The 10 most innovative logistics companies of 2025

Why Celonis, Yale Lift Technologies, Altana, and Fleetio are among Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in logistics for 2025.

Consumers typically aren’t concerned with how goods get from Point A to Point B, as long as they get there on time and intact. Last year proved that there’s plenty that can complicate the journey. 

Geopolitics threaten to upend supply chains, from tariffs levied on America’s largest trade partners to an intensifying cold war with China that has U.S. companies migrating operations to closer (and cheaper) locales. Elevated interest rates have pushed companies to shave as much as possible from their overhead—from vehicle maintenance fees to package theft—to offset borrowing costs. Meanwhile, consumers continue to amplify the e-commerce boom, pushing retailers, carriers and warehouses to find new technologies and platforms to meet demand while mitigating losses. 

Many of the top logistics companies this year met the moment by embracing breakthroughs in machine learning and automation, retooling their offerings with incredible prescience. Nuvocargo, which helps companies ship goods between the U.S. and Mexico, launched a new Al-powered version of its supply chain software that creates more visibility at the so-called border “black hole.” The platform, which can save shippers up to 20% in customs fees, arrived just ahead of President Trump’s whiplash-inducing tariff war with the U.S.’s bordering nations.

Kojo rolled out a feature for construction contractors to track expensive tools and equipment, while electric forklift maker Yale Lift Technologies launched its counter-balancing technology as a standalone product; both money-saving innovations target industries weakened by an ongoing post-pandemic labor shortage.

And to perhaps no one’s surprise, robots themselves were responsible for some of the most significant optimization: Nimble, a startup that landed a $106 million investment from FedEx last fall, deployed fully autonomous warehouses that reduce the typical cost of picking, packing and sorting orders by 40%.

1. Nuvocargo

For clearing up cross-border trade between the U.S. and Mexico

Nuvocargo makes supply chain software that helps companies ship, track, and protect goods across the U.S./Mexico border. From customs congestion to cargo theft, supply chain visibility often breaks down during border crossings—complexities that may become even more gnarly depending on how long President Trump levels tariffs on Mexican imports. In 2024, Nuvocargo launched a new, AI-powered version of its platform that includes cargo GPS tracking, dynamic ETA alerts, and more granular visibility across a client’s carriers and freight brokers. If a shipment is idle for more than 30 minutes, for example, Nuvocargo automatically generates an alert for internal escalation.

Nuvocargo, which is staffed by a fully bilingual team in both the U.S. and Mexico, has nearly doubled clients’ on-time, in-full delivery rates and has automated data entry for regulatory compliance into its platform. For example, it became a certified member of the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) in 2024. This has helped reduce clients’ average time at customs by 34% and lower their customs fees by 40%. Last year, the company also cofounded Bridge49, an initiative aiming to foster innovation and collaboration across the U.S./Mexico border.

Read more about Nuvocargo, honored as No. 30 on Fast Company’s list of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2025.

Altana

For enabling a more precise view of supply chains

Altana is a software startup whose AI platform can track every imaginable part of a company’s supply chain. As commerce becomes increasingly globalized, supply lines, labor practices, geopolitical vulnerabilities and other complexities become increasingly obfuscated. In 2024, Altana launched its Value Chain Management System, a cutting-edge platform that applies artificial intelligence to map an unprecedented level of detail about the movement of physical goods around the world. Altana’s technology analyzes more than 2.8 billion shipments, 500 million companies, and 850 million facilities, helping businesses and governments uncover crucial insights about their operations.

Using the platform, Altana’s clients have identified and rooted out suppliers suspected of forced labor activity, for example, and drastically reduced errors when classifying foreign transactions for ever-evolving international regulatory compliance. Altana also expanded its contract with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, whose staff has used the platform to track and seize thousands of pounds of fentanyl precursor chemicals. Thanks to a $200 million investment led by the United States Innovative Technology fund, Altana also reached unicorn status last year.

3. Kojo

For helping construction contractors get the job done

Kojo provides an AI-powered platform that helps contractors streamline construction operations. With construction jobs falling 40% since 2023, contractors are having to finish projects with fewer hands. In 2024, Kojo launched several new features to enable them to do just that. The company’s offerings include a marketplace of sorts for ordering, tracking, and comparing prices of prefab materials needed for a job, such as a ceiling fixture or air duct. Kojo also launched accounts payable software that digitizes and automates invoices, weeding out costly errors, as well as a tool-tracking feature that indexes equipment by assignee, site location, and condition, extending the lifecycle of costly hardware and reducing unnecessary or duplicate purchases.

In 2024, Kojo exceeded $3 billion in annual materials volume purchased through its platform, twice the amount from the previous year. The company, whose platform is used by more than 25,000 construction professionals across 48 states, has also helped customers save more than $30 million on their materials orders and prevented 11,000 invoicing errors.

4. Fleetio

For optimizing fleet management efficiency through advanced monitoring

Fleetio’s fleet-management software lets organizations track, analyze, and maintain their vehicle fleets. In a recent survey of motor carriers by the American Transportation Research Institute, the top issue for respondents in 2024 was the economy. Fleetio fleet-management platform packs in a suite of new features to help fleet operators wring more life out of their vehicles (and budgets). It includes tools that aggregate fuel data in real-time, making it easier for companies to optimize fuel economy and ward off fuel theft after tank refills. The company also launched EV charge tracking for fleets, helping carriers extend the life of their vehicles’ batteries. A new tire management feature offers real-time updates on a vehicle’s tire health down to the depth of the tread, and integrations with sensors and drive cams can automatically trigger maintenance work orders.

Thanks to these developments, Fleetio hit a number of significant milestones in 2024. Its platform has now logged more than 1.4 billion gallons of fuel usage and 1 million kilowatt hours of charging, and its Fleetio Go app boasts 1.3 million users. The company expects to exceed 50% annual revenue growth.

5. Celonis

For using digital twins to work out kinks in the supply chain

Celonis provides a software platform that lets businesses see and fix broken processes. By plugging any data source into the company’s Process Intelligence tool—product inventory, client inventory, patient appointments, inspection requirements—companies can create a “digital twin” of their supply chains to visualize their organization’s sprawling workflows, home in on specific problem areas, and get suggestions for the best solution. The company positions its product as connective tissue that layers over other tools being used.

In 2024, Celonis launched its Platform Apps Program, an expanding suite of industry-focused applications that come with solutions baked in. Some of the first apps out of the gate target the banking, utilities, and manufacturing sectors. Its manufacturing-focused app, for example, analyzes data from floor machinery to offer alerts about potential breakdowns and revenue leakage, while its app targeted to banks can pinpoint and standardize transactions made in other countries. Celonis counts some of the largest U.S. brands among its clients, including PepsiCo, which used Celonis to reduce rejected sales orders by 86%, and GE Healthcare, which once used Celonis to free up $1.3 billion in free cash flow. 

6. Warp

For using digital twins to work out kinks in the supply chain

The logistics world is often concerned with delivery to customers’ doorstep, the “last mile.” But Warp is a logistics tech company that focuses on the often vexing middle mile—the transporting of goods from a fulfillment center or warehouse to a store or local distribution center. Shipments in this phase are prone to warehouse sorting delays (think Black Friday), product spoilage, and even stealing: Cargo thef skyrocketed by nearly 50% in the first half of 2024.

Warp, which connects to a growing number of third-party carriers and facilities, has stepped up with sizable upgrades to its offering. Most significantly, it introduced machine learning to provide real-time tracking of client deliveries, automating the process of transferring goods from an inbound to an outbound vehicle (reducing the need for a shipment to sit in a warehouse), and crunching traffic and weather patterns to optimize routes. These innovations reduce the chances of a retailer or restaurant running out of stock at peak hours, a proposition resonating with Warp’s clients. In 2024, shipments moving through Warp’s middle-mile solution more than doubled to nearly 100,000, and the company expanded its delivery network to nearly 450 additional cities.

7. SourceDay

For using AI to head off supply chain delays

SourceDay, a software and logistics company, provides a direct procurement platform that leverages AI to mitigate risks for inbound shipments. While many supply chain issues happen during transport, a big chunk of delays occur before packages even hit the road, rail, or sky. SourceDay’s software, which is used by companies whose operations involve a large variety of materials and vendors, scans and analyzes digital communications to surface issues and send alerts about potential delays.

In 2024, the company launched SourceDay Intelligence, a machine learning-based platform drawing on a decade of shipments and purchase orders. Building on communications that include 75 million messages to and from suppliers, it helps companies prevent issues with vital material shipments before they come up, from a missed email or purchase order to an unrealistic lead time. Enterprise technology supplier Dell uses SourceDay, for example, to monitor all digital activity with Chinese suppliers it has reportedly been phasing out of its operations. The digital purchase-order trail aims to reduce delays in receiving computer parts and address disputes regarding agreed-upon prices for orders.

8. Spreetail

For helping brands respond to fluctuating e-commerce marketplaces

Spreetail is a consultancy that accelerates e-commerce growth for brands by listing, advertising, and fulfilling oversize items. These often create logistics challenges that can require specialized equipment for heavier or awkwardly sized packages, optimized routes to save on fuel, or hiring staff that have expertise in handling such items safely. In 2024, the company built a proprietary algorithm that continuously adapts to the pricing and demand fluctuations of more than 15 e-commerce marketplaces, including Walmart and Target+. Also included in that group is Amazon, whose sales growth has slowed this year. It also built new client tools for inventory management, item listing, and shipping and delivery times.

By predicting product demand across every e-commerce platform, the company reduced out-of-stock messages—i.e., orders missed out on—by an average of 80% for its clients. It infused its “listing doctor” tool with generative AI to create dynamic advertising content and product copy that shifts with search terms and consumer demand, helping them to capture $50 million in additional sales. In 2024, Spreetail also expanded next day delivery to 80% of its clients’ products and offered same-day delivery for big, bulky items for the first time. Spreetail reached $1 billion in revenue at the end of 2024.

9. Yale Lift Technologies

For raising warehouse productivity by lowering forklift learning curves

Yale Lift Truck Technologies, a subsidiary of manufacturing giant Hyster-Yale, makes advanced electric lift trucks for warehouses. Despite more demand than ever for industrial space as e-commerce booms, the warehouse sector still sees one of the highest turnover rates in the U.S. economy. In 2024, Yale launched two models of its lithium-ion battery-powered forklift trucks designed to accommodate new staff with little experience operating heavy machinery. The three- and four-wheeled forklifts can be charged in two hours and are much more environmentally friendly than those powered with diesel or lead-acid batteries.

They also come packaged with Yale Reliant. Developed in 2021, the LiDAR-enabled technology suite includes automatic weight counterbalancing and constantly scans as far as 30 feet. It’s been installed on more than 6,000 commercially deployed lift trucks, which gain features such as object detection and real-time location sensing. The new models also include ergonomic enhancements, such as lower step height to make it easier to enter and exit the lift. Last year, the company launched its counterbalancing technology, called the Advanced Dynamic System, as a standalone product, throwing a bone to clients who want safer forklifts but might not have the budget for all-new rides. In its most recent quarter, Hyster-Yale reported annual growth in both revenue (5%) and operating profit (17%), citing the lift truck business as driving the increases.

10. Nimble

For using AI-trained robots to help brands scale their e-commerce quickly

Nimble specializes in robotic third-party logistics, building fully autonomous warehouses that let companies scale their fulfillment operations faster and at costs significantly lower than the industry standard. Founded in the AI labs of Stanford and Carnegie Mellon, Nimble has developed custom mobile robots— which can perform functions like product retrieval, picking, packing, and sorting—and has trained them with reams of data and state-of-the-art AI models. Over the past year, Nimble’s autonomous fulfillment helped brands reduce the typical cost of warehouse fulfillment tasks by 40%.

In fall 2024, Nimble closed a $106 million funding round led by FedEx, which also partnered with Nimble to expand its own client-facing fulfillment operations. While other clients include household names such as Best Buy and Puma, a number of up-and-coming brands sought Nimble’s help in getting products to customers in 2024 as well, from Steeped Coffee to TA3 Swimwear of “Shark Tank” fame. In September, Nimble also launched a fully autonomous fulfillment center in New Jersey to better serve the e-commerce needs of the bustling East Coast market.

Explore the full 2025 list of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, 609 organizations that are reshaping industries and culture. We’ve selected the companies making the biggest impact across 58 categories, including advertising, applied AI, biotech, retail, sustainability, and more.

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