2017 Under the Radar: TradeLanes eyes Midwestern Ag as future clients
August 29, 2017 | Meghan LeVota
Editor’s note: Startland News picked 10 early-stage firms to spotlight for its annual Under the Radar startups list. The following is one of 2017’s companies. To view the full list, click here.
A recent graduate of the 2017 Sprint Accelerator program, TradeLanes is a newbie in Kansas City and showing significant movement.
The TradeLanes platform automates global trade focused on agriculture firms, lowering costs and removing days from the supply chain. To date, more than 90,000 cargo units have been shipped using the platform, said co-founder Vijay Harrell.
Digitizing documents, tracking shipments, notifying shippers of supply status, online bookings and detailed reports, the TradeLanes platform aims to make trade more efficient, Harrell said.
Thanks to its participation in the Sprint Accelerator, Trade Lanes (formerly of Miami, Florida) developed a beneficial working relationship with Kansas City-based Dairy Farmers of America. Harrell said the firm hopes to continue a partnership with the Ag giant, as well as other Kansas City area corporations.
The Sprint Accelerator is the third accelerator program for TradeLanes, since the firm launched in 2015. It also participated in the FedEx Logistics Accelerator and Venture Hive Miami.
Following the Sprint Accelerator program, Harrell has made a Kansas City hire and plans to open an office in the Crossroads this fall. Harrell believes that Kansas City is the best place for the firm to do business thanks to its central location and abundance of potential corporate partners
TradeLanes is in the middle of raising a seed round, which has yet to be announced publicly. Harrell is excited to focus on snagging as many Kansas City-area customers as possible, he said.
Featured Business
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
MTC hits $50M investment milestone through its state-sponsored venture capital program
JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri — A Show-Me State program launched a decade ago to drive economic development in Missouri and support tech founders has surpassed $50 million in equity-based investments for nearly 160 Missouri-based technology startups. The Missouri Technology Corporation announced the milestone Tuesday, lauding its Innovation, Development, and Entrepreneurial Advancement (IDEA) Fund for impact that…
How Independence’s new speakeasy vibes tie into the ‘goats and rabbits’ of Kansas City’s past
Revitalization efforts needn’t overwrite history, said Bree and Travis Gensler, whose new venture in downtown Independence aims to infuse spirits of 2024 into the historic square without losing memories of the area’s storied past. Their latest pour: The Sentinel Room. Four years ago, the couple purchased a building on Lexington Avenue that contains three commercial…
Gains you can see: StratFit’s new gym in Waldo reps digital fitness platform’s heavy lifting
With his NYC-inspired training studio in Waldo opening earlier this spring, Daniel McKee wants to keep busy professionals motivated to stick to their fitness goals — and use the space to refine and advance adoption of his tech platform. “Everyone that comes to the door is very impressed with the place, we tried to make…
Former college startup founders reunite for brunch concept: Why they jumped at this franchise twist
WICHITA, Kansas — Jacob O’Connor and Jon Peterson — two former Wichita State students turned entrepreneurs — are teaming up once again, this time for brunch, they shared. The high school friends and co-founders of 618 Ventures and Player Card are partnering with a mentor to bring the upscale, Orlando-based brunch concept Another Broken Egg…