18 supply chain investors powering logistics and manufacturing tech in 2025

Supply chain funding hit $3B in Q3 2025, up 26% quarter-over-quarter as trade tensions eased. AI is the defining theme - traditional logistics leaders like C.H. Robinson already see efficiency gains from AI agents while startups like Augment raised $85M for autonomous logistics platforms.

The pandemic exposed how fragile global supply chains actually are. Investors who sat out the 2010s are now writing checks. These 18 funds closed deals in 2025 when freight networks collapsed and manufacturing shifted. Most have operating executives as LPs who've run warehouses or managed procurement.

Quick list

Finding the right supply chain investor

Industry operators: Look for investors with actual logistics or manufacturing backgrounds. Dynamo Ventures focuses solely on industrial economy. Generic software VCs don't understand why warehouse labor costs matter more than SaaS margins.

Sector specialization: Some investors only back specific supply chain segments. XRC Ventures focuses on retail and consumer supply chains. Ironspring backs construction and transport. Don't pitch warehouse automation to a retail-focused fund.

Technical depth: AI is reshaping supply chain operations but most investors can't evaluate algorithmic improvements. Glasswing Ventures has deep AI expertise and can assess whether your routing optimization actually works. Use Ellty to share your deck with trackable activity links. You’ll see who skips your technical architecture vs. spending 15 minutes on your algorithms.

Stage alignment: Pre-seed investors like REFASHIOND Ventures write $250K-$500K checks. Growth funds like Schematic Ventures need $10M+ ARR. Don't waste time pitching late-stage investors when you're pre-revenue.

Portfolio network: Check if their portfolio companies are potential customers or partners. Supply Chain Ventures has 55 companies—that’s 55 potential pilot customers for warehouse automation or freight tech. That network matters more than brand-name investors who don’t know logistics. Explore how startups leverage investor networks to accelerate growth.

Exit track record: Look at acquisitions and IPOs in their portfolio. Supply Chain Ventures had exits to Descartes and other logistics leaders. Dead portfolios from 2010s cleantech boom should worry you.

Approaching supply chain investors

Show operational metrics: Supply chain investors want to see cost per transaction, time savings, and error reduction rates. Not brand awareness or download numbers. Upload to Ellty and send pitch deck links. Monitor which investors spend time on your unit economics vs. skipping straight to team slides.

Prove you understand operations: Don't lead with "Uber for freight" analogies. Show you know why cross-docking matters or how zone skipping works. Investors with logistics backgrounds will test whether you actually understand supply chain operations.

Research their thesis: Dynamo Ventures backs founders "reimagining how the world makes, moves, and monetizes goods." That's specific. They won't fund enterprise SaaS that happens to serve logistics companies. Make sure your pitch fits their mandate.

Get operator intros: Message founders from their portfolio on LinkedIn. Ask about response times and whether the investor helped with pilot customers. Supply chain startups need distribution more than most—portfolio introductions matter. Learn more about investor outreach strategies to make these connections effective.

Target industry events: Manifest conference, FreightWaves events, and ProMat are where supply chain deals happen. Skip generic tech conferences where nobody understands bill of lading.

Skip generic AI pitches: Every supply chain startup claims AI-powered optimization. Show actual improvement metrics - 15% faster picking, 20% better route efficiency, $X savings per shipment. Investors hear "AI" 50 times per week.

Prepare technical deep-dives: Set up an Ellty data room with your algorithm documentation, pilot results, and customer deployment data before meetings. Supply chain investors will ask how your system handles edge cases and failure modes. Use screenshot protection with Ellty when sharing sensitive dashboards.

Lead with customer traction: Name the warehouse operator or 3PL testing your platform. Supply chain sales cycles are long, but pilot deployments prove market fit better than any pitch deck. Consider professional services like ours to help organize and present your data securely.

Why supply chain funding matters in 2025

Q3 2025 supply chain VC deal value hit $3B, up 28% year-over-year. AI is driving investor confidence as traditional players like J.B. Hunt report measurable efficiency gains. Kodiak Robotics completed a $207.9M reverse merger while Nuro and BETA Technologies closed major growth rounds.

Reshoring manufacturing to the US and Mexico creates massive infrastructure gaps. Companies need new warehouse management systems, freight optimization platforms, and supplier visibility tools. The old ERP systems can't handle distributed manufacturing networks.

Labor costs keep rising while skilled workers remain scarce. Warehouse automation and AI-powered logistics tools aren't nice-to-haves anymore - they're survival requirements. Companies that can't reduce cost per transaction will lose to competitors using better software.

18 top supply chain investors

1. Supply Chain Ventures

Founded in 2001, they're Boston-based with 55 portfolio companies. Made 1 investment in past 12 months, primarily Series A stage in US-based startups across enterprise applications and retail.

• Recent Deals: Finboot (Series A, 2024), Tive ($40M Series C, Jan 2025)
• LinkedIn: Supply Chain Ventures
• Sector Focus: Supply chain software, logistics tech, enterprise applications, retail
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Location: Boston, Massachusetts
• Website: supplychainvc.com

2. Dynamo Ventures

Pre-seed and seed specialist for industrial economy founders. Backs teams solving hardest problems in manufacturing, logistics, and monetization of goods with 4-week term sheet timelines.

• Recent Deals: Gatik (autonomous middle-mile delivery), various industrial tech startups
• LinkedIn: Dynamo Ventures
• Sector Focus: Manufacturing, logistics, industrial software, transportation
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: New York, New York
• Website: dynamo.vc

3. Glasswing Ventures

AI-focused early-stage fund with $200M+ Fund III closed in 2024. Founded by Rudina Seseri in 2016, backs AI-native enterprise SaaS, cybersecurity, and supply chain tech.

• Recent Deals: Iris Finance ($6.2M Seed, 2025), Kusari ($8M, Jan 2024), Verusen, Ship Angel, Krane
• LinkedIn: Glasswing Ventures
• Sector Focus: AI enterprise SaaS, cybersecurity, supply chain AI, cloud infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Location: Boston, Massachusetts
• Website: glasswing.vc

4. Tiger Global

Global investment firm managing public and private equity. Led Wasoko's $125M Series B for African supply platform in March 2022, rebounded with 24% returns in 2024 after 2022 losses.

• Recent Deals: Wasoko ($125M Series B, Mar 2022), various global logistics and supply chain platforms
• LinkedIn: Tiger Global Management
• Sector Focus: Technology, logistics, supply chain platforms, e-commerce
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth, Late-stage
• Location: New York, New York
• Website: tigerglobal.com

5. Venture 53

Pure-play supply chain and freight tech fund with 45+ LPs including freight veterans and multi-generational builders. On track to return investor capital in under 3 years.

• Recent Deals: Defense-grade logistics startups with military tracking applied to civilian freight
• LinkedIn: Venture 53
• Sector Focus: Supply chain tech, freight tech, logistics, transportation
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Location: United States
• Website: venture53.com

6. General Catalyst

Global VC with $14.75B raised since 2000, backs 85 unicorns including Stripe and Airbnb. Expanded into supply chain tech alongside consumer, enterprise, fintech, and health investments.

• Recent Deals: 159 investments in 2025 across all sectors
• LinkedIn: General Catalyst
• Sector Focus: Consumer, enterprise, fintech, health, supply chain platforms
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth
• Location: San Francisco, California / Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Website: generalcatalyst.com

7. Accel

Global VC firm with 40+ years backing exceptional teams, made 112 investments in 2025. Portfolio includes Atlassian, Slack, Spotify with supply chain tech investments.

• Recent Deals: Multiple 2025 investments across enterprise software and logistics platforms
• LinkedIn: Accel
• Sector Focus: Enterprise software, logistics tech, supply chain platforms, SaaS
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth
• Location: Palo Alto, California
• Website: accel.com

8. Sequoia Capital

Founded in 1972, backed Google, Apple, and created $3.3T+ in market cap. Supply chain investments part of broader technology portfolio.

• Recent Deals: Various technology and logistics platform investments
• LinkedIn: Sequoia Capital
• Sector Focus: Technology, enterprise, consumer, logistics, supply chain
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth, Late-stage
• Location: Menlo Park, California
• Website: sequoiacap.com

9. Ironspring Ventures

Austin-based VC investing in early-stage construction, manufacturing, transport, logistics, and alternative energy companies. Often leads or co-leads seed rounds.

• Recent Deals: ICON (3D-printed housing), Solvento (fintech for Latin American transportation), Reshape Automation ($5M Seed, Sept 2024)
• LinkedIn: Ironspring Ventures
• Sector Focus: Construction, manufacturing, transport, logistics, alternative energy
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Location: Austin, Texas
• Website: ironspringventures.com

10. Construct Capital

Early-stage investor backing companies transforming foundational industries including supply chain management and industrial automation.

• Recent Deals: Various early-stage industrial and supply chain companies
• LinkedIn: Construct Capital
• Sector Focus: Industrial automation, supply chain management, foundational industries
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Location: San Francisco, California
• Website: construct.capital

11. XRC Ventures

Atlanta-based fund backing consumer-facing companies in retail tech, consumer goods, consumer health, and supply chain management at seed and early stages.

• Recent Deals: Various retail tech and supply chain management startups
• LinkedIn: XRC Ventures
• Sector Focus: Retail tech, consumer goods, consumer health, supply chain management
• Stage Focus: Seed, Early-stage
• Location: Atlanta, Georgia
• Website: xrcventures.com

12. Silicon Road Ventures

Atlanta-based VC exclusively focused on commerce technology, backs companies at seed and early stages reshaping e-commerce and retail.

• Recent Deals: Perch (Amazon FBA brand aggregator, reached unicorn valuation)
• LinkedIn: Silicon Road Ventures
• Sector Focus: Commerce tech, e-commerce, retail, manufacturing automation
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Location: Atlanta, Georgia
• Website: siliconroad.vc

13. REFASHIOND Ventures

Active at pre-seed and seed stages for supply chain, logistics, and foundational technology companies.

• Recent Deals: Various early-stage supply chain and logistics startups
• LinkedIn: REFASHIOND Ventures
• Sector Focus: Supply chain tech, logistics, foundational technology
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: United States
• Website: refashiond.ventures

14. Mu Ventures

Foundational stage investor in supply chain, logistics, and industrial technology companies.

• Recent Deals: Various pre-seed and seed supply chain investments
• LinkedIn: Mu Ventures
• Sector Focus: Supply chain, logistics, industrial tech
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: United States
• Website: muventures.com

15. Schematic Ventures

Late-stage investor providing growth capital for established supply chain and industrial companies.

• Recent Deals: Various growth-stage industrial and supply chain investments
• LinkedIn: Schematic Ventures
• Sector Focus: Industrial tech, supply chain, manufacturing
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Location: San Francisco, California
• Website: schematic.vc

16. Cleveland Avenue

Provides late-stage growth capital for established companies across food, beverage, restaurant, and supply chain sectors.

• Recent Deals: Various growth and late-stage investments
• LinkedIn: Cleveland Avenue
• Sector Focus: Food tech, supply chain, consumer goods, logistics
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth, Late-stage
• Location: Chicago, Illinois
• Website: clevelandavenue.com

17. Redpoint Ventures

Global VC firm that led Augment's $85M round (Debt + Series A) for autonomous AI logistics platform in September 2025.

• Recent Deals: Augment ($85M, Sept 2025), various enterprise and logistics technology investments
• LinkedIn: Redpoint Ventures
• Sector Focus: Enterprise software, AI, logistics, supply chain automation
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth
• Location: Menlo Park, California
• Website: redpoint.com

18. Base10 Partners

Led Happyrobot's $43.91M Series B for enterprise-grade AI workforce handling end-to-end supply chain tasks in September 2025.

• Recent Deals: Happyrobot ($43.91M Series B, Sept 2025), various AI and automation investments
• LinkedIn: Base10 Partners
• Sector Focus: AI automation, enterprise software, supply chain tech
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Location: San Francisco, California
• Website: base10.vc

Track your supply chain investor outreach

These 18 investors closed deals from 2023 to November 2025. Before pitching, organize your operational metrics. Supply chain investors want to see cost reduction, time savings, and error rates - not vanity metrics.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create unique links for each investor. You'll see which investors spend time on your warehouse efficiency data vs. skipping to the team page. Most supply chain investors ignore market size slides but spend 10+ minutes analyzing your pilot deployment results and customer economics.

When investors request due diligence materials, share an Ellty data room with your algorithm documentation, pilot data, customer contracts, and deployment timelines. Supply chain due diligence focuses on technical feasibility and operational improvement - having this ready speeds up the process by 4-6 weeks.

Common questions

How do I know if a supply chain investor is still active?

Check Crunchbase or PitchBook for deals in past 12 months. Supply Chain Ventures made 1 investment in 2024, Glasswing made 6 in 2025. If their last deal was in 2019, they probably stopped deploying after initial supply chain disruptions. Look for funds that raised new vehicles in past 2 years.

Should I target generalist VCs or supply chain specialists?

Specialists like Supply Chain Ventures and Venture 53 understand logistics economics but have smaller check sizes. Generalists like Accel write bigger checks but move slower on supply chain deals. If you need strategic intros to 3PLs, go specialist. If you need $20M Series B, target generalists with supply chain portfolio companies.

What's the difference between logistics investors and manufacturing investors?

Logistics investors back freight, warehousing, and last-mile delivery. Manufacturing investors fund production automation and factory software. Some like Dynamo Ventures do both. Check their portfolio - Ironspring backs construction and transport, XRC backs retail supply chains. Don't pitch warehouse automation to a manufacturing-only fund.

How many supply chain investors should I approach?

Start with 10-12 that match your stage, geography, and supply chain segment. Use Ellty tracking to see who actually reads your technical documentation vs. skimming the executive summary. Follow up with investors who spend time on your pilot results and cost reduction metrics.

When should I prepare a supply chain-specific data room?

Before first meetings. Supply chain investors will ask about failure modes, edge cases, and integration complexity. Having your technical docs, pilot results, customer deployment data, and algorithm documentation ready in an Ellty data room shows you're serious. Investors need to verify your cost reduction claims are real.

Do supply chain investors care about AI buzzwords?

No. They want to see actual performance improvements with real data. Don't say "AI-powered optimization" - say "15% reduction in warehouse picking time, validated across 3 pilot deployments with 500K+ transactions." Supply chain operators are skeptical of AI hype. Prove your system works with deployment metrics.