In 2018, Matt Lafferty and Brian Gonzalez co-founded Curri, a tech platform focused on last-mile logistics for the construction industry. Their goal, they say, was to help customers, specifically distributors, save on operational costs and convert more sales — solving inefficiencies in construction along the way.
“Curri provides last-mile logistics for construction and industrial supplies,” Lafferty told TechCrunch via email. “By offering end-to-end logistics services and a nationwide elastic fleet, our customers can quickly and securely deliver complex loads ranging from heavy machinery to lighter loads such as pipes, pallets, large appliances and water heaters.”
Investors are evidently drawn to the concept, pouring $42 million into Curri’s Series B round that closed recently. (Bessemer Venture Partners led with participation from Initialized Capital, Brick & Mortar Ventures, Rainfall Ventures and others.) To date, Curri has raised $48.2 million in venture capital, which Lafferty says is being put toward product development, infrastructure and sales and marketing initiatives.
At a high level, Curri delivers on-demand, last-mile logistics for construction with a nationwide fleet of cars, trucks and flatbeds. Curri users arrange an order, open the Curri app and enter pickup and drop-off locations to book the service. Curri’s drivers then pick up the supplies and ensure the order is correct before fulfilling the delivery.
Curri’s dashboard, where customers can track and manage delivery jobs in real time. Image Credits: Curri
Curri offers live updates via the app to let customers follow and share the status of their deliveries. It also provides proof-of-delivery signature and photos for tracking and compliance purposes.
There are countless startups attempting to tackle the last-mile logistics problem, either from the software side, fleet side or both. For example, Fez Delivery, based in Lagos, operates on-demand hubs across Nigeria. Elsewhere, there’s HyperTrack, a startup creating APIs for freight order planning, assignment and tracking. Not to be outdone, Treggo is developing tech to make it easier for merchants to provide an Amazon-like service for their customers.
Curri’s focus on the construction industry sets it apart, Lafferty asserts, along with its ambitious product roadmap. The platform recently launched an API that allows companies to book vehicles on demand, from their tooling of choice, and plan routes that (in theory) reduce the number of unnecessary miles on the road.
Lafferty claims that Curri, which has a 110-person workforce, now accounts for “tens of thousands” of factors in matching orders with more than seven million delivery providers “within minutes.” Current customers include Sherwin-Williams, Johnstone Supply and United Rentals.
“The Curri platform provides unprecedented visibility into all aspects of the last mile supply chain, from real-time tracking to historical analytics and reporting, segmented down to the branch and customer level, giving the C-Suite the level of insight that they need to manage their business effectively,” Lafferty continued. “Macroeconomic headwinds and uncertainty only help Curri since we help our customers save money, increase sales, and reduce risk. Curri has grown revenue over the last year and has a line of sight to profitability.”
Curri nabs $42M for its construction-focused last-mile logistics platform by Kyle Wiggers originally published on TechCrunch
