South Asia digital freight platform Ezyhaul and Deutsche Post DHL have invested $20m in UK based tech start-up DigiHaul.

DigiHaul connects shippers to qualified transporters through a frictionless digital freight platform, helping tackle some of the biggest problems in the supply chain industry. Having built a transporter network, DigiHaul provides shippers with immediate access to capacity across the UK with upfront pricing, and gives transporters the opportunity to take on jobs, enabling them to grow or optimise their operations with new routes and backloading.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for us,” said Martin Willmor, CEO of Digihaul. “We are very happy with the investment and strong support from industry leaders like DHL and Ezyhaul. It’s a clear recognition that we are on the right path and have a true opportunity to transform and modernise the UK transportation industry. We are designed to provide the simplicity and convenience users have come to expect from digital services. There’s no reason why freight management has to be time consuming and complex.”

The UK market is facing a critical driver shortage, while at the same time roughly a fifth of lorries on the road are running empty. DigiHaul aims to tackle these problems at a national level by providing a platform to optimise the UK’s transportation network.

DigiHaul offers a simple, fast and transparent digital platform that replaces the manual and time-consuming process of managing multiple subcontractors, calling around for quotes, physical paperwork and billing. Shippers can book a load in just a few clicks, manage documentation and payment in one place, and track the shipment through its entire journey. Meanwhile, transporters can log into the app to secure the jobs they want quickly and invoice automatically.

The investment from Ezyhaul and DHL represents a commitment by both businesses to supply chain digitalisation. Ezyhaul and DHL will each take a share in DigiHaul, and the investment will be used to support ambitious growth plans through customer and transporter acquisition.

“We are very excited with the opportunity to invest in DigiHaul,” said Raymond Gillon, CEO of Ezyhaul. “The team has demonstrated their ability to rapidly scale the solution in UK, growing 20 times since the start of the year. Leveraging Ezyhaul’s technology and experience combined with DHL’s network and expertise, DigiHaul will undoubtedly take a leading position in the UK market very soon and will drive positive change for both shippers and transporters.”

Oscar de Bok, CEO of DHL Supply Chain, added: “DigiHaul is a perfect example of a data-led solution to the real-world problems of empty running and network constraints for shippers. Digitalising this process is long overdue. By creating a national network, the freight industry can start operating much more efficiently.”

DigiHaul has a base of 700 carriers and is managing more than 2000 shipments per week, over 100,000 shipments per year from industries including fast-moving consumer goods, retail and manufacturing.

Ezyhaul is south Asia’s largest digital road freight platform focused on simplifying and transforming logistics. It provides shippers access to immediate capacity with transparent pricing and provides transporters the opportunity to find jobs enabling them to grow or optimise their operations. It takes away the manual effort and complexity of freight booking with a fully managed online service that’s simple, fast and reliable.

Headquartered in Singapore, Ezyhaul operates in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.