Y Combinator is a startup accelerator that invests in a large number of startups twice a year. It created a new model for funding startups. Twice a year, the company invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups. The startup accelerator works intensively with the companies for three months, to get them into the best possible shape and refine their pitch to investors. Each cycle culminates in Demo Day when the startups present their companies to a carefully selected, invite-only audience.

Y Combinator

CRV has been an investor in technology companies for almost half a century. The firm has backed nearly 400 startups in its 47-year history, including foundational companies like Twitter, Zendesk, Amgen, Hubspot, Parametric Technologies, Yammer, EqualLogic, and Sonus Networks. Half of the companies CRV has backed have gone public or been acquired. The firm focuses on enterprise, consumer, and deep-insight bioengineering.

TwentyTwo VC is an early-stage venture capital firm dedicated to investing in a new generation of companies tackling our present and future quality of life. TwentyTwo VC are composed of active investors, investing in people and companies doing great things. We make early-stage investments in companies typically post-launch, pre-seed, seed. We are looking for companies that are solving for quality of life, bringing something new to the table, and executing scalable business models. Beyond that, we seek magnetic, tenacious, adaptable founders who aren’t afraid of the big ideas and ultimately ship great things.

TwentyTwo VC

YC Continuity is an investment fund dedicated to supporting founders as they scale their companies.

Y Combinator Continuity Fund

Founded in 2001, Tiger Global Management, LLC (“Tiger Global”) is a New York-based investment firm pursuing a long-term approach to investing in leading, global public and private companies that leverage technological innovation. Tiger Global’s public equity business includes fundamentally oriented long/short, long-focused and crossover strategies, targeting investments in high-quality, public growth companies. The private equity business invests in early through late stage companies that pursue innovative approaches to new and existing industries, building on over 20 years of experience investing in hundreds of businesses in more than 30 countries with more than 90 portfolio company IPOs. With a strong track record investing across sectors and stages, Tiger Global aims to be a thought partner to companies and their management teams across their lifecycle in public and private markets. The Firm’s mission is to generate world-class returns for its investors and to do so in a way that makes its employees, partners and portfolio companies proud.

Tiger Global Management

Bond is a venture capital firm that supports visionary founders of high-growth Internet companies throughout their life cycle of innovation and growth. The firm, a spinout of the Kleiner Perkins Digital Growth Fund, was launched in January 2019 and founded by Mary Meeker with Mood Rowghani, Noah Knauf.

Bond

Adams Street Partners is a global private market investment management firm that offers comprehensive solutions for its investors. As one of the independent, employee-owned firms, Adams Street has established a reputation for strong performance, an extensive knowledge base, and a disciplined investment approach that values quality over quantity. For more than 45 years, Adams Street has gained the experience to successfully manage through some of the most challenging investment cycles. The collective knowledge of the Adams Street team works collaboratively to leverage the global resources of the Firm in navigating the complexities of private markets. Its mission as a premier private markets investment manager is to provide world-class investment performance and maintain the confidence of our investors through our deep understanding of the global private marketplace and deliver exemplary client service.

Adams Street Partners

DST Global is an investment firm that focuses on late-stage ventures in the Internet sector. The firm has invested in several rapidly growing companies. Its offices are in Menlo Park, New York, London, Beijing, and Hong Kong. The firm was founded in 2009 by Yuri Milner, Saurabh Gupta, John Lindfors, Rahul Mehta, and Tom Stafford.

DST Global

Alkeon Capital Management is a service that assists investors with their financial endeavors. Founded in 2001,  Alkeon Capital Management focuses on investing in people and innovation.

Alkeon Capital

ZipHQ provides one place for any employee to initiate a purchase or vendor request. Each request is correctly routed for approval across procurement, finance, IT, data security, legal, and other teams. ZipHQ integrates into all major ERP and P2P solutions to create a PR or draft PO. The company provides one simple flow for all employees to create a purchase request, which is then automatically routed to the correct stakeholders.

Zip, a no-code business payout management platform, automates the entire procurement process from intake (initiating purchase requests) to payments. Users can create workflows that automate the intake approvals and payment workflows, across several departments, including finance, legal, procurement, IT, and security.&nbsp;

Platforms, apps, and cards to keep the corporate wallet in check

Business Expense Management

Zip is an AI-powered procurement orchestration platform that streamlines the entire purchasing process for businesses of all sizes. Zip offers an end-to-end "intake-to-pay" solution that automates procurement from initial request to payment processing. The platform provides a single, intuitive interface for employees to initiate purchase requests routed through configurable approval workflows across finance, legal, IT, security, and other teams. Zip's no-code workflow builder also allows non-technical users to design and implement complex procurement processes without extensive training.

AI, robotics, and IoT to streamline the flow of goods and information

Logistics Tech

Zip Named to Fast Company’s Fourth Annual List of the Next Big Things in Tech

Zip, a no-code business payout management platform, automates the entire procurement process from intake (initiating purchase requests) to payments. Users can create workflows that automate the intake approvals and payment workflows, across several departments, including finance, legal, procurement, IT, and security.&nbsp;The company initially offered the “intake-to-procurement” solution, which automated the intake, approvals, vendor management, and renewal management aspects of procurement management while also offering spend insights and analytics. Zip expanded its platform by offering “intake-to-pay” in May 2023. This added purchase order (PO) management, accounts payable (AP) automation, and global payment (in over 40 currencies across 140+ countries) capabilities for its users.&nbsp;Zip can also be integrated with several business systems including NetSuite, Workday, DocuSign, Jira, Slack, and Microsoft Teams to enhance workflow automation.Key customers and partnershipsZip caters to businesses of all sizes, and, as of May 2023, it reportedly had more than 200 enterprise users, spanning across startups to Fortune 500 companies. Prominent enterprise customers include Snowflake, Canva, Airtable, Webflow, and Databricks.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Funding and financialsZip <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/18607">raised USD 100 million in Series C </a>funding in May 2023, at a USD 1.5 billion valuation, to invest in accelerating product and user experience innovations (including generative AI applications). Moreover, the company also had plans to continue recruiting and expand its footprint with a new office in Dallas, Texas.

<div>
 
 Expensify offers an app that provides a diverse range of expense and payment solutions and insights for individuals and enterprises. It offers business expense cards and reimbursement platforms with automated receipt scanning and approval workflows. Expensify also provides bill payment solutions with automated tracking, approval, and payment.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 Its corporate cards also offer benefits to users in the form of discounts when using several B2B platforms such as Stripe, AWS, Quickbooks, and Stack Overflow. Expensify can also be integrated with several third-party HR, tax, accounting, and travel platforms software.
 
 
 
 
 The company follows a freemium pricing model. For business expense cards, users are charged a monthly fee per card. Non-card reimbursement and business payout management platforms are subscription-based.
 
 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23003">
 In October 2023
 </a>
 , Expensify added a feature to its app that allows users to send and receive money, split expenses within individuals or groups, and use chat functionality, signaling the company's entry into personal finance.
 
 
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 
 
 As of October 2021, the platform had over 10 million end users, across several enterprises including La Trobe University, Swatch Group, Pinterest, and Atlassian. Moreover, Expensify reportedly had around 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23613">
 719,000 paid members
 </a>
 as of November 2023.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 The company&rsquo;s
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26941">
 revenue amounted to USD 150.7 million
 </a>
 in 2023, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 13.2%.
 
 
 
 The company&rsquo;s 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16593?industryIds=76">
 revenue amounted to USD 169.5 million
 </a>
 in 2022, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 25.1%.
 
 
 
 
 The company was listed on the Nasdaq in November 2021, where it raised around USD 70 million at a USD 2.2 billion valuation. 
 
</div>

Expensify

Coupa offers a procurement and accounts payable management software that lets enterprises automate the management and settlement of payables (from invoice matching to payments) and supply chain activities. It also offers a travel and expense (T&amp;E) management platform, with embedded fraud detection, for employees to access integrated travel management solutions including travel booking, price assurance, and other traveler services.The company also operates the “Coupa App Marketplace,” a platform for business users to connect with certified solutions for supply chain, procurement, and finance functions. In March 2024, the firm introduced a number of <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27258">AI-based features</a> to automate tasks, improve efficiency, and enable smarter decision-making for businesses. The firm also plans to launch Forecast Collaboration, a new solution to improve communication between buyers and suppliers by May 2024.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/33007">August 2024</a>, Coupa introduced a further series of AI-driven features such as Coupa Navi, Contract Intelligence enhancements, and the Coupa Advantage Marketplace. to help companies optimize process efficiency and improve productivity.The company raised aggregate gross proceeds of USD 153 million through an IPO in October 2016 and was listed on the Nasdaq. However, in December 2022, the company <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15272?industryIds=76">entered a definitive agreement </a>(completed in February 2023) to be acquired by Thoma Bravo for USD 8 billion and be delisted from the Nasdaq. Key customers and partnershipsThe company offers its solutions to several industries, ranging from automotive and banking services, to oil and gas, and telecommunications. Its clients include several large global enterprises, including Sanofi, MGM Resorts, Salesforce, Juniper Networks, and Cooper Standard.Coupa delivers its payout solutions in partnership with several companies. Its virtual card partners include AirPlus, HSBC, Citi, and J.P. Morgan, while its payment tech providers include Stripe, Mastercard, PayPal, and TransferMate. In October 2022, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14052">Coupa partnered </a>with integration and automation solution provider, TradeCentric, to optimize the former’s procurement solutions. The company subsequently <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17669">partnered with </a><a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/59">Goldman Sachs </a>in April 2023, to leverage the latter’s payment, treasury, and banking infrastructure solution, “Transaction Banking (TxB).”In January 2024, the <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25856">company partnered with Tonkean, </a>a no-code platform to develop business applications to launch “Tonkean Intake Orchestration for Coupa”, in Coupa App Marketplace, to improve intake-to-procure processes for customers.Moreover, Coupa launched an investment fund of USD 50 million in June 2021 to invest in early- and growth-stage startups in the business spend and procurement management industry. The funds first two portfolio companies were SaaS expense management platform, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/408080">Zylo </a>, and procurement management platform, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/152710">SourceDay </a>.

Coupa

Brex offers short-term financing (including earned revenue access) and expense management solutions. The platform primarily offers cards for businesses, including business expense card and corporate cards for larger businesses. Brex issues corporate cards based on several factors such as funding raised, revenue, and cash balances, instead of relying solely on credit scores for approvals.&nbsp;&nbsp;Brex also offers an automated bill payment solution for enterprises to manage payouts. This lets users choose several payment methods (ACH, wire transfers, checks, or cards) and also integrates with accounting systems such as Quickbooks and Xero. The company subsequently launched “Brex payables” in August 2023, an AI-enabled AP solution (from receiving invoices to approving payment) that combined bill payment and purchase card capabilities..In&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/33808">September 2024</a>, Brex launched Brex Embedded for global payments integration.&nbsp;Key customers and partnerships&nbsp;Brex users span several groups, such as tech startups, venture capitalists, and ecommerce companies. Brex primarily targets SMBs, and, as of October 2021, it reportedly generated around 60% of its revenue from mid-market companies. However, the company shifted its focus away from small businesses in June 2022, to focus on startups (pre-seed and venture funded companies) and mid-to-large-sized companies. Brex laid off around 11% of its workforce in October 2022, to increase focus on the company’s new strategy, and achieve sustainable profitability for years to come. It subsequently laid off a further 20% of its employees in January 2024 to make the company more agile and accelerate its path to profitability.Navan had around 8,800 enterprise customers as of April 2022, at which point Liquid was used by over 600 companies, including Zoom, Lyft, Pinterest, and Patreon.&nbsp;In October 2024, Brex partnered with Navan to create BrexPay for Navan, an integrated business travel and payments solution. Previously,&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/20254">Brex partnered</a> with&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/359227">Airwallex</a> in July 2023, to leverage AIrwallex’s network of 50+ global licenses, to support local currency collections for global corporate cards and employee expense reimbursements across the globe.In December 2023, Brex along with&nbsp; <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/780841">Ramp</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25146">collaborated with Uber’s enterprise arm</a> to improve expense processing efficiency by automating the receipt handling for Uber transactions while ensuring&nbsp; compliance with company policies.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Brex

Navan (formerly known as TripActions) offers a business and personal travel platform and pivoted to the expense management business by launching “TripActions Liquid” (Liquid) in early 2020. The company continues to offer a range of expense management solutions beyond just travel expense claims, including business expense cards and an employee reimbursement platform.&nbsp;&nbsp;The expense cards include physical and virtual cards with spend controls, policies and compliance, reconciliation, and custom dashboards for insights. Moreover, the cards reportedly bear zero foreign transaction fees (as of April 2022).The company claims that the Liquid platform reduces expense reporting hours by upto 66% and reconciliation time by 95%.&nbsp;&nbsp;Key customers and partnerships&nbsp;Navan had around 8,800 enterprise customers as of April 2022, at which point Liquid was used by over 600 companies, including Zoom, Lyft, Pinterest, and Patreon.&nbsp;In&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/34893">October 2024</a>, Navan partnered with Brex&nbsp; to create BrexPay for Navan, an integrated business travel and payments solution. Previously Navan partnered with Visa and Mastercard in June 2023, to launch “Navan Connect”, a patented card-link solution that allows businesses to connect corporate cards from third parties, for expense management and reconciliations. The company planned to expand its network tie-ups in the future.Funding and financialsThe volume of transactions processed through Navan reportedly increased by 7.5x since the period between June and September 2022.In October 2022, Navan <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13743">raised USD 304 million in funding </a>, comprising a USD 154 million Series G round and a USD 150 million structured financial deal, to invest in expanding its global operations. The round valued the company at USD 9.2 billion, against its USD 7.25 billion valuation in October 2021. Moreover, the funding came just weeks after Navan reportedly <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13440?industryIds=76">filed confidentially to go public </a>in Q2 2023 at a USD 12 billion valuation.&nbsp;

Navan

Ramp offers a comprehensive set of tools for expense and payout management. Its “5-in-1” software covers business expense cards, expense reimbursement platforms, and bill payment solutions (through ACH, checks, and virtual cards) and also includes automated accounting and reporting. Ramp came out of stealth in February 2020 with its business expense card offering (including physical and virtual cards) and thereafter expanded to other expense and payout solutions. The platform also offers bi-directional integration (to incorporate a contract review process into the approval workflow), dynamic intake forms, purchase order enhancements, among other features&nbsp;The platform lets users set and implement spend controls and expense policies and also helps enterprises manage their expenses through categorization, real-time reporting, and insights. Ramp claims it can enable businesses to close their books 86% faster than through traditional expense methods and reportedly reduces its users’ spending by 3.3% on average. In October 2024, Ramp launched Ramp App Center, a new app store that allows third-party developers to build specialized apps that integrate with Ramp's platform. &nbsp;Ramp has used acquisitions as a means of inorganic growth. In June 2023, it <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/19688">acquired Cohere.io </a>, to drive AI-related projects to help customers save time and money. Ramp also offers autonomous agents that concentrate on essential tasks such as expense management, fraud detection, and contract negotiations, utilizing both internal data and the broader linguistic context from GPT and the internet. In January 2024, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26114">Ramp&nbsp; acquired Venue, </a>a procurement solutions provider (primarily for large organizations) to improve employee purchase request, approval, and payment processes..Ramp can also be integrated with a range of third-party apps and service providers, including Amazon Business, Lyft, Corporate Traveller, Google Suite, and BambooHR.&nbsp;&nbsp;The company primarily generates revenue through card payment interchange fees, and was yet to generate revenue from its bill payment solution as of March 2022, despite seeing volume growth. Ramp expanded its bill payment solution in August 2022, by <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13437">launching buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) solution </a>, “Flex.” Ramp reportedly processed over USD 10 billion in accounts payable volumes annually, as of January 2024.&nbsp;Key customers and partnerships&nbsp;Although Ramp initially focused on the SMB market, the company has expanded its focus market to larger enterprises, including Ro, Avelo, and Anduril. Ramp had over 15,000 business customers as of August 2023. Based on the new customer sign-ups in June 2022 (compared to May) Ramp reported faster growth in its enterprise segment customer base - up 300%&nbsp; - than its mid market (up 50%) and SMB (up 22%) customers.&nbsp;Ramp has also invested in several expense management companies across the globe, including MENA-focussed <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/1833119">Pluto </a>(February 2022) and Indian fintech <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/947785">Karbon </a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24091">In November 2023, </a>Ramp collaborated with Microsoft Copilot, integrating AI for finance tasks, including card issuance and anomaly detection, reducing manual work with the&nbsp; aim of streamline finances for enhanced strategic focus.In December 2023, Brex along with&nbsp; <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/780841">Ramp </a><a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25146">collaborated with Uber’s enterprise arm </a>to improve expense processing efficiency by automating the receipt handling for Uber transactions while ensuring&nbsp; compliance with company policies.&nbsp;

Ramp

Solutions that enable employees to avoid out-of-pocket spending on business expenses, using company-issued payment cards

Platforms that let employees scan receipts (through OCR) and automatically submit claims to receive reimbursements with the limited involvement of admin, finance, or HR staff

Platforms offering payout automation solutions that cover the process either entirely or partially—from vendor onboarding to making payments

Can extract information from invoices/receipts, classify expenses, automate approval and reconciliation processes, and offer insights

Tools can usually be customized based on a user's business nature and workflows

Partner with open banking infrastructure providers to enable account-to-account payments and topping-up cards

Insights and visibility on expenses and payout processes improves transparency in business spend and reimbursements

Solutions commonly include software platforms that digitize, automate, and offer insights on expenses for businesses

Zip is an AI-powered procurement orchestration platform that streamlines the entire purchasing process for businesses of all sizes. Zip offers an end-to-end "intake-to-pay" solution that automates procurement from initial request to payment processing. The platform provides a single, intuitive interface for employees to initiate purchase requests routed through configurable approval workflows across finance, legal, IT, security, and other teams. Zip's no-code workflow builder also allows non-technical users to design and implement complex procurement processes without extensive training.The company's technology integrates with existing enterprise systems like ERPs, contract management software, and IT ticketing platforms. The platform also offers features such as purchase order management, accounts payable automation, and global B2B payments functionality.&nbsp;Zip's revenue model involved charging retail merchants and other businesses a fee when their customers use Zip's payment services at checkout. As of October 2024, Zip reported that over USD 107 billion in customer spending had been processed through its platform, with customers achieving USD 4.4 billion in savings since the company's launch.Key customers and partnershipsZip’s customers include Anthropic, Arm, Canva, Coinbase, Discover, Dollar Tree, Instacart, Lyft, Northwestern Mutual, Prudential, Reddit, Sephora, Snowflake, and Sprouts.

<div>
 
 Boxbot develops automated sorting and storage solutions for warehouses. The company, which previously focused on developing autonomous delivery vehicles (ADVs) for 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/industry/1">
 last-mile delivery automation,
 </a>
 announced the shift in focus to develop warehouse robots 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22292">
 in September 2023.
 </a>
 It offers intelligent 3D parcel handling conveyor systems, specifically designed to increase storage density within a smaller footprint. Its platform can store, sort, and sequence high-throughput payloads while requiring minimal physical space. The company claims the system can handle up to 4,000 parcels per hour. The system is powered by &ldquo;Boxbot OS,&rdquo; which provides advanced analytics, systems controls, and predictive maintenance features.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 Boxbot was in discussions with partners and had identified several sites for testing its warehouse automation technology as of September 2023. The company has conducted pilot tests in various use cases and notes the technology can be deployed at last-mile delivery centers, bonded storage warehouses, and customer pickup locations.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22292">
 In September 2023,
 </a>
 Boxbot raised USD 12 million in a Series A funding round led by Playground Global to strengthen its engineering and business operations and accelerate its go-to-market approach.
 
</div>

Boxbot

Based in France, Exotec Solutions (Exotec) develops warehouse automation solutions. Its main offering “Skypod,” is an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) with the ability to prioritize orders by automating the movement of goods from bin storage to workstations. Skypod units are powered by autonomous mobile robot (AMR) technology and have the ability to travel at high speeds and move in 3D environments.Skypod system is supported by Exotec’s end-to-end warehouse software, “Deepsky,” which uses technologies such as Webservices, RESTful API, and nodeRed to control elements of the Skypod system. Exotec can be integrated with warehouse management and warehouse control systems and enables Skypod to be integrated with third-party automation equipment. It also collects real-time data for performance visibility.Exotec’s other warehouse solutions include “Skypicker, ” an automated picking arm that uses machine learning-based vision to pick items from the Skypod robots and place them into fulfillment containers, and “Skypath,” an API-based modular plug-and-play conveyor system. It also builds stations made up of a ramp, a screen, and scanners for smaller warehouse spaces that use Skypod robots.The company offers its products on a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) basis and has a presence in multiple countries in the Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America.Key customers and partnershipsAs of February 2022, Exotec served over 50 companies. Its customers include Decathlon, Carrefour, Cdiscount, Uniqlo, Gap, Monoprix, Logilec,&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26080">Lane Automotive,</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/35243">Auchan Retail Luxembourg.</a>The company also has partnerships with system integrators such as 1) <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24045">Bastian Solutions </a>and Advanced Handling Systems (AHS) to deploy Skypod systems in North America for retailers such as Gap, Ariat International, and GEODIS; 2) Korea-based engineering and IT service provider POSCO DX to expand its presence in South Korea. Its other integrator partnerships include Hy-Tek Intralogistics, Bastian Solutions, Klinkhammer Intralogistics, Unitechnik Systems GmbH, A1Sorter, LAC Conveyors &amp; Automation, Dexter Intralogistics, POSCO DX, Okura Yusoki, and IHI.&nbsp;

Exotec 

Berkshire Grey provides AI-powered robotic solutions for ecommerce fulfillment automaton, smart store replenishment, package sortation, and micro-fulfillment solutions, targeting retail, ecommerce, and third-party logistics (3PL). Its product portfolio includes robotic pick-and-pack solutions, robotic induction stations, robotic pick-and-sort solutions, and mobile robotic fulfillment solutions. Berkshire Grey specializes in configuring, installing, commissioning, and servicing these solutions for customers. It also provides additional professional services, such as system maintenance, system operation, and cloud-based monitoring and analytics.The company offers its product with a variety of purchase options, including outright sale and robotics-as-a-service (RaaS), which allows customers to use the offerings without incurring large, up-front capital expenses.Berkshire Grey generated revenue of US 65.9 million in 2022; however, it was yet to turn profitable, as its operating loss amounted to USD 113.8 million. The company has been listed on the Nasdaq since August 2021 via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), which valued the combined entity at USD 2.7 billion (February 2021). However, the company entered a definitive merger agreement with its investor SoftBank Group in March 2023, which also took the company private (transaction closed in July 2023).Key customers and partnershipsBerkshire Grey’s customers include Global 100 retailers and logistics service providers, such as Walmart, FedEx, Ceva Logistics, Target, Maersk, and Bealls.The company also has partnerships with system integrator of fulfillment and distribution solutions AHS (September 2021), technology service provider Atos (October 2021), data-driven robotic solutions provider Swisslog (March 2022), autonomous mobile robot developer Locus Robotics (January 2023), and intralogistics solution company Kardex <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/33225">(September 2024)</a> to expand markets by combining technologies.

Berkshire Grey

ShipBob is a cloud-based third-party logistics (3PL) platform that offers a fulfillment order platform for small and medium-sized ecommerce businesses. ShipBob's proprietary technology covers the entire fulfillment process, including order and inventory management, warehouse management, predictive data and analytics, and optimized shipping (package delivery within 1–2 business days) for ecommerce companies. The company operates as a B2B software-as-a-service (SaaS) company.ShipBob operated a network of 50+ fulfillment centers across the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia (as of April 2024). These centers serve as storage and distribution hubs for ShipBob's customers. ShipBob also <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/32676">facilitates Section 321-compliant order fulfillment</a> from Canada and Mexico, which allows merchants to reduce paperwork, speed up delivery times, and save on transportation and duties for high-tariff goods shipped to US consumers.The company also provides a merchant application that enables users to monitor inventory levels and facilitates communication with the warehouses for selecting items to fulfill orders and arrange their shipment. ShipBob then integrates with various shipping companies to ensure the delivery of orders to customers.Key customers and partnershipsThe company had 7,000+ customers as of April 2024. Its customers include PetLab, Bloom Nutrition, Storelli, zBiotics, Semaine Health, Postal, Bruce Bolt, Baby Doppler, Earthley, Spikeball, Pit Viper, Oxford Healthspan, RIFRUF, Food Huggers, NutriPaw, FlutterHabit, Quadrant, Juspy, and SuperSpeed Golf.The company has integrations with multiple platforms to ensure a smooth fulfillment process. Such integrations include the following:1) Ecommerce platforms and marketplaces such as Shopify, Amazon, BigCommerce, eBay, Magneto, Squarespace, Walmart, Wix, WooCommerce, Netsuite, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22208">TikTok Shop,</a> and <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/30330">Adobe Commerce</a> integrations2) Ecommerce operations, inventory, and order management platforms such as Brightpearl, Birj, Cogsy, PackageBee, SPS Commerce, Zentail, Shipyard, Logicbroker, Order Desk, Fulfil.io, and Cin73) Returns management platforms such as HappyReturns, Loop returns, ReturnLogic, and Returnly4) Freight and shipping solutions such as DHL, FedEx, UPS, Flexport, Freightos, Route, Rush, Shippo, ShipStation, Anvyl, AfterShip, and Echo Global LogisticsIts other integrations include ecommerce marketing and customer support providers; custom packaging and design solutions providers; branding, marketing, and web development agencies; and accounting, tax, and financing service providers.

ShipBob

Locus Robotics develops autonomous mobile robots (AMR) for warehousing and manufacturing operations. It offers three main AMR solutions: 1) “Locus Origin,” an AMR designed for collaborative, high-volume order fulfillment; 2) “Locus Vector,” designed to handle small to medium payloads; and 3) “Locus Max,” designed for larger payloads. The AMR solutions are backed by “LocusONE,” a warehouse automation platform that uses AI and data science to deploy and manage the AMRs. LocusONE also generates real-time actionable insights to support operational decisions. The AMRs allow integration with warehouse management systems and warehouse control systems. The company also offers warehouse automation solution “LocusEmpower,” which supports a range of fulfillment types including zone-picking, discrete order picking, batch picking, and wave picking. It also offers <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27481">"LocusHub,"</a> an AI/ML-powered cloud-based business intelligence engine grounded with LocusONE for advanced analytics.The company offers its products on a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) basis. In April 2024, Locus’s AMRs achieved the landmark of completing more than 3 billion unit picks.In September 2021, Locus Robotics acquired AMR provider Waypoint Robotics, which offers AMRs that are industrial-strength with omnidirectional mobility features, enabling Locus Robotics to gain access to new market segments. Key customers and partnershipsAs of May 2023, the company had deployed its technology at 250+ locations in partnership with 100+ brands. Its global customers include Ceva Logistics, Boots, Cardinal Health, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27443">GEODIS, </a>DHL, DSV, JAS, Ryder, UniPharma, UnitedDrug, Go Retail Group, Bluegrass Supply Chain, FM Logistics, UPS, UPS Healthcare, VF Corporation, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27275">Booktopia,</a> <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27659">John Lewis &amp; Partners</a> and ​<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/33695">​KSP Fulfillment</a>.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/30676">June 2024</a>, Locus Robotics entered a strategic partnership with Zion Solutions Group to integrate Locus's robotic solutions with Zion's supply chain solutions.Funding and financialsAs of November 2022, the company reported having USD 100 million+ in contracted recurring revenue.In November 2022, Locus Robotics <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14949?industryIds=6">raised USD 117 million </a>in Series F funding co-led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management and G2 Venture Partners, valuing the company at “close to” USD 2 billion. The funds were to be used to facilitate the company’s continued growth and further expand global operations.

Locus Robotics

Companies developing automation technology for warehouses like robots (including inventory drones), cobots, automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), and related software.

Include companies providing automated ecommerce fulfillment, store replenishment, and package sortation solutions.

Companies offering automated vendor evaluation and management, demand forecasting, and inventory management.

Companies that offer warehousing and ecommerce fulfillment with technology developed in-house.

Uses connected devices and sensors to gather information—mainly relevant for the visibility segment

Uses robotics solutions for warehouse operations and fulfillment

Automated fulfilment solutions and warehouse automation broadly fall under industry 4.0

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 Zip, a procurement platform, has secured USD 190 million in a Series D funding round led by BOND. Other investors include DST Global, Adams Street, Alkeon, Y Combinator, and CRV. This funding round increased Zip's valuation to USD 2.2 billion, a significant rise from its USD 1.5 billion valuation in 2023.
 The company plans to use this capital for accelerating its research and development efforts, establishing the Zip AI Lab to develop artificial intelligence solutions, and for global expansion. The focus for expansion is primarily on the EMEA region where Zip has witnessed a 200% growth in the previous year.
 To date, over USD 107 billion in customer spending has been processed through Zip's platform. This year, Zip has seen a 3x growth among large enterprises, with notable customers including Discover, Sephora, and Snowflake.
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