Gently partners with Cloud Paper for sustainable last mile delivery initiative in Los Angeles

Logistics startup, Gently, has announced a partnership with Cloud Paper, a tree free paper products company.

Gently, which made its first delivery in April, will begin deliveries of Cloud Paper products immediately in Los Angeles.

Cloud Paper was founded in 2019 by ex-Uber employees Ryan Fritsch and Austin Watkins.

It says that its products have saved more than 25,000 trees to date, with its mission to end deforestation catching the attention of investors including Bezos Expeditions (Jeff Bezos’ personal investment company), Ashton Kutcher’s SOUNDWaves, Marc Benioff’s TIME Ventures, Robert Downey Jr., and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Founded by Harvard Business School classmates Elian Pres-Gurwits and Anas Aljumaily, Gently stores stock in nano-fulfilment centres close to the consumer.

The inventory in these facilities is proactively rebalanced on behalf of retailers through the use of data from retail partners, consumer purchase behaviour, and third parties, allowing demand spikes and supply shortages to be predicted ahead of time.

This reduces emissions by eliminating unnecessary journeys and allows for faster delivery to customers. 

Gently’s fleet of delivery vehicles is also fully electric. 

Pres-Gurwits says: “We’re really excited to announce Cloud Paper as one of our first major delivery partners.”

“They’re a great fit for Gently and I’ve always admired their focus on sustainability, so we’re looking forward to providing customer focused and sustainable last mile delivery to their growing customer base.” 

Aljumaily adds: “This is a pivotal time for Gently following our launch last month. We want to level the playing field for brands and retailers of all sizes, and partnering with popular, innovative American brands like Cloud Paper is a fundamental part of that mission.” 

Watkins comments: “We started Cloud Paper to change the traditional paper industry.”

“From the outset, we have invested in offering the most sustainable products possible and ensuring that we continue to raise the bar in terms of sustainability. We see a lot of brand alignment with the Gently team and their vision to disrupt the logistics space.” 

Cloud Paper VP of Operations Tori Kiss, says: “We look for ways to make our supply chain more efficient and more sustainable wherever possible. Gently’s innovative approach to last mile delivery is a win-win for Cloud Paper and our customers, and we are excited to be an early partner.”