1. uShip.com raises $18M, willgrow transport marketplace inAustralia
uShip.com, the world’s first and largest online transport marketplace, announced $18M in Series C
funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield& Byers. uShip Australialaunched in in 2009, and the company now
plans to renew focus and invest heavily in expanding its presence in the region.
uShipuses a reverse-auction format to help shipping customers easily connect with transportation
companies ranging from one-truck operations to multinational logistics firms. Customers save money
because transporters compete – and transporters are able to make more money on each run by utilizing
empty cargo space. Based in Austin, Texas, uShip now has localized sites in 18 countries across five
continents, with a European office in Amsterdam. uShip transporters are also featured in A&E’s
television show,‘Shipping Wars’, which began airing in Australia shortly after its US premiere.
While uShip is well-established in the US and throughout Europe, the company is just now focusing on
really building momentum in Australia. "We’ve always seen Australia as a great opportunity," says
Shawn Bose, uShip Vice President and GM of Global Business. "The fact that English is the native
language certainly makes the transition a little easier – but it’s still a wholly unique market, so we have
to treat it as such and adapt accordingly." Initial efforts have focused on search marketing and learning
from early adopters.
Australia's transportation industry is characterized by long-distance hauls, which makes logistical
planning a vital need for all transporters. "There are some extremely remote locations that must be
reached within Australia – and the country itself is remote when you start looking at international
shipping" says Bose. "We hope that uShip will be able to make those distances a little less daunting."
uShip plans to put a portion of the funding directly into Australia. Funds earmarked for development of
the core business also should help spark growth in the region. In addition to building out its commercial
shipping platform, uShip plans to invest heavily in its mobile application, key in a market where such a
large part of the populationhas access to the internet from their phones. For transporters who are
constantly on the road, mobile access is critical in allowing them to find their next load with little to no
downtime.
About uShip
uShip.com is the world’s largest and most trusted transportation marketplace primarily serving the
freight, household goods and vehicle shipping markets. Consumers and businesses can compare and
book upfront quotes, name their own price or receive auction-style bids from thousands of customer-
reviewed Transportation Service Providers, ranging from independent owner-operators to the largest
freight carriers and brokers. uShip launched in 2004 and is based in Austin, Texas.
http://www.uship.com/au/.
About KPCB
Kleiner Perkins Caufield& Byers has backed entrepreneurs in more than 500 ventures leading to 150
IPOs, 350,000 jobs and a deep strategic network. The firm invests in all stages from seed and incubation
to growth companies, and has helped build pioneering companies like Amazon, Google, Intuit,
Symantec, and WebMD. KPCB operates from offices in Menlo Park, San Francisco, Shanghai and Beijing.
http://www.kpcb.com.
Contact:
uShip
Dean Jutilla,650-814-3854
dean@uship.com