New York-based logistics startup Nuvocargo is doubling down on artificial intelligence with its recent acquisition of Mentum, a Y Combinator–backed startup that builds AI agents to automate procurement and supply chain workflows.
The deal brings San Francisco-based Mentum’s founder Gustavo Trigos and team into Nuvocargo’s research and development organization to help accelerate AI-driven automation inside NuvoOS, the company’s proprietary transportation management system for North American freight.
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Chhugani said the partnership came together quickly after the two startups recognized overlapping goals around how large-language-model (LLM) agents could eliminate manual tasks across supply chain operations.
“We started conversations in August and closed in early October — it was reasonably quick,” Chhugani told FreightWaves in an interview. “We built a really good bond with Gustavo, took a look at the technology they’d built, and realized we were targeting similar customers and workflows. It just made sense to bring them into our ecosystem.”
Chhugani said Trigos is a “very unique breed of founder.”
“Gustavo grew up across multiple countries in Latin America, worked as a data scientist, has been building fintech and AI products in San Francisco, and carries the same YC DNA that runs through Nuvocargo,” Chhugani said. “He’s multilingual, deeply understands the intersection of agents and supply chain, and has been building technology that’s extremely relevant to our roadmap and our vision for how AI will reshape the future of logistics.”
Founded in 2021, Mentum joined Y Combinator’s summer cohort that same year. The prestigious startup accelerator also backed Nuvocargo in 2018, providing seed funding for its initial launch and early product development.
The two startups’ shared Y Combinator DNA — emphasizing speed, experimentation, and technical innovation — helped set the foundation for their partnership.
“When Deepak and the Nuvocargo team approached us, it was clear we shared the same vision for how AI can transform supply chains,” Trigos said in a statement. “We’re excited to bring our expertise together and tackle various complex technical challenges in logistics, across visibility, compliance, financing, pricing optimization, payments orchestration and more.”
AI agents for every step of the load
Nuvocargo’s NuvoOS platform has evolved into an AI-native system capable of handling virtually any type of freight move in North America — cross-border, domestic, truckload, less-than-truckload, and even refrigerated or multi-stop shipments. The next phase, Chhugani said, is deploying AI agents across specific stages of the logistics lifecycle.
“There are steps where it makes sense to deploy an AI agent — scheduling appointments, negotiating with carriers to bring freight rates down, activating GPS tracking, or validating proof of delivery,” he said. “The Mentum team really understood these agent-based workflows, especially in email and messaging environments, and that experience is going to accelerate our roadmap.”
By integrating Mentum’s expertise, Nuvocargo aims to automate repetitive back-office functions, freeing staff to focus on exceptions, compliance, and relationship management.
“Mentum’s learnings on building agents in email or WhatsApp are going to help reduce administrative burdens and cycle times,” Chhugani added. “Everything we build at Nuvocargo and NuvoOS is to reduce the cost to service a load — so we can pass those savings on to customers while giving them better visibility and data to make decisions.”
Boosting cross-border efficiency
For shippers and carriers operating between the U.S. and Mexico, Chhugani said the benefits will be tangible: faster communication, fewer manual bottlenecks, and smarter automation layered onto customs and freight workflows.
“NuvoOS already provides transparency and visibility,” he said. “But there are still manual workflows where AI agents can make a difference — and that’s especially valuable in cross-border trade, where there’s more documentation and compliance to manage.”
Human oversight still central
Despite his enthusiasm for AI, Chhugani said that human oversight remains essential.
“We really believe in having a human in the loop who oversees exceptions and approves key things,” Chhugani said. “AI can automate so much, but the combination of agents and human operators is what will define the next generation of logistics.”
