ZIM announced today, February 27, 2019, that it has made a direct investment in the technology company, Ladingo, which just closed a $1M funding round. ZIM opted to invest in Ladingo as a strategic move, as the tech company is positioned to lead a global consumer revolution by enabling personal importation of large and bulky items to shoppers purchasing from international online-shops. Ladingo’s technological platform offers a transparent digital integration of the entire process.
Today, nearly all B2C e-commerce purchases, estimated at 2.5 trillion dollars annualy, are shipped via air freight. The disadvantage of air freight is its weight and size limitations, which prevents items from being shipped at a reasonable cost.
The price obstacle and regulatory requirements limit the variety of products that online shops can sell to international customers. In view of recent dramatic developments in retail logistics, both ZIM and Ladingo sought to provide a technological solution to the complex logistical world of ocean freight. They did so, believing that connecting such a solution to the world of e-commerce would at last enable retailers to sell all their products online, including their large and bulky items, with relatively low shipping costs.
Ladingo, founded in January of 2018 by Hagar Valiano Rips, Ruth Reiner and Guy Levi, is the world’s first company to offer a comprehensive solution to online shops selling large and bulky items such as furniture, bicycles, fitness equipment, garden equipment, electronics and more – directly from overseas retailers or manufacturers to the shoppers’ door. In implementing its container-sharing solution for end shoppers, Ladingo can dramatically reduce shipping costs. Shoppers can now buy any size product online from any location in the world, just as easily as they’d buy an iPhone cover from Ali Express.
Assaf Tiran, VP of Global Customer Service at ZIM, also responsible for the company’s digital solutions field: “We believe that innovation and creative ideas will define the future of the logistics industry, especially that of maritime shipping. Our support and investment in Ladingo is part of the greater ZIM vision, one of openness and the promotion of technological innovation in all aspects of our operations. We see tremendous potential in Ladingos’ platform, providing a real breakthrough simplifying the complex supply chain process all the way to the end-users’ homes. We believe that developments like Ladingo will lead to a significant change in global trade. ZIM strives to be a leader in the promotion of these processes.”
Hagar Valiano Rips, CEO of Ladingo: “We are proud and pleased that ZIM, a leader standing at the forefront of global logistics, has invested in us. Ladingo will lead significant change in the world of e-commerce fulfillment.” Rips added that, “When it comes to the revolution we are leading, item location, size and weight have no significance, and there is no longer a need for inventory. Looking a couple of years ahead, we will all buy directly from sellers or manufacturers abroad – without any intermediaries. This is the manifestation of a true global e-commerce revolution. ZIM is not only investing in Ladingo’s technology, they are engaging in a fully synergistic investment, one that will lead to a revolution within the B2C world.”
