About this episode
Join hosts Harshida and Ninaad as they dive into the future of last-mile logistics with Nicole Mazza, Founder & Chief Commercial Officer at Relay Technologies. Nicole, a trailblazer in urban delivery, shares how Relay is transforming the last-mile into the last 100 meters—leveraging hyperlocal pit stops to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and support sustainability. She also opens up about her journey from scaling Stuart Delivery to $400M in revenue to launching Relay, navigating fundraising challenges, and embracing AI-driven logistics.This episode is packed with insights on rethinking traditional delivery networks, leveraging data for real-time optimization, and building a more flexible, scalable, and cost-efficient logistics model.What You’ll Learn? Turning the Last Mile into the Last 100 Meters – How hyperlocal pit stops create faster, cheaper, and greener deliveries.? The Power of Data in Logistics – Relay collects 1,600+ data points per shipment to drive efficiency and optimize delivery routes in real-time.? Revolutionizing Urban vs. Suburban Delivery – Why urban logistics is more challenging than suburban delivery, despite higher density.? Fundraising & Scaling a Logistics Startup – Lessons from navigating investor skepticism and securing a $35M Series A.? The Future of AI & Automation in Logistics – How AI can reduce inefficiencies, optimize fleet management, and reshape the logistics workforce. Episode Highlights? [00:01:06] – Nicole’s background: Scaling Stuart Delivery to $400M & founding Relay.? [00:04:00] – What is the last 100 meters model, and how do hyperlocal pit stops work?? [00:06:30] – The asset-light advantage: Why Relay’s model is flexible and scalable compared to traditional depots.? [00:10:30] – Why urban logistics is actually harder than suburban delivery.? [00:12:00] – Relay’s cost-saving impact: 60% reduction in delivery costs with 99% on-time rates.? [00:24:00] – Overcoming investor skepticism: How Nicole & her team raised $35M Series A.? [00:32:00] – What’s next for Relay? Expansion plans & the potential move into North America.? [00:33:15] – AI in logistics: How AI-driven route optimization is changing the game.? [00:34:30] – Drone deliveries? Nicole’s take on why they might not happen in the UK anytime soon. Quotes? [00:03:00] – “The last mile isn’t actually the last mile—it’s the last 10 miles. We’re turning that into the last 100 meters.” – Nicole Mazza? [00:10:45] – “Urban delivery is actually harder than suburban. Traffic, parking, and handover times offset density.” – Nicole Mazza? [00:22:00] – “For every shipment, we collect 1,600 data points. It’s not just about having data—it’s about taking real-time action.” – Nicole Mazza? [00:25:00] – “Investors told us ‘No’ hundreds of times before we got our first ‘Yes.’ Bootstrapping was tough but ma
