German Supply Chain Platform TradeLink Nets $12.6M in Series A Funding

TradeLink, the supply chain optimization platform that streamlines warehouse operations, announced that it had secured €12 million (about $12.6 million) in Series A funding.

The Munich-based startup positions its platform as an alternative to clunky and time-consuming manual logistics management by automating the coordination of deliveries between relevant stakeholders. By allowing partners to book their own delivery slots and synchronizing all information in real-time, TradeLink eliminates bottlenecks and gives managers access to key data in a single place.

Delivering its services using a SaaS model, the company also provides a range of reporting and data tools that can create greater oversight and transparency into complicated supply chains and logistics networks.

As TradeLink CEO and Co-founder Frederic Krahforst explained: “[the company] was grown out of the feedback provided by people who struggle with logistics operations day in and day out. Logistics and warehouse operations professionals want a solution that fits intuitively, quickly, and pragmatically into their everyday work — which is what we took to heart”.

Insight Partners led the funding. Insight was joined by existing investors, Point Nine, Fly Ventures and the angel investors Alexander Doll (former CFO of Deutsche Bahn), David Nothacker (CEO of Sennder), Alex Hersham (CEO of Zencargo) and Stephan Kniewasser (former CEO of Transporeon, TeamViewer).

In a statement, Insight Partners Vice President Michael Shephard said, “TradeLink has created a digital solution that identifies inefficiencies and process breakdowns in supply chains, saving customers time and money. With its intuitive workflow tooling and analytics targeted at warehouse operators, TradeLink solves a critical communications gap between buyers and other supply chain stakeholders”.

With brands including Sportscheck, Outfittery, Internetstores, Denner AG (Migros Group), Debatin, and SCHOTT already using using the platform to orchestrate their logistics, TradeLink will use the injection of capital to scale its sales and marketing operations and grow its customer base.