Startup Q&A: Hagar Valiano, CEO, Ladingo
RTIH: Tell us about Ladingo.
HV: Ladingo helps online retailers grow their business, either by expanding their offerings to larger items in overseas markets they already sell small items to, or by enabling them to sell into new markets overseas.
Our cloud-based solution enables online retailers to sell and ship large and bulky items such as furniture, home appliances or fitness equipment with low-cost shipping and hassle-free delivery. All taxes and duties are calculated in real-time and presented up front, including last-mile delivery to the shopper’s doorstep overseas.
RTIH: What was the inspiration behind setting the company up?
HV: Costs of living are high across the world - young people want access to everything, large or small from anywhere in the world. When we took upon ourselves the mission of enabling the international e-commerce of large items, we understood it to be a huge challenge: it is complex, cross-functional, full of regulation and other unpleasantries, but yet so essential to the world we are living in.
We saw the structural and procedural challenges, especially in the ocean freight industry, not as limitations but rather as an opportunity. We saw crowd-shipping or as you may want to call it ‘uber-ised shipping’ (containers sharing), simply as the next natural affordable way of furnishing our new home.
RTIH: What has been the industry reaction thus far?
HV: An amplifying glass for ways to either cut costs or grow revenues. We give them both without any additional investment. The retailers already selling cross-border, say from US to Canada, small items, are thrilled they can finally sell their larger items as well.
For retailers considering selling to a new geographic market - they can now simply start selling without building warehouses overseas - we give them the service from the country of origin to the shopper’s homes overseas.
RTIH: What has been your biggest challenge/setback?
HV: We certify the freight forwarder and logistic partners we work with. They must understand the world of personal items. These logistic partners must know how to deal with large and bulky item delivery. They must understand how to consolidate 100 different products with different loading terms to single containers.
Most importantly, they must understand that the service they provide to the shopper effects both our brand name as well as the retail brands we service. Finding trustworthy, professional logistic partners with experience in all the above, has probably been the most demanding and challenging part got us.
RTIH: What are the biggest challenges facing the omnichannel retail sector right now?
HV: Inventory management, coordination and fulfilment may still be the most challenging part of the omnichannel retail sector, yet I think many essentials are being implemented more widely now.
RTIH: What's the best question about your company or the market asked of you recently by a.) an investor and b.) a customer?
HV: Probably the most interesting question we were recently asked was: which industry are we disrupting most: that of the mega-retailers, that of the ocean freight forwarders, that of the global shippers, or that of the cross-border solution providers?
RTIH: What can we expect to see from Ladingo over the next 12 months?
HV: We will lead a dramatic change in cross-border shipping. We will raise additional funds and will expand to additional global markets.
