Outsourcing: is it growing, shrinking, or transforming? In 1990, Hamel and Prahalad published an article in Harvard Business Review called The Core Competence of the Corporation. It argued that companies should outsource their non-core services, because, in the words of Jack Welch, "Your back office is someone else's front office." This article helped to usher in an [...]
It was a pleasure to talk about logistics, supply chain technology, the deal environment, and Ukraine in this interview with Matthew Leffler, the Armchair Attorney. We had a wide-ranging discussion about the industry, how investors are looking at the supply chain sector, and more. Please see below for the video of our interview! -Benjamin Gordon, [...]
How can we make sense of the volatile changes in our supply chains this year, and what should we expect going forward? For excellent insights, we can turn to Harvard Business School Professor Willy Shih. Willy just published a thoughtful article in the The Wall Street Journal on the seven principles of today's supply chain. To summarize: 1. Today's [...]
The Ukraine Logistics Coalition (ULC) is focused on protecting Ukraine by maximizing the inflow of food, medicine, and vital supplies. To that end, it was terrific to see Ukraine Ambassador Oksana Markarova at the YPO Global Diplomacy Network conference in DC. We talked about how to help rebuild Ukraine and strengthen its supply chains. The [...]
Many people have asked me why Ukraine matters. What is it about Russia's invasion that impelled me to get involved, and why should you care? First, I believe we have a moral obligation to help the innocent people of Ukraine. Second, having bought a logistics company with employees in Ukraine, I wanted to do everything [...]
Today, GreenScreens.ai announced the closing of an investment to accelerate their growth in predictive pricing and advanced analytics. The round was led by Tiger Global, with participation from Cambridge Capital, Flyer One Ventures, Navigate Ventures, Jones Capital, Red Door Capital, Overton Venture Capital, Operator Stack Fund, and Refashiond Ventures. More than capital, this investment represents [...]
The technology world has seen a battle between walled-garden and open source models. Apple created a closed-loop ecosystem where it tightly controlled the customer experience. On the other hand, Google challenged the status quo with an open-source network that brought in a broad range of partners. In logistics, we are seeing a similar battle emerge. On the one side, [...]
Last-mile logistics is growing rapidly in the US. This surge has fueled growth for giants like UPS and FedEx, as well as last-mile logistics specialists like USPack and LaserShip, and technology leaders like Bringg. And it has been fueling acquisitions, such as the Target acquisition of Deliv. But what about Latin America? $11 billion has been invested globally in last-mile logistics this decade, but Latin [...]
JD Logistics is planning to raise $3.4 billion in an IPO. Three issues that stand out: First, JD attracted a world-class network of largely US-based investments banks, including Bank of America and Goldman Sachs. Nevertheless, they chose the Hong Kong exchange for their listing. This reflects the fact that Chinese and US markets are increasingly separating from one another. [...]
Cambridge Capital recently decided to invest $20 million in ReverseLogix, a reverse logistics SaaS company. We've received a lot of interest from other logistics technology companies, as well as retailers and brands seeking a partner to manage their returns. So I thought it might help to explain our reasoning for making this decision, and sharing [...]
