The consulting and startup incubation firm Rainmakers has acquired the on-demand delivery and logistics technology company Shipsi from Auctane, which provides shipping and fulfillment solutions.
Shipsi says its technology gives retailers the power to offer same-day shipping by mobilizing last-mile networks to deliver goods. That allows small stores to compete with retail giants by providing two-hour delivery services, the firm says.
Through its acquisition, Shipsi now plans to augment that system by adding artificial intelligence (AI) to its platform. Specifically, by combining AI with dark warehousing strategies, the new management team aims to expand Shipsi's geographic reach and further reduce delivery times, even in areas outside major metropolitan centers.
"Final mile instant delivery is one of the most interesting and largely untapped areas in e-commerce and retail today,” Rye Akervik, the CEO of Shipsi, said in a release. “We've seen our partner retailers boost their sales by an average of 18% - a clear indicator that consumers are hungry for the kind of instant gratification that, until now, only a few retailers could provide. With Rainmakers' AI expertise, we're not just leveling the playing field; we're changing the game entirely."
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the partners said that Shipsi will remain integrated with products and services from Auctane, a global logistics giant that processes $200 billion worth of transactions across 3 billion shipments annually. This continued relationship ensures that Shipsi will have the scale and resources to rapidly deploy its enhanced AI-driven delivery solutions, they said.
