Dynamo Dispatch. A weekly update from Dynamo Ventures covering the latest and greatest in supply chain, mobility, and building venture-scale businesses.
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Weekly Commentary đ
Policy shifts and price signals are reshaping supply chain â from shutdown risk, tariffs, and a US lithium stake to sliding ocean rates and Maerskâs retrofit push. Meanwhile, DHL and C.H. Robinson are turning customs and AI into an edge. Continue reading below for more on all things supply chain, manufacturing, and logistics.
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Make, Move, and Monetize đŠ
â US Government Shutdown: How Will It Impact The Global Supply Chain? A US government shutdown is a butterfly-effect trigger for todayâs hyper-connected supply chainsâslowing customs and compliance, stranding freight at ports, and cascading into reroutes, surcharges, and inventory pileups from Asia to Europe. It also fuels volatility (freight spikes, commodity swings, FX whiplash) and worsens sustainability as perishables spoil and carbon footprints rise with expedited moves. The takeaway: this is a digital-resilience stress testâcompanies with integrated cloud ERP, AI-driven visibility, and automated compliance will protect service levels and margins, while laggards absorb working-capital bloat, missed SLAs, and higher cost-to-serve. Completely unrelated, Tin Breaks Higher as Indonesia Cracks Down on Illegal Miners.
Container Shipping Rates Hit 20-Month Low as 16-Week Decline Continues. Container spot rates fell for the 16th straight week to a 20-month low, with AsiaâEurope lanes taking the biggest hit. Carriers are blank-sailing and trimming capacity around Chinaâs Golden Week, but forecasters see the supply-demand balance weakening further, keeping downward pressure on prices. Thus, shippers have a window to lock in cheaper contracts and pull forward inventory, while carriers face intensifying margin risk and must enforce capacity discipline to avoid a rate war. Also, Falling Ocean Shipping Rates Put Carrier Profits at Risk, Analysts Say and Low Spot Rates Put Pressure on Long Container Contracts.
US to Take Equity Stake in Lithium Americas and Its Nevada Mining Project. The Energy Department will take a minority equity stake in Lithium Americas and its Thacker Pass project, restructuring an earlier loan and adding fresh capital to keep the mine viable after a lithium price slump. The move advances a domestic source of battery-grade lithium, and shares jumped on the news. The big picture here is that Washington is shifting from lender to co-owner in critical minerals, echoing MP Materials and the US Steel âgolden shareâ, to cut financing risk and strengthen US EV supply chains versus China. For more, check out US Government Takes 5% Stakes in Lithium Americas and Joint Venture with GM.
Maersk Launches Massive Retrofit Drive to Boost Vessel Fuel Efficiency. Maersk will retrofit 200 time-chartered shipsâabout 1,500 projects with 50 owners plus about 1,000 more in 2027âto cut slot costs and emissions, with costs shared with owners. Upgrades include new bulbous bows and propellers, shaft generators, reduced boiler use, and structural changes to boost intake. Positioned as a bridge while alternative fuels scale, the plan targets a 35% Scope 1 cut by 2030 (vs. 2022), keeps capacity near $4M TEUs with 20 new builds in 2028, and should confer a cost-curve edge, pressure peers to retrofit, and reprice charters and freight.
How the US Got Left Behind in the Global Electric Car Race. US EV sales hit records ($1.2M in 2024; ~10% share in August) but much of the surge was a pull-forward before the $7,500 federal credit ended in late September, and automakers now expect demand to fall amid high prices, new tariffs, and financing pressure. The US still trails Europe and especially China on adoption; Chinese low-cost brands are blocked by tariffs, keeping average EV prices (~$57k) elevated as Hyundai trims Ioniq prices while Tesla raises some lease costs and incumbents slow-roll EV investments. The policy whiplash, Biden-era incentives vs. Trump rollbacks, shrinks the near-term market and risks ceding tech/manufacturing leadership abroad, forcing OEMs and investors to plan for a tougher 2025â26 with more hybrids, aggressive pricing, and tightly controlled domestic supply chains. Related, Sila Begins Automotive-Scale Silicon Anode Production to Doost Domestic EV Battery Supply Chain.
Port of Los Angeles Plans to Build New Container Terminal. The Port of Los Angeles issued an RFP for pre-development of âPier 500,â a 200-acre, two-berth container terminal with 3,000 feet of wharf in natural deepwater, positioned just south of Pier 400 to handle next-gen mega-ships. The selected partner will enter a public-private pre-development agreement to test financial feasibility, secure entitlements, and complete CEQA/NEPA reviews, with a buildout expected to span about a decade. This is a rare West Coast capacity play that could reshape carrier calls and cargo share, creating a prime entry point for terminal operators and infrastructure investorsâthough timing, environmental risk, and capital intensity will be the gating factors. Completely unrelated, China Flexes Maritime Power in Response to Coming US Port Fee.
Japanese Manufacturersâ Mood Brightens Slightly as Tariff Fears Ease. Japanâs Tankan shows large manufacturersâ sentiment edging higher after a US trade deal, bolstering the case for the BOJ to restart rate hikes. Firms plan stronger capex and see inflation staying above target, even as markets gave a mixed read (softer yen, lower JGB yields) and autos look a bit weaker ahead. The bottom line? Clearer trade rules and firming domestic signals give the BOJ cover to tighten as soon as late October, but growth is still exposed to global demand softness and currency swings. Also, Boardrooms, Tariffs, and Trust: Supply Chains at a Crossroads and From Tariffs to TikTok: How the Trump Administrationâs âWhole-of-Governmentâ Industrial Deals Are Reshaping US Supply Chains.
How AI Helps a Logistics Giant Thrive During a Downturn. C.H. Robinson lifted profits even as sales fell by leaning hard into lean ops plus AI to automate quoting, pricing, and carrier bookings, keeping the broker âalways onâ and faster than rivals. The shift let it handle virtually every quote request with a smaller team, expand margins, and push its stock to record territory while peers struggled. Bottom line: AI-powered operating leverage is working in a down market. With agentic AI compressing complex global-forwarding quotes from days to hours, Robinson and any fast follower can scale faster when volumes return and stay efficient if they donât. For more, check out How Generative and Agentic AI Are Transforming Logistics.
Major Ports So Far Unscathed by Trumpâs One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Trumpâs âOne Big Beautiful Billâ rescinded $60M in IRA-era EPA diesel-emissions funds, but major ports report little immediate impactâLos Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland say current projects are unaffected, while the Northwest Seaport Alliance continues its drayage truck upgrades. The bigger risk is potentially ahead: DOT reviews could slow new agreements, and future DERA rounds are uncertain, tightening money for clean equipment. A funding gap may still lie ahead; operators that line up state, local, or private capital and keep projects shovel-ready will sustain decarbonization momentum and gain cost and compliance advantages.
DHL Hiring More Customs Specialists as Trade Flows Shift. DHL is bulking up its customs muscle. Express just added 680 clearance and support staff to stay agile as trade shifts away from China/Hong Kong toward markets like Mexico, India, Vietnam and Malaysia, and to steady peak-season performance. In parallel, DHL Global Forwarding is lifting US customs processing capacity by 40% with more specialists, echoing an industry pivot as peers like FedEx also invest. Thus, customs capability is turning into a competitive moat and cost centerâthose who build it in-house will move faster, stay compliant, and win share as sourcing patterns realign. Related, DHL Supply Chain: Transforming Reverse Logistics with ReTurn.
The Future of Supply Chain đïž
Check out our podcast series thatâs been running since 2018. On each episode of the Future of Supply Chain, we sit down with a different entrepreneur, investor, or industry veteran to discuss innovation, technology, and the most exciting opportunities in supply chain as we build the future of the industry together.
Fundraises and M&A đž
Arqh Raises $3.8M in Pre-Seed Funding. Arqh is a Zurich-based AI company developing a decision intelligence engine that helps logistics and other industries turn business goals into real-time operational decisions. The new funding will be used to expand engineering and research teams and accelerate software rollout with design partners. Founderful led the round with participation from Merantix Capital.
Reveni Raises âŹ7.5M in Series A Funding. Reveni is a Madrid-based company providing an integrated platform that centralizes sales, logistics, and returns management for eCComm brands. The new funding will be used to strengthen operations in the UK and EU, accelerate product development, and expand the team. The round was led by 13books Capital with participation from JME Ventures, BSV, and Bynd Venture Capital.
InOrbit.AI Raises $10M in Series A Funding. InOrbit.AI develops a robot orchestration platform that integrates fleets of robots, autonomous systems, and physical infrastructure into a unified operational layer for enterprise environments. The funds will be used to accelerate product development and expand its presence across industries such as manufacturing, logistics, retail, and hospitality. The Series A round was co-led by LâAttitude Ventures and Globant Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Globant.
Gain Raises $12M Seed Round. Gain develops âAI Employeesâ designed to autonomously manage procurement workflows, from supplier negotiations to contract execution. The funding will be used to expand deployments and refine the platformâs ability to tackle long-tail purchasing inefficiencies. The round was led by The Garage, with participation from BlueRed Partners, Bazan Group, and pilot partner Tempo Beer Industries.
RunBuggy Raises $37M in Series B Funding. RunBuggy provides an AI-powered logistics platform that connects automotive shippers and haulers, automating vehicle transport workflows and optimizing load efficiency. The new funding will support accelerated product development and broaden the companyâs reach across automotive verticals, including manufacturers, dealerships, and financial institutions. The Series B round was led by Centana Growth Partners, with participation from returning investor OMI Capital.
Alvys Raises $40M in Series B Funding. Alvys provides an AI-powered transportation management system designed to streamline operations for trucking companies, integrating dispatch, load management, tracking, billing, and more into a unified platform. The new funds will be used to enhance product capabilities and expand adoption among freight carriers. RTP Global led the round, with participation from Alpha Square Group, Picus Capital, Titanium Ventures, and Bonfire Ventures.
Phaidra Raises $50M+ in Series B Funding. Phaidra develops AI agents designed to optimize âAI factories,â the data center infrastructure purpose-built for AI workloads. The funding will be used to expand its ecosystem of AI agents, improve energy efficiency across compute, cooling, and workload management systems, and deepen collaboration with NVIDIA. The round was led by Collaborative Fund with participation from Helena, Index Ventures, NVIDIA, Sony Innovation Fund, and others.
Neptune Robotics Raises $52M in Series B Funding. Neptune Robotics develops underwater robots that automate ship hull cleaning, replacing divers and significantly reducing fuel consumption and emissions. The funding will support R&D, expand AI-driven platforms, and scale operations to 20 new markets globally. Granite Asia led the round, with strategic investment from NYK Line, which is rolling out Neptuneâs technology across its fleet.
Einride Raises $100M. Einride develops electric and autonomous freight vehicles, including self-driving pods and planning software for logistics operations. The new funding will support expansion across its electric and autonomous product lines, helping accelerate deployment and scale with its growing customer base. EQT Ventures led the round, joined by other new and existing investors, including a strategic investment from IonQ.
Whoâs Hiring? đ©âđ»
Be sure to check out the Dynamo website for more job opportunities at our portfolio companies!
Content Manager at Raft in London, England (Hybrid).
Senior Software Engineer at Token Transit in San Francisco, CA (Hybrid).
Marketing Manager at Ceto in London, England (Hybrid).
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