Trella, the Cairo-based trucking marketplace on a mission to transform the freight and shipping industry, announced that it has joined Y Combinator’s S19 batch. Trella joins the ranks of YC’s illustrious portfolio of companies including Airbnb, Dropbox, Stripe, Reddit, and Doordash.
Joining the network of the globe’s top startups further validates Trella’s commitment to digitizing trucking and offering grade-A end-to-end solutions to both shippers and carriers in the trucking industry. YC opens the door for invaluable opportunities for synergies and collaboration with fellow YC companies and alumni, as well as unparalleled access to YC’s network of investors, mentors, and partners
Founded in 2018, Trella is on a mission to optimize the trucking industry. The b2b technology platform connects shippers and carriers in real-time, using data to optimize drivers’ routes and increase the volume of backloads. Trella empowers truckers who get significantly more value and a more consistent flow of business through the platform while also reducing costs for shippers by improving load utilization and efficiency, and enabling shipment tracking in real-time.
Addressing an enormous pain-point in a deeply fragmented industry plagued by asset under-utilization and a lack of transparency, consistency, and reliability, Trella’s tech platform has already piqued the interests of regional and global investors and businesses.
“At YC, it’s our job to help talented founders from anywhere in the world to access the advice, network, and funding that Silicon Valley has to offer,” says Michael Seibel, YC CEO and Partner. “With Trella, we saw extremely strong founders, tackling a huge problem, in a region of the world that needs more tech investment. It was an obvious fit.”
“We’re excited to be part of such a prestigious program,’ says Omar Hagrass, Trella’s CEO. “YC has already been super valuable and cemented our position with investors, partners, and stakeholders. We’re looking forward to building something really big.”
Earlier this year, Trella raised $600k+ in a pre-seed funding round led by Algebra Ventures, with participation from strategic investors, global VCs, and notable angel investors including Esther Dyson and Jambu Palaniappan.