The B2B marketplace for empty space in trucks Quicargo received a 450.000 euro seed investment from Hebo Investments (investment arm of Dutch transport company H&S Group) and several private investors.
Amsterdam-based Quicargo, founded by Israeli CEO Avishai Trabelsi, is one of the participants in the Startupbootcamp Smart City & Living accelerator programme.
According to business newspaper FD (link’s in Dutch) Quicargo is on the verge of testing its platform with a thousand trucks.
Trust issues
Biggest challenge for the transport startup is trust. Transport companies aren’t so keen on sharing data with competitors – something that is needed for the marketplace to succeed in terms of supply and demand.
For Trabelsi, that isn’t the real issue. “Empty trucks are a problem for every company. Extra cargo, in a sector working with profit margins of 0-1.5 %, can make the difference between profit or loss”, he said in the article.
Of course, Quicargo isn’t the only company in the world working on this. The CEO’s background (he’s from a trucking family) sure will help to stand out.
Image: JethroHardeman @ Pixabay