyone involved. The software-as-a-service (SaaS) version is complemented by a solution with an API interface. This allows Smartlane to serve logistics companies that are embracing digitalization for the first time, as well as those that rely on existing IT systems. Smartlane enables its business customers to reduce operating costs by up to 35 percent. The beta launch took place in June 2016. The software is currently being used by several test customers.
In focus: The complete automation of the logistics industry
The four-person founding team has been developing the solution for digital delivery management since mid-2015.
"Our technology is based on the knowledge gained from more than 20 years of research at the interface between IT and traffic engineering at the Technical University of Munich. To this end, we conducted intensive market research on the current challenges facing the logistics industry. In the coming years, we aim to build a comprehensive logistics data platform with a self-learning data pool and ultimately provide the industry with the tools for fully automated logistics systems."
so founder Monja Egbers.
Florina Herbein, Managing Director of Ideenschaft Invest GmbH & Co. KG, explains:
"Ideenschaft Invest offers collaborative startup financing with a long-term perspective. As the family office of an active entrepreneurial family, Ideenschaft Invest supports its portfolio companies not only with equity but also with entrepreneurial expertise. The focus is on startups like Smartlane that generate social added value."
Supported by BayStartUP and WERK1
The incubator WERK1 in Munich offers its tenant companies regular coaching sessions conducted by the startup experts at BayStartUP. They serve as a local point of contact and contact person, especially when it comes to finding financing.
Dr. Carsten Rudolph, Managing Director of BayStartUP, commented:
"Smartlane offers a high degree of innovation and relevant customer benefits, combined with great scalability. The logistics industry is undergoing a transformation and is ready for new solutions. With these criteria, Smartlane has good prospects for rapid and sustainable growth, including internationally."
You can find out more about Smartlane here.
