An Australian start-up, funded by muru-D, has been nominated in the OzApp Awards shortlist, with a chance to win a US$100,000 prize. FreightExchange, a digital marketplace for freight transporters to sell their unused capacity to businesses that need to ship goods, has been growing after receiving funding from Telstra-backed innovation investor muru-D.
muru-D’s initial $40,000 capital investment was made in return for a six per cent equity in the startup. New enterprises involved in the scheme get a period of business training and mentoring from the company, based in the Sydney suburb of Paddington.
FreightExchange is one of the 20 startups named as a finalist in this year’s OzApp Awards. Each finalist will receive $24,000 worth of hosting, education, mentoring and marketing support, along with six months free service from social media enterprises Hootsuite Pro and Hootsuite University.
The top five contestants get to pitch their business ideas to a panel of experts and venture capitalists at the West Tech Fest on February 18 for the chance of winning the top prize of $US100,000.
Freight Exchange is based in Sydney with the intention of offering an online interface for shippers wishing to move freight in spare capacity on trucks, trains and planes. The operation concentrates on long-haul trucking on the East coast of Australia, offering real time tracking of freight
Freight Exchange claims it offers a quick online answer to freight enquiries for the customer, able to get back to a potential freight customer with quotes and timelines within minutes. The founders are already developing relationships with truck operators of varying sizes. The system is currently running under a pilot program, testing processes and the real-time tracking.