GoMetro, a company originally established in South Africa and now based in London, specializes in providing B2B software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions for fleet management. It has recently been awarded a significant grant of GBP147,000 (approximately US$191,000) from the UK Freight Innovation Fund. This fund is managed by the UK Department of Transport and aims to foster innovation within the freight sector.
The company was founded in 2014 by Justin Coetzee and has made a name for itself by offering a top-tier, brand-neutral platform for the electrification management of bus and truck fleets. This platform is instrumental in driving decarbonization efforts within sectors that traditionally face challenges in reducing carbon emissions. GoMetro’s innovative solution not only enhances the operational efficiency of numerous fleets globally but also serves as a foundational technology for the swift creation of mobility applications.
In a report by Innovation Village towards the end of the previous year, it was revealed that GoMetro had successfully raised GBP9 million (or US$11.5 million) in a Series A funding round. This funding was aimed at further enhancing its platform’s capabilities in its primary markets. Following this, the company has now secured a crucial grant from the UK Freight Innovation Fund, which is a testament to its growing influence and success.
Justin Coetzee, the founder and CEO of GoMetro, announced that the grant funds would be allocated towards a six-month pilot project in collaboration with prominent UK logistics firms, Maritime Transport and Welch’s Transport. The project will focus on implementing GoMetro’s EV-FIT solution, aimed at transforming electric vehicle (EV) fleets, and the GoMetro Bridge fleet management software platform. This initiative will involve the collection and analysis of fleet movement data from a selected UK depot to pinpoint essential specifications for vehicles and infrastructure.
Coetzee expressed that the grant represents a significant endorsement of GoMetro’s presence in the UK freight market. The opportunity to deploy their solutions with leading logistics companies offers a remarkable chance to demonstrate the efficacy of their software platform in assisting fleet owners to achieve superior operational outcomes.
This funding is part of the third installment of the Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator Programme, a GBP7 million (around US$9 million) investment by the UK government over three years. The program is designed to support the freight sector’s adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies to enhance the transportation of parcels and goods via trains, lorries, vans, and ships. The initiative is funded by the UK Department for Transport and executed through the Connected Places Catapult, which serves as the UK’s innovation accelerator for urban, transport, and place leadership.
