Atlanta-based commerce fulfillment company Stord has closed a US$250m Series F funding round at a US$3bn valuation, led by existing investors including Strike Capital, Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund, Franklin Templeton, Baillie Gifford, G Squared, Bond and Lux.

The raise will accelerate Stord’s development of what it calls a “physical intelligence layer” for independent brands – combining fulfillment infrastructure, software and AI to help brands compete with Amazon’s Prime delivery experience.

Alongside the funding announcement, the company also launched Stord Labs, a dedicated facility at its Atlanta headquarters where agentic AI, robotics and advanced automation are developed and tested against live orders before being deployed across its network.

Continue reading Stord raises US$250m Series F funding at US$3bn valuation to advance AI-powered fulfillment platform at Parcel and Postal Technology International.

The global market for last-mile-delivery drones is projected to grow from US$1.82bn in 2024 to US$10.77bn in 2033, according to HTF Market Intelligence Consulting.

Increasing demand for e-commerce, the adoption of smart logistics and innovation in autonomous delivery have strengthened the long-term market potential, according to the consulting company.

The ‘drones for last-mile delivery market’ refers to the global ecosystem of autonomous and semi-autonomous unmanned aerial systems designed to transport parcels, medicines, groceries, food items and critical supplies from distribution hubs directly to end customers.

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The North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA), together with the Port of Tyne, Oxa and industry and academic partners, has completed the Port-Connected and Automated Logistics (P-CAL) project, supporting the region’s development in connected and automated mobility.

Delivered through the UK government’s CAM Pathfinder program, P‑CAL was designed to push the boundaries of autonomous logistics. Building on the North East’s earlier 5G CAL and V‑CAL initiatives, the project moved autonomous technology from proof‑of‑concept trials into a real‑world operational setting.

Continue reading P-CAL project demonstrates autonomous logistics in live port environment at Parcel and Postal Technology International.

GXO Logistics has implemented an automated truck loading system for Grupa Żywiec at its site in Elbląg, Poland, aiming to increase throughput, improve safety and standardize operations.

The system, known as Autoload, automates the loading and unloading of trailers, replacing traditional forklift-based processes. Instead of loading pallets individually, the system moves an entire trailer load in a single cycle, reducing loading time to around two minutes.

According to GXO, the automated process reduces the risk of human error and limits the use of material handling equipment at loading docks, contributing to improved workplace safety.

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Evri has begun trialing automated guided vehicles (AGVs) at its Rugby hub in the UK, as part of a move to introduce robotics into its internal operations.

The company is testing two AGV power pallets in partnership with Translift Group. The trial marks Evri’s first step in what it describes as its “under the roof” robotics program, focused on automating processes in its hubs and depots.

Currently, workers at the Rugby site move cages and pallets across the facility throughout the day.

Continue reading Evri trials AGVs at Rugby hub to support automation strategy at Parcel and Postal Technology International.

Food delivery company DoorDash has partnered with Also, an electric micromobility specialist, on autonomous last-mile delivery.

The strategic investment and multi-year collaboration will see the two companies work to deploy small, purpose-built EVs designed to optimize how goods move in population-dense environments.

The partnership is focused on unlocking one of the most challenging parts of last-mile delivery: the intersection of roads and road-adjacent spaces such as bike-lanes, shoulders and curbsides.

These are areas where traditional vehicles can face difficulty, and Also’s smaller, adaptable vehicles are designed to be able to navigate them.

Continue reading DoorDash and Also partner on autonomous last-mile delivery EVs at Parcel and Postal Technology International.

Researchers at MIT and automation company Symbotic have developed an AI-based system designed to improve traffic flow among robots in automated warehouses, reducing congestion and increasing throughput.

The approach uses deep reinforcement learning to determine which robots should be prioritized at any given moment, combined with a planning algorithm that directs robot movements in real time. The system is designed to anticipate bottlenecks and reroute robots before congestion occurs.

In simulations based on e-commerce warehouse environments, the method achieved an average 25% increase in throughput compared with conventional approaches.

Continue reading AI system improves warehouse robot traffic flow, MIT study finds at Parcel and Postal Technology International.

THG Fulfil has expanded its e-commerce fulfillment capacity through the deployment of robotics technology from Libiao Robotics, aimed at improving sortation efficiency and throughput.

A total of 430 robots have been introduced alongside 14 induction stations equipped with 80 Libiao 3D sorters, enabling sorting across 3,840 destinations. The system was integrated with THG Fulfil’s warehouse management system in 35 days, with full operational ramp-up completed within one week.

According to the company, the deployment has increased sortation capacity at one facility from 250,000 to 625,000 units per day.

Continue reading THG Fulfil increases capacity with Libiao Robotics deployment at Parcel and Postal Technology International.

UPS has unveiled its largest and most advanced logistics center in Asia-Pacific, to help its customers boost productivity, operate more efficiently and strengthen supply chains.

The US$100m UPS Taoyuan International Logistics Center (TILC) in Taiwan features advanced automation technology, a full suite of value-added capabilities and state-of-the-art storage and warehouse management solutions for customers in a wide range of industries.

The 81,000m2 center is situated 5km from Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), Taiwan’s largest cargo airport, to provide fast and seamless connectivity to the global UPS network via the 22 flights the company operates into and out of TPE every week.

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DHL Supply Chain is rolling out SVT Robotics’ SoftBot platform across its network, enabling it to deploy robotics integrations up to 12 times faster than traditional custom coding setups.

The technology-neutral software enables DHL to move away from monolithic, all-in-one systems to modular warehouse setups that accommodate multiple automated solutions and can be reconfigured as technology and customer needs evolve.

“The logistics industry is characterized by rapid change – whether its customer profile, volumes or newly emerging technology – so our automation solutions need to adapt just as quickly,” explained Sally Miller, global CIO, DHL Supply Chain.

Continue reading DHL speeds up automation deployment with SVT Robotics platform at Parcel and Postal Technology International.