Logistics Launchpads: Tech accelerators foster air cargo innovation

The next generation

Right now, the eight chosen companies in the first RocketSpace accelerator project are in the middle of their five-week curriculum of intensive study and will move toward pilot testing of their concepts by the middle of this month. Meanwhile, the four companies in the second-annual EPIcenter Accelerator cohort have until the middle of August to complete their projects.

“Last year, we had a very broad call for logistics ideas,” said EPIcenter’s Smith. “This year, we got a more refined set of business proposals. We’re seeing a lot of emphasis now on [less-than-truckload], last-mile innovation and how do we get away from GPS-based navigation, since it does not do particularly well in an urban-core environment. They’re asking themselves, how do we disrupt Amazon and PayPal?”

Harrell, who graduated from the 2015 EPIcenter cohort, is proof that there is life after accelerator projects. Since last year, OneClickShip has changed its name to TradeLanes, and is now in growth mode. “Our product is live with private beta customers,” he said. “We raised an angel round of funding in March 2016, and we secured enough to reach profitability and to grow our team.”

Accelerators, Harrell said, can have a bright future in the logistics business. “It can be argued that supply chain logistics is the most important market in today’s economy,” he said. “It’s important for entrepreneurs to have the right advisors, mentors and experts around them. Even for entrepreneurs with a logistics background, accelerators can teach them things about product and customer development that are tough to learn anywhere else.”

Depending on the results this fall, Lufthansa Cargo’s Wiederhold said she expects to see more logistics accelerators in the future. “What’s innovative is that it’s not a competition – it’s all about collaborating openly and focusing on different fields. This will be a journey for us, and we are very excited to be taking part.

Back to Top  |  See Sidebar on 2016 Startups