If you’re a retailer and want to scale your business beyond the mom and pop level, you’re going to need some help. Today, we’re focusing on companies innovating to make growth more attainable.
Get it to me: Pandion, a parcel delivery network, announced a $41.5 million Series B last week that it will use for new tech, expanding geographically, reducing delivery times, and growing its leadership team.
Pandion helps retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue manage packages by picking them up at fulfillment centers, sorting them, and completing last-mile delivery.
Right now, Pandion, which specializes in residential e-commerce delivery, reaches more than 80% of homes in the US and owns sortation centers near Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, and Philadelphia—with more planned.
“With this new funding and the expansion of our leadership team, Pandion is positioned to disrupt e-commerce delivery for brands of all sizes,” CEO Scott Ruffin said in a statement.
Below the surface: Peachtree Corners, Georgia, one of the country’s first smart cities, teamed up with Pipedream to launch “the world's first below-ground autonomous robot delivery system.” Curiosity Lab operates the smart city, and the nearly one-mile underground installation connects a shopping center to Curiosity Lab’s innovation center.
Pipedream’s logistics network integrates physical infrastructure and uses delivery robots to transport food, packages, groceries, and goods to city residents and businesses.
“Underground delivery feels like something just teleported into your living room, and thanks to the leadership of Peachtree Corners in pushing forward and implementing smart city world-first technologies and infrastructure, this is a reality today,” Pipedream CEO Garrett McCurrach said in a statement.
Let’s be sociable: Social commerce startup Fermat raised a $17 million Series A earlier this month, and is using the money to expand its end-to-end shopping platform to more users. Fermat uses AI and machine learning to create a personalized customer experience ‘when shoppers engage with a brand on social, email, or SMS,” the company said.
Fermat believes brands lean too heavily on a “one-size-fits-all” approach to bring customers into the fold.
“Privacy has forever changed customer acquisition online into a world where unique, one-to-one journeys are no longer a nice-to-have but a necessity in order to engage consumers online," Fermat co-founder and CEO Rishabh Jain said in a statement.