Fin
Setting the Scene
Urban areas face significant logistical challenges in transporting goods due to:
Rising Demand: Online shopping has led to higher parcel volumes, overwhelming traditional delivery systems.
Congestion: Traditional delivery methods contribute to urban traffic congestion, slowing down delivery times.
Environmental Concerns: Conventional vehicles emit pollutants, worsening air quality.
Regulatory Pressures: Governments are imposing stricter emissions regulations and traffic limitations.
This week’s company revolutionizes urban parcel delivery with e-cargo bikes and electric vans, while using AI to reduce congestion, pollution, and delivery times.
In a Sentence
Fin is a logistics company that reduces urban delivery congestion by leveraging eco-friendly vehicles and AI-optimized routes.
Delivery Vehicles: Fin’s fleet includes zero-emission e-cargo bikes and electric vans that brands hire for their delivery needs.
AI Routes: Fin’s proprietary AI technology calculates the most efficient delivery paths, considering real-time traffic, weather, and urban layout.
Bulleted Version:
- Similar to how Uber Eats uses bikes in urban areas for efficient and green food delivery, Fin uses e-cargo bikes and electric vans with AI-optimized routes to provide faster, greener, and more efficient parcel deliveries for brands.
The Basics
- Headquarters: London, UK
- Employee Count: 15 and 120 riders and drivers
- Investors:
MaC Ventures, ProChain Ventures, Ascension Ventures, Blank Capital, numerous angels
- Funding amount: $3.1M
- Business model: B2B service with plans to license their proprietary AI-optimized routing software to other logistics companies
- Early traction: $1.9M in (contracted but not yet realized) MRR, 3000-4000 parcels delivered daily, deals with TikTok Shop, Charlotte Tilbury Makeup, Supreme, Ikea, and Molton Brown
Due Dilligence
WHAT WE LIKE
Market Size: The last mile delivery market is expected to grow from $18.3 billion in 2022 to $35.3 billion by 2029, positioning Fin to capitalize on this growth with its eco-friendly and efficient delivery model.
Expansion Plans: Fin plans to license its proprietary AI-optimized routing technology to other logistics companies after establishing a strong presence in the UK, positioning them to scale rapidly without the capital and operational burden of managing a global delivery fleet.
Environmental Impact: Commercial vehicles account for 19% of the overall miles driven in London but emit 30% of the city's transport-related CO2.
Fin's use of e-cargo bikes and electric vans reduce emissions and traffic congestion, contributing to a safer and cleaner urban environment.
POTENTIAL RISKS
International Expansion Success in the UK does not guarantee the company will find success in other markets like the United States.
Regulatory: Fin could face regulatory hurdles that impact its operations, as it must adhere to varying city guidelines and regulations.
Unproven Software Model: Fin’s hardware isn't highly defensible, and while the company plans to license its AI-optimized routing technology to other logistics companies, there is no proven implementation beta yet.
Founder Profiles
Rich Pleeth, CEO: Formerly with L’Oreal, Google, Gett, and Bolt, with extensive experience in marketing and operations within the mobility sector.
Chris Sargeant, COO: Previously at REEF’s European operations and co-founded a virtual brand company.
Comps
Hived: Backed by Everywhere Ventures, Pale Blue Dot, Planet A Ventures, and others.
Packfleet: Backed by General Catalyst, Voyager Ventures, and Creandum, and others.
Zedify: Backed by Green Angel Ventures, Barclays Ventures, Mercia Ventures, and others.
Why Fin
By specializing in eco-friendly urban logistics using AI-optimized e-cargo bikes and electric vans, and setting itself apart from competitors by combining sustainability with cutting-edge technology, Fin is delivering a greener future, one parcel at a time.