Top trends in supply chain & logistics
Greetings, Pulse Subscribers!
Hear that? It’s the end of the year approaching! But 2022 isn’t over yet so let’s get into the latest retail disruption and deals. Here’s the agenda:
“I wish this warehouse was a little bit taller …”
Get in, we’re all becoming data-driven!
One-click checkout heads to Southeast Asia …
A strong supply chain is a happy supply chain
The ma$$ive potential of B2B
And away we go!
Startup Deals
Vertical Robotic Warehouse | These days, many startups are trying to modernize and automate the traditional warehouse. (Thanks, Amazon.) Attabotics, however, isn’t looking to update dusty, old warehouses — it’s reimagining warehouses entirely. Redesigning the warehouse from the ground up, Attabotics utilizes a patented storage structure and AI-driven robotic shuttles to build vertical warehouses that take up only 15% of the standard space. Smaller (and taller) warehouses fit into densely packed urban areas, which allows businesses to bring fulfillment centers closer to customers and their stores. By putting smaller, smarter warehouses close at hand, Attabotics helps streamline inventory and reduce the cost of fulfillment. With partners such as Pan Pacific Pet, Körber Supply Chain Automation, and the US Department of Defense, among others, Attabotics recently raised a $72 million Series C-1 led by Export Development Canada.
Business Intelligence for Commerce | Business intelligence tools have traditionally been designed for technical users, not the entire team. Zenlytic aims to change that with a natural language interface that empowers everyone to be data-driven. With tech that quickly identifies the friction points in user journeys, the promotions that aren’t converting, and the acquisition channels that yield low LTV/CAC scores, Zenlytic allows everyone on the team to get the most out of big data. Zenlytic boasts that it’s the first enterprise-grade business intelligence tool designed for emerging commerce brands, helping them acquire more efficiently, improve churn, and power growth. By creating a business intelligence tool that doesn’t need a data team, Zenlytic recently raised $5.4 million in seed funding led by Bain Capital Ventures.
One-Click Checkout | One-click checkout startups like Fast and Bolt haven’t fared well in the US as of late, but the one-click model may have found a new home: Southeast Asia. There, social commerce is already a $13 billion industry, but buying can be a pain because payment generally requires switching to banking apps or wallets. To simplify social commerce payments, Thailand-based startup Beam offers a one-click checkout solution for online stores. By allowing customers to purchase with cards, e-wallets, installments, BNPL, and more, Beam makes buying easy. Boasting a 25% increase in sales and the ability to launch in minutes via a website plugin, Beam shows where one-click checkout is headed. It recently raised $2.5 million in seed funding led by Sequoia Capital India and Southeast Asia’s Surge.
Getir Acquires Gorillas | There’s big news in the world of instant grocery delivery, with news that Getir has acquired its competitor Gorillas. While instant grocery delivery boomed during the pandemic (with Getir and Gorillas at one point being valued at $11.8 billion and $3 billion respectively), after the lifting of restrictions, the space has struggled lately. The combined group features delivery in minutes for markets in the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the U.S. and is valued at $10 billion. With this acquisition, Getir hopes to grow the category it created in 2015 and continue to lead the instant grocery delivery category. Will this combined entity figure out the quick commerce market? We’ll have to wait and see.
Essential Industry Reads
Since the start of the pandemic, supply chain and logistics have transformed from a niche specialty into a top-of-mind concern for execs in every industry. With the shortages and slowdowns we’ve seen over the past few years, it’s no surprise that many startups have been created to modernize, strengthen, and improve supply chains around the world. In this read, Demi Obayomi and Andrew Vogeley of Sapphire Ventures take a look at where supply chains stand today, highlight emerging trends in supply chain and logistics technology, and offer a market map of 100+ vendors leading the charge to ensure our supply chains stay strong.
Read about supply chain and logistics trends here.
On the Step By Step podcast, special guest and Forerunner Ventures general partner Kirsten Green sits down to discuss the evolution of e-Commerce over the past 25 years and the massive monetary potential of the B2B industry. Green gives insight into how and why businesses are acting more like consumers these days, upgrading legacy systems that were built for functionality with ones that delight and make employees happier. With an insider's look into where venture capitalists think the market will be headed in the next 12 to 18 months, as well as why we might actually be living in a “pre-data” era, this podcast is essential listening.
Learn about the consumerization of B2B here.
Forge Retail Showcase - Register Now!
Web3 is the third iteration of the internet that is more open and decentralized, powered by technologies like blockchain, decentralized applications, and digital identity. These developments are changing how users interact in the digital world and how retailers, brands, and consumers interact – and they are changing fast!
Join us for the next Forge Retail Showcase on January 12, as we will hear from Bain experts and industry leaders about web3 use cases for Retail and how these trends will impact the sector.
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January 12, 2023 // 11:00 am - 12:00 pm ET
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