• Legacy industry relies on paper and Excel, costing SMB freight forwarders efficiency and triggering penalties.
• Fr8Labs uploads orders to AI bot that instantly books shipments, submits customs forms.
• Subscription model promises 50% efficiency boost, has won 50+ regional customers beyond Singapore base.
Summary
Fr8Labs billed as “Shopify for Logistics”
While anchors of Asia’s sprawling logistics networks, small and mid-sized freight forwarders operate with remarkably antiquated processes – relying on paper manifests and Excel sheets riddled with human error.
Enter Singapore-based Fr8Labs, billed as a “Shopify for logistics”, aiming to haul the industry’s underserved underdogs into the digital age.
Fr8Labs co-founders Felix Lu and Glenn Lai
Raised $1.5M led by East Ventures
The startup raised $1.5 million in seed funding led by East Ventures to scale its software platform, automating cumbersome shipping workflows.
CEO Glenn Lai told Tech Insider that users upload a PDF order for Fr8Lab’s AI bot to create bookings instantly, submit customs forms, and more.
The subscription-based system promises SMB freight forwarders up to 50% higher efficiency by eliminating redundant paperwork and mistakes that commonly trigger penalties.
Full Steam Ahead to Lead ASEAN
Already netting over 50 regional customers like Taiwan and Australia beyond its Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia strongholds, Fr8Labs now sets sights on leading automation adoption across ASEAN’s fragmented forwarders within five years.
Lai said that by leveraging “first-in-market” AI tools tailored for the industry, Fr8Labs is positioned to become Southeast Asia’s predominant freight management platform.
With digitization lagging among smaller players handling collective billions in shipments, the stage is set for this logistics disruptor to realize outsized returns.logist
Fr8Labs automates shipping workflows for SMB freight forwarders still using paper and Excel
