PLANTATION, Fla., June 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-iReach/ — Deutsche Post DHL Group, the world’s leading logistics and mail company, has entered into a strategic partnership with Plug and Play, a global startup ecosystem and venture fund specializing in the development of early-to-growth stage technology startups. The partnership will see Deutsche Post DHL Group join Startup Autobahn, a mobility-centric program led by founding partners Plug and Play, Daimler AG, University of Stuttgart and ARENA2036 in Stuttgart, Germany, and the Plug and Play Supply Chain and Logistics vertical, led by Maersk, Panasonic, BASF, Union Pacific Railroad, and Ericsson in Silicon Valley, USA. It will engage with a select group of startups that join the Plug and Play accelerator program, providing executive mentoring, technical expertise and also potentially piloting startups’ solutions within its own operations to foster their development.  

“Deutsche Post DHL Group has a strong track record of working with innovative young businesses and incorporating groundbreaking new technologies into our operations,” said Thomas Ogilvie, Executive Vice President, Corporate Development, Deutsche Post DHL Group. “As we look to maintain our global leadership position, we are continuously looking at ways in which we can explore new technology driven logistics business models, and we also recognize the great potential that digitalization has to drive productivity and service improvements. Plug and Play has proven highly effective in bringing industry leaders together with high potential technology startups, and we are therefore very excited about the opportunity to work with them and their global network of young, innovative disruptors.”  

Deutsche Post DHL Group has pioneered and supported the development of a broad number of innovations within the mobility and supply chain and logistics arenas. For example, in 2011, Deutsche Post began collaborating with StreetScooter GmbH, a startup manufacturer of electric vehicles to develop a customized electric van for postal and parcel deliveries in 2015. It acquired the company and has announced plans to replace its entire delivery fleet in Germany with StreetScooter electric vehicles. In 2015, DHL Supply Chain announced the successful pilot of an augmented reality application for warehouse operations based on software developed by Ubimax, a technology start-up. In January 2017, DHL Global Forwarding, Freight launched Saloodo!, an online freight marketplace.

“With the launch of our new program, Plug and Play is now the world’s leading innovation platform for Supply Chain and Logistics” said Saeed Amidi, Founder and CEO of Plug and Play.  “We are excited about the era of Industry 4.0, where there is complete visibility and transparency of products and their respective supply chains, from mines to the consumers’ homes, and where quality and sustainability will be built into every step of the chain. At Plug and Play we believe that early stage companies have a major role in making all this happen, from new tracking technologies for shipments, to AI & robotics, to new innovative solutions for last-mile delivery. This partnership with Deutsche Post DHL Group will help us to accelerate and grow world-class startups in this area faster and at a larger scale.”

You can find the press release for download as well as further information on http://www.dpdhl.com/pressreleases

On the Internet: www.dpdhl.de/press

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Deutsche Post DHL Group is the world’s leading mail and logistics company. The Group connects people and markets and is an enabler of global trade. It aspires to be the first choice for customers, employees and investors worldwide. The Group contributes to the world through responsible business practices, corporate citizenship and environmental activities. By the year 2050, Deutsche Post DHL Group aims to achieve zero emissions logistics.

Deutsche Post DHL Group is home to two strong brands: Deutsche Post is Europe’s leading postal service provider. DHL offers a comprehensive range of international express, freight transport, and supply chain management services, as well as e-commerce logistics solutions. Deutsche Post DHL Group employs approximately 510,000 people in over 220 countries and territories worldwide. The Group generated revenues of more than 57 billion Euros in 2016.

Die Post für Deutschland. The logistics company for the world.

About STARTUP AUTOBAHN:

STARTUP AUTOBAHN is a neutral innovation platform moderating an in-depth and curated collaboration between core partners from industry, Investment firms and mentors to help the growth of startup companies. Plug & Play, the Silicon Valley accelerator and investor, is facilitating this joint project together with Daimler AG, ARENA2036, the University of Stuttgart, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, ZF, BASF and Porsche as well as Murata. Startups from all over the world are invited to submit their applications for the accelerator program on the future of mobility and Industry 4.0.

Plug and Play’s Supply Chain & Logistics Innovation Platform is the world’s leading ecosystem for the digital transformation of end-to-end supply chains and world trade. The first cohort of startups has been selected as of June 8^th, 2017 by Plug and Play’s founding partners BASF, Union Pacific Railroad, Maersk, DPDHL, Panasonic, and Ericsson. For future cohorts, startups from all over the world are invited to submit their applications for the Silicon Valley program around IoT, asset tracking, blockchain for supply chain & logistics, supply chain optimization, robotics, artificial intelligence, procurement negotiations, and advanced analytics. http://plugandplaytechcenter.com/supply-chain/

About Plug and Play:

Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. We connect startups to corporations and invest in over 150 companies every year.  Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in 22 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 6,000 startups and 180 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. We provide active investments with 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and host more than 365 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised over $6 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club, PayPal, SoundHound, and Zoosk. For more information, visit www.plugandplaytechcenter.com

Media Contact: Bea Garcia, Deutsche Post DHL Group, +1 954-0701-9265, Bea.Garcia@dhl.com

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SOURCE Deutsche Post DHL Group