When investors hear entrepreneurs pitch for funding, they want to hear about the pain point the startup will address. Sendle, a package delivery service designed for small businesses in the eCommerce space, identified the challenge small businesses were facing during the pandemic. Package volumes were soaring and as result the large delivery service providers began raising their rates.
Launched in 2015 Sendle experienced record growth in 2020, establishing over 800,000 users worldwide. COVID-19 drove the shift to eCommerce and in the U.S. which led to Sendle’s small business package volumes to soar tenfold in 2020 compared to the previous year. Their services are focused on small businesses and early stage startups, no matter how much volume they ship.
Sendle’s mission is make small business package delivery services simple, affordable, and reliable. This continues to be achieved by offering to small businesses affordable, flat-rate shipping across the U.S. They tout there are no hidden fees, subscriptions, or warehousing required. Merchants simply purchase a label and schedule a pickup and the small business has their package dropped off or picked up from their front door.
“Package delivery is the backbone of today’s eCommerce ecosystem. As ever-more people shop and sell online, small business shipping will only grow in importance. For small sellers, it’s a critical part of being able to compete on a level playing field,” said Hein Vogel, CEO of AP Ventures who will join Sendle’s board.
AP Ventures backed by Afterpay led the $35 million Series C round. Sendle will use the funds to expand its network of logistics, delivery, and technology partners. AP Ventures is a strong fit with Sendle as it invests in high-growth, scalable companies with proven revenue models. They focus on retail innovation, consumer, finance and data. The round also included returning investors Federation, Full Circle and NRMA.
“As we gear up for further growth in the United States, AP Ventures brings valuable experience in international expansion with Afterpay as the number one buy-now-pay-later service in the U.S.,” said James Chin Moody, CEO and co-founder of Sendle. “Our Series C funding will help us to continue to reshape package delivery for small businesses in the U.S. We are excited to be working with an organization as passionate about creating value for small businesses as we are.”
Sendle now feels they are positioned well for the future. As part of their forward looking mindset is their decision to be a 100% carbon neutral shipping carrier. In addition to year to year growth, the company is also a product innovator and has established key strategic partnerships around the world. Their small business package service integrates with all leading eCommerce platforms such as Etsy, eBay, Shopify, Squarespace, and WooCommerce. Based our to both Australia and Washington state the company is ready for further expansion in the U.S. market and globally.
