Shell invests in InstaFreight.
Berlin, 14th January 2020 – Shell and digital freight forwarding company InstaFreight are
partnering to transform the European freight market. After successfully raising an investment
from Shell’s corporate venturing arm, Shell Ventures, InstaFreight will be working together
with Shell to expand their digital services to carrier companies in Europe. This investment
and new partnership will help InstaFreight to accelerate its mission to digitalize the road
freight space and transform the freight market.
InstaFreight is the next generation freight forwarding company for road freight in Europe.
The company excels by making use of digitalization to optimize processes and increase information
transparency. The company thereby simplifies the freight forwarding business and focuses on
providing practical benefits to shippers and carriers. Contrary to the still largely analogue
processes and communication channels found in the freight forwarding industry, InstaFreight
offers their commercial customers a digital experience that allows for a fast and convenient
booking of transports. At the same time, they enhance transparency via track & trace and make
logistics more efficient for both shippers and carriers. Through the digitalization of the
forwarding business, the Berlin-based company can provide operational visibility and data for
continuous process optimization and offer fleet carriers a convenient way to receive the right
business, track their vehicles as they transport goods around Europe, and get paid fast and reliably.
With its global fuel card, Shell gives its carriers instant and ongoing access to a range of
outstanding fuels, mobility products and business services across the world's largest fuel retail
network. The company aims to build a relationship with its customers by learning about their fleet
management problems and then providing solutions for issues related to safety, maintenance, and
fuel consumption using telematics, mobility services, and others.
“Our carriers who use the Shell fuel card are facing increasing expectations by their customers
regarding digital capabilities. At the same time they are operating in a market with tight
margins. By partnering with InstaFreight, we can help provide our carriers to optimize their
utilization, increase their profitability and give them the real-time transparency their customers
expect,” says Parminder Kohli, General Manager Business Development Shell Fleet Solutions.
Jermaine Saaltink, Venture Principal at Shell Ventures adds: “We invest in start-ups with technologies
and business models that have a potential to disrupt markets and provide better solutions for customers.
We have been impressed by InstaFreight’s management team and the traction the company has achieved in
the market in a short amount of time. We look forward to working together with them and be part of their continued success.”
Thus, the cooperation goes beyond a mere investment. InstaFreight and Shell will work closely together
to develop the best possible service for their customers. It offers both partners the opportunity to work
together to develop new mobility solutions and services as well as to enhance and scale existing transport
solutions. As such, Shell and InstaFreight plan to make use of the synergies and foster growth of freight
brokerage across international markets.
About Shell Ventures
Shell Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Royal Dutch Shell plc (“Shell”). With major offices in
Europe, the USA, India and China, Shell Ventures invests in innovative technology companies, business models
and growth plays to further the development of energy solutions and new technologies that have the potential to
create substantial deployment value in Shell. Continuing Shell’s tradition in venture capital since 1998, Shell
Ventures focuses on investments within oil and gas (including chemicals), renewable power systems (including solar,
wind, connected energy and storage), new fuels for transport (including hydrogen and biofuels), mobility solutions
(including e-mobility, connected mobility and freight) and digital innovations where relevant to energy. Shell Ventures
co- invests with other corporate investors and venture capital funds and will invest in both early stage and late stage
(growth capital) companies. For more information, visit www.shell.com/shell-ventures
Contact
InstaFreight is a leading digital forwarding company for road freight in Europe. Founded in 2016, the company employs more than 100 people across Europe and carries out several thousand transports per week. InstaFreight combines the transport capacity of more than 12,000 carriers in one digital platform and gives shippers access to this capacity. Through digital innovations, the Berlin-based start-up creates transparency and efficiency within the transport process.
InstaFreight offers shippers an end-to-end digital solution for their transport needs. This ranges from quoting, booking and track & trace including automatic notifications to digital document management. Shippers thus benefit from efficient processes that save time and money as well as a transparent supply chain. With InstaFreight, carriers can meet the digital needs of shippers, optimize their capacity utilization, and are paid faster with more attractive rates.