Cargado is a Chicago-based technology company building an invite-only, vetted marketplace and software stack to simplify U.S.–Mexico cross-border freight operations, launched by logistics veterans to address gaps in cross-border capacity, transparency, and operations.[5][2]
High-Level Overview
- Mission: Cargado’s stated mission is to eliminate friction in cross-border freight—connecting logistics providers and carriers to enable faster, more transparent cross-border booking and execution as nearshoring expands trade between the U.S. and Mexico.[2][1]- Investment philosophy / Key sectors / Impact (for an investment firm) — Not applicable; Cargado is a portfolio company / product company focused on logistics technology and marketplaces.[5][1]- Product, customers, problem solved, growth momentum (for a portfolio company): Cargado’s initial product is an invite-only load board and integrated cross-border freight marketplace that personally vets carriers to create a trusted network for brokers, 3PLs, trucking companies, and shippers moving freight between the U.S. and Mexico.[2][1] The platform addresses operational friction—fragmented communications (WhatsApp/email), higher operating costs, and scarce tooling for cross-border procurement and execution—helping customers secure vetted capacity faster and run cross-border loads more profitably.[3][2] Since launching in late 2023/early 2024 Cargado has grown rapidly: it reported serving 200+ customers and adding 650+ carriers, and has raised multiple funding rounds including seed and a reported Series A totaling roughly $22M–$25M from investors such as LGVP, Primary, Conversion Capital, Assembly Ventures and others.[1][2][3]
Origin Story
- Founders and background: Cargado was founded by freight industry veterans Matt Silver (CEO) and Rylan Hawkins (CTO); Silver previously led Forager and has deep logistics relationships, while Hawkins was an early Convoy engineer/GM and a former Microsoft program manager—bringing product and operational experience in freight tech to Cargado’s founding team.[4][3]- How the idea emerged: The founders saw an opportunity as nearshoring accelerated U.S.–Mexico trade and realized cross-border freight lacked a professionalized software stack—brokers were using ad hoc channels to source capacity and paying materially higher operating costs for cross-border loads—so they built a curated, vetted marketplace and logistics stack to fill that gap.[3][4][2]- Early traction / pivotal moments: Cargado launched an invite-only Mexico–U.S. load board in April 2024 (product work began in late 2023), secured pre-seed and seed funding (including a lead investment from Primary Venture Partners), then raised a larger round led by LGVP; early customer testimonials and adoption metrics (hundreds of customers and carriers onboarded) underpinned its Series A momentum.[4][3][1]
Core Differentiators
- Invite-only, carrier-vetted marketplace: Every carrier is personally vetted before joining, which Cargado markets as a trust and safety layer that reduces risk and speeds booking relative to open load boards.[2][1]- Cross-border focus and data ambition: The company positions itself as building the “software stack” and a single source of truth for Mexican logistics data—covering coverage, customs, pricing, and payments—areas where domestic tooling historically hasn’t translated to cross-border needs.[3][2]- Founding team operational experience: Founders combine freight marketplace product experience (Convoy) with logistics operator networks and prior startup leadership, accelerating product-market fit and partnerships in cross-border trade lanes.[4][3]- Speed to capacity and transparency: By curating carriers and offering integrated tooling, Cargado aims to reduce the 60–80% higher operating costs brokers face on cross-border loads and enable more cross-border volume to be accepted and executed.[3]
Role in the Broader Tech Landscape
- Trend leveraged: Cargado is riding the nearshoring and U.S.–Mexico trade surge trend—Mexico has become a larger U.S. trading partner, driving demand for professional cross-border logistics tooling.[2][3]- Timing: As manufacturing shifts closer to the U.S. and supply chains regionalize, demand for reliable cross-border capacity, customs transparency, and integrated execution increases, creating a market opportunity for a purpose-built platform.[2][3]- Market forces in their favor: Fragmented communications and lack of tooling for Mexican trucking create structural inefficiencies (higher costs, rejected volume) that a curated marketplace and data layer can address—making Cargado’s value prop relevant to brokers, 3PLs, carriers, and shippers.[3][1]- Influence on ecosystem: If successful, Cargado could professionalize cross-border procurement and operations, reduce reliance on informal channels (WhatsApp/email), and push incumbents toward more specialized cross-border products and data integration.[3][2]
Quick Take & Future Outlook
- What’s next: Expect Cargado to expand product features (payments, customs/data integrations, operations tooling), grow its vetted carrier network, deepen integrations with brokers/3PLs, and scale coverage across more U.S.–Mexico lanes and adjacent North American cross-border routes.[2][1]- Key trends that will shape its path: Continued nearshoring/regionalization of supply chains, changes in tariff/policy regimes, carrier capacity dynamics, and incumbent responses (partnerships or competing products) will determine growth pace and margins.[2][3]- How influence may evolve: By becoming the go-to data and marketplace layer for Mexican logistics, Cargado could lower cross-border operating costs industry-wide and unlock more cross-border volume for existing logistics providers—alternatively, success may attract strategic acquirers (large 3PLs, freight marketplaces, or enterprise TMS providers) seeking native cross-border capabilities.[3][1]
Quick reiteration: Cargado is a specialized, founder-led logistics tech startup building a vetted, invite-only marketplace and software stack to make U.S.–Mexico cross-border freight faster, more transparent, and less costly as nearshoring accelerates trade between the two countries.[2][3][1]
