Investor directory

Techstars

Techstars Central LLC, founded in 2006 and based in Boulder, Colorado, operates as a startup accelerator and venture capital firm focused on supporting early-stage technology-oriented companies. It specializes in a mentorship-driven accelerator program, selecting ten startups each summer to participate in a three-month incubation period, offering funding of $120,000 in exchange for equity. Techstars invests primarily in sectors such as fintech, artificial intelligence, blockchain, augmented reality, and IoT, while avoiding investments in medical devices, healthcare technology, and local service-oriented businesses. In addition to its primary accelerator, Techstars has various specialized programs, including those focused on music, retail, mobility, and social impact, with global reach extending to regions such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The firm prefers taking minority stakes, typically between six and ten percent, without seeking board representation or investor rights. Techstars has built a robust network of entrepreneurs, mentors, and corporate partners to foster innovation and growth within its portfolio, which includes over 1,000 companies with a significant collective market capitalization.

Focus

Pre Seed RoundSeed RoundArtificial IntelligenceMachine LearningSeries AShow more
http://techstars.com/ventures
https://crunchbase.com/organization/techstars
https://facebook.com/techstars
https://linkedin.com/company/techstars
https://twitter.com/techstars
https://www.capitaliq.com/CIQDotNet/company.aspx?companyId=431767203
https://www.privateequityinternational.com/database/#/profile?id=14977

Ethan Austin

MD of the Techstars Western Union Accelerator

Mark Tortorella

Advisor

Nathanial Zola

MD

Past deals in Transport and logistics

Seasats

Seed Round in 2022
Seasats autonomous ocean vehicles provide remote monitoring and data collection for defense and commercial customers at a fraction of the cost, logistics, and risk compared to traditional methods.

Seasats

Venture Round in 2021
Seasats autonomous ocean vehicles provide remote monitoring and data collection for defense and commercial customers at a fraction of the cost, logistics, and risk compared to traditional methods.

Seasats

Funding Round in 2021
Seasats autonomous ocean vehicles provide remote monitoring and data collection for defense and commercial customers at a fraction of the cost, logistics, and risk compared to traditional methods.

Logixboard

Series A in 2021
Logixboard, Inc. is a Seattle-based company founded in 2016 that offers a cloud platform designed to enhance transparency and communication for freight forwarders. The platform addresses inefficiencies in the $2 trillion freight forwarding industry, where many firms rely on outdated methods such as paper, spreadsheets, and email for tracking shipments. By integrating with existing back-office applications, Logixboard's solution serves as a digital customer engagement layer, enabling freight forwarders to streamline their operations and improve customer service. The platform empowers companies to manage and control their freight operations more effectively, ultimately reducing costs and increasing efficiency in a traditionally low-tech industry.

Pipedream Labs

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Hyperlogistics technology company that is seeking to create an autonomous delivery network capable of sub-minute delivery speeds for consumers.

eTEU

Pre Seed Round in 2021
eTEU is a startup that works on documentation process optimisation and digitalisation in the maritime logistics industry. Our solution allows freight shippers, freight forwarders as well as other members of international supply chain to significantly decrease administrative expenses and to optimise their operations. We achieve this by automating the process of trade documentation drafting, as the result significantly reducing amount of time required to organise a cross border shipment. We also connect different members of international supply chain to the single blockchain based platform, helping to break information silos, and enabling transition from inefficient paper-based documentation to management of shipment in the digital format.

TradeLanes

Seed Round in 2020
TradeLanes is a technology company that automates supply chain for traders, shippers, and merchants. It developed a SaaS platform that brings global trade operations entirely online - from generating the contract to allocating inventory, to booking a shipment, to delivery. Its system allows all parties to collaborate digitally, from one set of data and documents. TradeLanes aims to power frictionless global trade for all. It was founded in 2015 and is based in Oakland, California.

Logixboard

Seed Round in 2019
Logixboard, Inc. is a Seattle-based company founded in 2016 that offers a cloud platform designed to enhance transparency and communication for freight forwarders. The platform addresses inefficiencies in the $2 trillion freight forwarding industry, where many firms rely on outdated methods such as paper, spreadsheets, and email for tracking shipments. By integrating with existing back-office applications, Logixboard's solution serves as a digital customer engagement layer, enabling freight forwarders to streamline their operations and improve customer service. The platform empowers companies to manage and control their freight operations more effectively, ultimately reducing costs and increasing efficiency in a traditionally low-tech industry.

Trackter Systems

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Trackter Systems, Inc. is based in Newnan, Georgia, and operates an online platform that delivers supply chain management solutions. Founded in 2017, the company facilitates connections among buyers, shippers, and logistics partners. Its system automates communication between these stakeholders, streamlining processes to minimize phone calls, emails, and repetitive data entry. This automation aims to enhance efficiency and enable all parties involved to achieve higher profit margins.

Raft

Seed Round in 2018
Raft is a technology company that specializes in transforming logistics and logistics-finance operations. Established in 2017 and based in London, United Kingdom, Raft offers infrastructure and solutions designed to automate processing and enhance decision-making regarding paper collateral. The company aims to simplify international trade, making it more efficient and accessible for businesses. By leveraging its innovative technology, Raft seeks to streamline logistics operations and facilitate better financial management within the sector.

TradeLanes

Pre Seed Round in 2018
TradeLanes is a technology company that automates supply chain for traders, shippers, and merchants. It developed a SaaS platform that brings global trade operations entirely online - from generating the contract to allocating inventory, to booking a shipment, to delivery. Its system allows all parties to collaborate digitally, from one set of data and documents. TradeLanes aims to power frictionless global trade for all. It was founded in 2015 and is based in Oakland, California.

Convey

Series B in 2018
Convey, Inc. develops and provides an Intelligent Fulfillment Platform that helps retailers to predict and adapt to changes in real-time. The company offers Engage, a logistics command center that manages in-transit shipments for retailers; and Discover, a transportation analytics and insights software solution for retailers that combines predictive insights and historical delivery performance reporting. Convey, Inc. was formerly known as Pivot Freight, LLC. The company was incorporated in 2014 and is based in Austin, Texas.

blueflite

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Flugauto is a B2B tech company developing a world-class platform for aerial delivery of industrial cargo for the energy industry. For businesses that want to transport cargo we offer the benefits of a helicopter, speed and access to remote locations, but at the cost of ground transportation. We do this by leveraging our proprietary UAS technology which we provide as a Platform-as-a-Service. This helps companies streamline their material management, reduce costs and carbon emissions associated with logistics, warehousing and unplanned maintenance, as well as reduce the risk of injuries and fatalities.

14bis Supply Tracking

Seed Round in 2018
14bis Supply Tracking helps aerospace and defense supply chain managers reduce the risk of unapproved parts and eliminate the high admin costs caused by the current paper-based documentation practice. We provide transparency and immutable lifecycle provenance tracking and can adapt to any industry ERP platform and tagging mechanism. Selected as Privacy/Security finalist for SXSW2018, winner of the Accenture Innovate Award for Websummit 2017 and featured startup at the Paris Air Show 2017.

HydroIQ

Seed Round in 2017
Hydrologistics Africa is a Technology company providing innovative water distribution network connecting Water Utilities companies and Water Consumers via Online platform increasing efficiency in Water use,Quality,Consumption, leakage detection with sensors relaying information through Data Analytics enabling real-time water information and Mobile money payments.

Convey

Series B in 2017
Convey, Inc. develops and provides an Intelligent Fulfillment Platform that helps retailers to predict and adapt to changes in real-time. The company offers Engage, a logistics command center that manages in-transit shipments for retailers; and Discover, a transportation analytics and insights software solution for retailers that combines predictive insights and historical delivery performance reporting. Convey, Inc. was formerly known as Pivot Freight, LLC. The company was incorporated in 2014 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Envio

Pre Seed Round in 2017
Envio offers a logistics platform that allows brands to deploy rental and a try-before-you-buy services.

Lean Systems

Convertible Note in 2017
Lean Systems provides top-tier optimization for transportation and logistics. They provide cloud-based software that automates and optimizes their scheduling and routing, saving them thousands per month. Instead of spending hours scheduling employees and routing vehicles, transportation companies can send their data to the Lean Systems solver via their API. Their proprietary solver takes into consideration industry- and organization-specific rules, while applying the most advanced optimization available. The problem is solved in minutes, instead of hours, and fully optimized routes and schedules are returned to the client.

Convey

Series A in 2016
Convey, Inc. develops and provides an Intelligent Fulfillment Platform that helps retailers to predict and adapt to changes in real-time. The company offers Engage, a logistics command center that manages in-transit shipments for retailers; and Discover, a transportation analytics and insights software solution for retailers that combines predictive insights and historical delivery performance reporting. Convey, Inc. was formerly known as Pivot Freight, LLC. The company was incorporated in 2014 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Convey

Seed Round in 2015
Convey, Inc. develops and provides an Intelligent Fulfillment Platform that helps retailers to predict and adapt to changes in real-time. The company offers Engage, a logistics command center that manages in-transit shipments for retailers; and Discover, a transportation analytics and insights software solution for retailers that combines predictive insights and historical delivery performance reporting. Convey, Inc. was formerly known as Pivot Freight, LLC. The company was incorporated in 2014 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Convey

Seed Round in 2014
Convey, Inc. develops and provides an Intelligent Fulfillment Platform that helps retailers to predict and adapt to changes in real-time. The company offers Engage, a logistics command center that manages in-transit shipments for retailers; and Discover, a transportation analytics and insights software solution for retailers that combines predictive insights and historical delivery performance reporting. Convey, Inc. was formerly known as Pivot Freight, LLC. The company was incorporated in 2014 and is based in Austin, Texas.