Nippon Express and Isuzu Among Big Players Supporting Gatik
Specialising in the often-overlooked routes between distribution centres, fulfilment centres and retail locations, Gatik addresses critical challenges like driver shortages and supply chain inefficiencies in a bid to achieve faster deliveries and reduced costs.
The firm, founded in Silicon Valley by veterans of the autonomous technology industry in 2017, has quickly established itself as a leader in autonomous middle-mile logistics.
Unsurprisingly, numerous important heads have been turning as Gatik’s impressive growth trajectory continues, with the latest being that of the Nippon Express Group (NX Group).
A strategic investment from the global logistics giant looks set to further strengthen Gatik’s position in the North American logistics landscape, accelerating the deployment of its autonomous technology across the region.
“Our investment partnership with NX Group is a testament to the impact we’re making in North America and the confidence of global partners in our ability to meet the evolving needs of our customers,” comments Gautam Narang, CEO and Co-Founder of Gatik.
Gatik: An autonomous logistics pioneer
Since its inception seven years ago, Gatik has been at the forefront of the autonomous logistics industry, pioneering the use of autonomous vehicles (AVs) for middle-mile deliveries and achieving the world’s first fully-autonomous deliveries with Walmart in 2021.
Further Fortune 500 customers include Tyson Foods and the retail powerhouse Kroger.
By focusing on shorter, fixed and repeatable routes, Gatik has commercialised its autonomous technology at a faster pace than long-haul solutions, which face more significant regulatory hurdles and unpredictable driving conditions.
This focus on middle-mile logistics provides Gatik with a unique competitive advantage, enabling quicker deployment of its technologies, reducing time to market and effectively addressing the challenges of the logistics sector.
NX Group investment follows ITOCHU and Isuzu
Gatik’s momentum continues to build as the company leverages a series of strategic investment partnerships to solidify its leadership in the middle-mile segment of supply chain.
With its autonomous transportation network already operating successfully in regions such as Texas and Arkansas in the US, as well as Ontario in Canada, Gatik is well on the way towards reshaping the North American logistics landscape.
NX Group’s strategic investment comes hot on the heels of similar commitments from ITOCHU and Isuzu Motors, further accelerating Gatik’s transformation goals and underscoring industry confidence in its safe, transparent and regulator-approved approach to middle-mile autonomy.
“Middle-mile autonomy is undoubtedly the first application in autonomous trucking to achieve scale in commercial applications,” adds Gautam.
“It’s also critical for solving the most pressing logistics issues businesses are facing today, ensuring faster deliveries, addressing growing labour shortages, reducing costs and meeting the rising demand for goods in this era of rapid e-commerce growth.”
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