Sendle closes $1.8 million funding deal

Australian door-to-door delivery start-up Sendle has closed an A$1.8 million funding round. The National Roads & Motorist’s Association (NRMA), already a major backer in the company, was the biggest investor in the funding round, contributing A$1 million.

This was the first investment round since the Sydney-based company launched on 5 November, aiming to ‘take on Australia Post’.

Entrepreneur James Moody founded Sendle by spinning off the logistics and fulfilment component of his used goods swap site Tushare.

The Sendle.com website enables customers to arrange pickup and delivery. Sendle picks up and delivers parcels up to 10kgs in the same city for under A$10 and between major Australian cities for about A$17.60.

“Most of the people in the logistics space are focusing on business-to-consumer e-commerce fulfilment, and that’s all about the last mile; parcel lockers and newsagent pick-ups and so on,” said Moody.

“But when it’s consumer-to-consumer or small business-to-consumer then it’s about the first mile and having to line up at Australia Post,” added Moody. “If we make that first mile easy with a door-to-door experience then we think that model will replicate well overseas.”