[#271] Supply Chain in Numbers - Feb 3, 2025

PackageAI's $14M Series A, Falling parcel OTP, Ati raised $20M Series B, $200M counterfeit operation busted, Labviva raised $25M in a Series B round

Welcome to “Supply Chain in Numbers.” This newsletter tracks significant numbers from the supply chain world. Five prominent numbers are published every Monday. If you have any feedback, please send it to me.

$14 million Series A

Logistics tech startup Package.ai has raised $14 million in funding for technology that unifies last-mile delivery operations and customer engagement on a comprehensive AI-powered SaaS platform. Package.ai says it can deliver that goal by combining Gen-AI technology, last-mile intelligence, and customer engagement data, allowing users to avoid placing logistics and customer service in separate silos across their business. Founded in 2017 in Tel Aviv, Package.ai plans to use the new backing to expand its evolving base of retail customers across North America. The company currently serves hundreds of partner brands globally and is positioning itself as an industry standard for furniture and appliance retailers. [DC Velocity]

2.2 billion parcels, ~10% of which were late

In its data on millions of parcels shipped during this period in 2024, ShipMatrix found that the on-time performance (OTP) for the three national carriers — FedEx, UPS, and the USPS — based on specific commit times for their respective parcel services, express, deferred, ground, and last mile, came in at 91.8% for FedEx, 96.5% for UPS, and 90.4 for USPS. These readings represented across the board annual declines, with 2023 OTP data for FedEx, UPS, and USPS, at 98.3%, 98.7%, and 96.5%, respectively. The larger drop in OTP for the Postal Service in 2024 compared to the prior year may be due to the USPS implementing the Delivering for America plan. Even with a shorter peak in 2024, the parcel industry delivered over 2.2 billion parcels. However, the more noteworthy development was that as a shipper, Amazon delivered over 25 million parcels per day of its own and FBA online orders. [Logistics Management]

$20 million Series B

Ati Motors Raises $20M in Series B Funding. Ati Motors is an India-based AMR startup developing robots that handle trolleys, bins, and pallets in challenging factory and warehouse environments. The funding will support global expansion, particularly in North America, and further development of its hardware and software solutions.Ati Motors’ robots come with 3D lidar sensors and have spatial awareness. This enables these robots to work even in a tough environment where harsh weather, including rain, can impact manufacturing. The robots can also move on various flooring conditions and even handle gradients, cracks, or oil spills in their path. [Tech Crunch]

$200 million of counterfeit goods

Nine people have been charged with federal crimes in connection with an alleged scheme to smuggle at least $200 million of counterfeit and illicit goods from China through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The U.S. attorney’s office alleged a conspiracy among logistics company executives, warehouse owners, and truck drivers to transport shipping containers to warehouses in the City of Industry, unload the contraband inside, and replace it with “filler” cargo before customs officials could inspect the containers. To evade discovery, prosecutors alleged, the defendants broke and removed locked security seals, which are supposed to be opened only by customs officials, and replaced them with counterfeit ones with the same unique numbers. Investigators seized over $130 million worth of contraband goods, including counterfeit shoes, perfume, luxury handbags, apparel and watches. [LA Times]

$25 million Series B

Labviva, a Boston, MA-based provider of an AI procurement platform for life sciences, raised $25M in Series B funding. Labviva connects researchers with suppliers of reagents, chemicals, consumables, and instrumentation in a platform that supports the priorities of scientists while staying compliant with purchasing rules. Suppliers can manage the content of their products, and products are mapped into scientific applications, techniques, and protocols. The platform aggregates 90% of all life science suppliers, offering instant access to the most diverse pool of sellers, ranging from major suppliers to small, local, and green-certified businesses. [Fin SMEs]