Now more than ever, supply chain operators need a tool that can help them predict and understand disruptions, giving them the power to plan accordingly. In the last twelve months alone, a historic drought in the Panama Canal decreased crossings between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, protests at US ports halted shipments and 11 hurricanes significantly impacted trade routes.
To facilitate a more efficient supply chain network, New York-based startup Desteia is leveraging cutting-edge technology to support leaders and operators by giving them the tools to make optimal decisions for their supply chain in a context of continuous disruptions.
The company has secured $8m in a seed funding round led by Autotech Ventures, Nazca and Village Global, positioning the company to potentially revolutionise logistics operations with new AI tools and graph theory.
This will also enable Desteia to focus on US-Mexico trade, where companies move over $850bn worth of goods annually. Working with customers worldwide, the company will provide better visibility to their operations and suggest the most efficient decisions to operators.
Desteia was founded by former Tesla executive Françoise Lavertu and Stanford engineers and entrepreneurs Diego Solorzano and Austin Poore. The startup is simplifying logistics by using AI to extract and organise information from unstructured data like emails, messages and logistics documents.
It connects these pieces together using graph theory, the mathematical study of networks – comprising nodes (locations) and edges (routes), to create a clear dashboard for operators to manage shipments across ocean, ground and air with specific expertise on US-Mexico cross-border operations. This includes integrations to Mexico’s customs system to give further visibility to shipments at port or at the border.
“As we evaluate hundreds of supply chain tech solutions every year, Desteia stood out with its unique approach to extracting unstructured data, which truly feels like magic,” says Burak Cendek, partner at Autotech Ventures. “Unfortunately, traditional communication channels such as email and text are not going away, but recent advances in AI make it possible to meet customers where they are.”
Desteia’s goal is to be the decision-making tool for supply chain operators. With minimal integration effort, the dashboard data provides actionable insights for logistics teams to securely access real-time updates on container ETAs, predict potential disruptions and identify opportunities for optimisation, such as the best carriers or most efficient routes.
The company has partnerships and contracts with major retailers, auto manufacturers and CPGs in North America. Across the board, it has helped users, such as Elektra – one of the largest retailers in Latin America – to achieve full visibility without any integrations required or manual work while reducing the time spent reviewing emails.
“Relying on manual processes and fragmented communication systems means supply chains are fragile and prone to disruption,” says Adam Zobler, General Partner at global investment firm Foundemental. “Desteia offers an exciting opportunity to streamline supply chains by harnessing the power of data.”
SOURCE: Desteia
