Whitepaper: TransportTech venture capital trending hot

Freight.Tech—FreightWaves’ innovation engagement platform—conducted a study mapping trends in TransportTech venture capital investment over the past five years, beginning in 2014, to learn more about how the sector has evolved. The rapid growth in investment resembles the Fintech sector from 2006-10, but TransportTech is still an understudied and less well understood field for venture investment. 

When it comes to initiating and running a startup, funding is top in founders’ minds. Over half of all inquiries to Freight.Tech come from startups seeking institutional funding. While there are many crucial considerations to be made from the start, it’s no surprise that funding is top of mind. After all, in many respects it’s the lifeblood of an organization’s ability to achieve optimal results in a competitive industry in which margins are often tight. But should it be?

“The logistics and transportation industry is very complex, so it’s important to understand the problem you are solving better than anybody else. Having the right mix of talent in place from the beginning will give you the strongest advantage. Capital will follow talent,” says Jake Medwell, co-founder and partner at 8VC.

With the industry undergoing extreme growth, it should come as no surprise that TransportTech is one of the hottest spaces in venture capital. If 2014-2017 were exciting years, 2018 in particular has been a breakout year for venture capital investment in TransportTech startups. Year to date, VC funds, strategics, and accelerators have poured $3B into TransportTech companies, a 24x increase from 2014’s $121M in VC money raised.

How to interpret our findings? Fill in your name below, and check out the hottest whitepaper in TransportTech.

Download the TransportTech whitepaper using the form below:

exc-5bd0e1bef4e1fc957fc52fb2
Upcoming FreightWaves Events
Fraud & Security

Freight Fraud Symposium

Double brokering. AI deepfakes. Identity theft. Freight fraud is an existential threat to the industry. Get ahead of it.

May 20, 2026
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame • Cleveland, OH
Register Now
AI & Technology

Supply Chain AI Symposium

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

July 15, 2026
The Old Post Office • Chicago, IL
Register Now
Rail & Policy

Future of Rail Symposium

Reshoring is rewriting freight demand. Join shippers, rail executives, and government officials to shape the next decade.

July 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
Fraud & Security Freight Fraud Symposium May 20 • Cleveland, OH

Double brokering. AI deepfakes. Identity theft. Freight fraud is an existential threat to the industry. Get ahead of it.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame • Cleveland, OH Register Now
AI & Technology Supply Chain AI Symposium Jul 15 • Chicago, IL

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

The Old Post Office • Chicago, IL Register Now
Rail & Policy Future of Rail Symposium Jul 28 • Chattanooga, TN

Reshoring is rewriting freight demand. Join shippers, rail executives, and government officials to shape the next decade.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now