[#290] Supply Chain in Numbers - June 16, 2025
Alrik raised €7M, Daimler EV truck with 500km range, 45M sqft is vacant from Q12025, Kargo raised $18.4 million, 158 cases of vessel abandonment YTD
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.
€7 million raised for construction logistics
Alrik is building what it describes as the global construction logistics operating system, a connected platform that unites suppliers, merchants, carriers, truck drivers and construction sites. Already a dominant player in the Nordics with customers including Saint-Gobain, Byggmax, Renta, Sonsab, XL-Bygg and Karl Hedin, the startup is now expanding across northern Europe. Construction is a €15 trillion industry, with an estimated 10% of spend tied up in logistics — much of which still relies on manual processes and phone calls. Alrik’s software platform streamlines these operations, offering features such as automated emissions tracking and full invoicing integration. On average, customers report a 25% reduction in logistics costs per delivery. It raised €7M in funding. [BM Magazine]
600kWh battery for 500km range
The freshly signed agreement between Hylane, Daimler Truck and DHL means that DHL will not buy the vehicles, but Hylane will invoice DHL on the basis of actual kilometres driven. For Hylane, the addition of 30 eActros 600s to the fleet marks a targeted expansion of the existing portfolio, previously focused exclusively on fuel cell electric trucks. The Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 from Daimler Truck, which recently won the International Truck of the Year award, has been available for logistics operations since December 2024, boasting 600 kWh battery capacity and a range of around 500 kilometres. The German automotive giant says that intermediate charging during statutory breaks even makes over 1,000 kilometres per day possible. [Electrive]
45 million sqft of vacant new construction space
The US industrial sector is feeling the effects of overbuilding during the pandemic boom, as speculative construction continues to outpace demand, reports Bisnow. Of the 73M SF of industrial space delivered in Q1 2025, 45M SF — or over 61% — came to market without tenants in place, according to Cushman & Wakefield. Spec development made up 71% of new deliveries, pushing the national vacancy rate up by 30 basis points to 7%. Two-thirds of the 83 markets reported rising vacancy. Leasing activity totaled 140M SF during the quarter — a 6.4% drop compared to the same period last year — as occupiers tread carefully amid market uncertainty and shifting trade policies. [CRE Daily]
$18.4 million investment for warehouse inventory tech
Warehouse inventory AI tech startup Kargo closed an $18.4 million strategic investment. Kargo records visual proof of the contents and condition of each pallet in a warehouse to provide accurate and timely inventory data.Kargo Towers and Kargo Lifts at loading docks or other gateways use cameras to record freight labels and product condition. It allows warehouse managers to manage by exception — it highlights the data and will literally send an email to a supervisor, saying, ‘Go check warehouse location B-32. There’s a damaged pallet’. The startup processes $200 million in inventory and 20,000 pallets per day, and 2 million scans per week. Kargo boasts sevenfold customer growth since last year, and includes Wayne Sanderson Farms, Tyson, Lineage, Tillamook, Utz, Aurobindo, DB Schenker and NFI among its more than two dozen accounts. The startup will invest further in AI agents that build workflows on top of its data for finance and supply chain planning. [Axios]
158 cases of vessel abandonment
By May this year, 158 cases of vessel abandonment had been recorded, up from 119 at the same point in 2024. These cases represent more than 1,501 seafarers who have reached out to the ITF for assistance, many of whom were left unpaid, without food, water or access to ports, often for months at a time. In 2024, the ITF and its global network of inspectors recovered more than $58.1 million in unpaid wages for seafarers working on ships running ‘Flag of Convenience’ (FOC) registries that offer minimal oversight and have become a haven for exploitative shipping practices. Of that total, $13.5 million was returned to abandoned seafarers alone. Already in 2025, ITF inspectors have helped recover $4.1 million for seafarers affected by abandonment. But as the number of cases climb, the Federation says it is increasingly concerned by the limits of enforcement. [Marine Link]