Richmond-based delivery technology platform UniUni recently raised $20 million in Series B financing from Celtic House Venture Partners, Freshwave Capital, and others to power its logistics platform that leverages the gig economy to optimize what the industry refers to as “last-mile delivery.”
Across many forms of transportation, such as public transit, the so-called last mile proves a challenging problem to solve. Parcel delivery from rising e-commerce activity is no exception.
Rapidly growing UniUni is targeting this area, evolving during the pandemic from an original focus on meal delivery.
As far as the capital goes, the company plans to fund anticipated growth through three more tranches for its Series B round by the end of the year, founder and CEO Peter Lu informed TechCrunch.
Lu told TC his goal is to have UniUni hit the famed $1 billion “unicorn” status by 2025.
Today, UniUni appears well on its way to achieving the mystical horn. The startup boasts more than 6,000 drivers across Canada, plus a growing armada in the US, where it recently started operating.
Late last year, UniUni established a significant partnership with DHLink, a smart logistics firm based in China.
As part of the agreement, DHLink and UniUni joined forces to deliver expanded value to DHgate customers by managing cross-border shipments with professional logistics management, last-mile delivery solutions, as well as related professional services in Canada.
“Our mission is to facilitate global commerce and realize the entrepreneurial dreams of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises,” stated Oliver Wan, Head of DHLink. “Our partnership with UniUni will further expand our global coverage and optimize our logistics services.”
DHgate is a player in providing solutions for businesses at the front line of digital trade and cross-border e-commerce. UniUni, meanwhile, will help in delivering products to customers for DHgate’s 2.4 million suppliers across China and other markets, and expand DHgate’s distribution business for local sellers in Canada.
“DHgate and UniUni share the belief that micro, small and medium-sized businesses are essential to the post-pandemic global recovery,” said Lu in a statement. “The DHgate-UniUni collaboration offers benefits to these businesses, giving them access to the tools they need to compete, grow, and prosper.”
The company is confident it will soon handle 200,000 packages per day, according to TechCrunch—and be profitable while doing so.
“We offer the most reliable, cost-effective, and positive shipping experience for our customers while ensuring workers and drivers are being paid fairly,” UniUni states online. “Our technology-powered services seamlessly connect e-commerce applications to our delivery network which is continuing to expand.”
The company powers last-mile deliveries for various retail platforms including Chinese commerce titan Shein.
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