The Logistics Report 2025 reveals the role of different technologies in strengthening international supply chains. For instance, AI and machine learning optimize route and predictive analytics, and IoT improves real-time tracking. Similarly, robotics and driverless cars ensure efficient operations, and blockchain offers increased transparency in the logistics chain.
The report also reveals the impact of major trends like inventory tracking, palletizing, and cold storage on the logistics sector. Different industries like manufacturing, construction, real estate, eCommerce, healthcare, etc. heavily rely on the logistics sector.
It also explores the market situation, employment, startup scenario, and investment landscape and acts as a reference to major stakeholders like policymakers, economists, investors, etc.
Executive Summary: Logistics Report 2025
- Industry Growth Overview: The logistics sector is growing at a rate of -1.09%. There are 9700+ startups and 139 100+ companies working actively in this sector. The global logistics market is projected to reach over USD 535 billion in value by 2025, driven by e-commerce growth and technological advancements.
- Manpower and Employment Pattern: Currently, 14.3 million people are working in the logistics sector. Additionally, 675 000+ people joined the domain last year.
- Global Footprint: Major countries for logistics operations are the United States, India, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany. Cities with the highest number of logistics companies are Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Sydney, and Melbourne.
- Grants and Patents: More than 26 300 applicants filed for 174 900+ patents. Additionally, the sector received 7800+ grants.
- Investment landscape: The companies in the logistics sector held more than 40 500 funding rounds. The average funding amount raised per round is USD 16.6 million. More than 13 100 companies received support from these funding amounts.
- Top Investors: Top investors like Alibaba, Softbank, Airtel, and others invest more than USD 21 billion in the logistics sector.
- Startup Environment: Emerging startups like ANT Machines (robots for industrial yard operations), eLogii (route optimization software suite), Airbound (delivery drones), MagicLog (CX digitization platform for logistics providers), Mastiff Cargo Bike (cargo bikes) represent the current developments in the logistics sector.
Methodology: How We Created This Logistics Report
This report is based on proprietary data from our AI-powered Discovery Platform, which tracks 25 million companies and 20 000 technologies and trends globally, including detailed insights on approximately 5 million startups, scaleups, and tech companies. Leveraging this extensive database, we provide actionable insights on emerging technologies and market trends.
For this report, we focused on the evolution of logistics over the past 5 years, utilizing our platform’s trend intelligence feature. Key data points analyzed include:
- Total Companies working on the trend
- News Coverage and Annual Growth
- Market Maturity and Patents
- Global Search Volume & Growth
- Funding Activity and Top Countries
- Subtrends within the logistics sector
Our data is refreshed regularly, enabling trend comparisons for deeper insights into their relative impact and importance.
Additionally, we reviewed external resources to supplement our findings with broader market data and predictions, ensuring a reliable and comprehensive overview of the logistics market.
What Data is Used to Create This Logistics Report?
Based on the data provided by our Discovery Platform, we observe that the logistics market ranks among the top 5% in the following categories relative to all 20K+ technologies and trends we track.
These categories provide a comprehensive overview of the market’s key metrics and inform the short-term future direction of the market.
- News Coverage and Publications: Over 59 900 stories about logistics were published by news organizations and trade journals in the last 12 months.
- Funding Rounds: Information on over 40 500 fundraising rounds is included in our database, which demonstrates the high level of investor interest and financial activity in the logistics sector.
- Manpower: Over 14.3 million people work in logistics worldwide, and in the past year alone, the sector has added more than 675 000 new employees.
- Patents: The 174 900+ patents filed by applicants from the logistics company reflect the sector’s dedication towards technological innovation and problem-solving.
- Grants: The sector also received 7800+ grants from the government.
- Yearly Global Search Growth: Over the previous year, the volume of global searches for topics linked to logistics increased by 13.56%, indicating a growing public interest in the sector.
Explore the Data-driven Logistics Report for 2025
Our database records 139 100+ companies and 9700+ startups, which summarizes the scope of the sector. Applicants from the companies in this sector filed for 174 900+ patents and received more than 7800 grants. The sector is growing at a rate of -1.09% annually.
The global logistics market size accounted for USD 8.96 trillion in 2023 and it is expected to be worth around USD 21.91 trillion by 2033 with a CAGR of 9.35% from 2024 to 2033.
Credit: Precedence Research
The current employment in the logistics sector is 14.3 million. Additionally, 675 000+ people joined the workforce last year. In India, the logistics sector currently employs over 22 million people and is predicted to be the largest job creator in the coming years.
The top five countries in the world for logistics activity are the United States, India, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany. The United States alone spends over USD 1.5 trillion annually on transportation logistics. Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Sydney, and Melbourne are the main hubs for logistics at the city level.
A Snapshot of the Global Logistics Report
Modern trucks used in logistics emit 60 times fewer harmful gases compared to trucks from 1988, which showcases significant improvements in fuel technology. Over the last 20 years, the logistics sector has gained control over 95% of emissions.
With an annual growth rate of -1.09%, the logistics sector had a minor decrease in the growth rate. Currently, there are 9700+ startups in the logistics sector. Additionally, 4000+ startups are in the early stages, and 8000+ more are in the merger and acquisition stage.
More than 26 300 applicants filed over 174 900 patents. The patent activity is growing by 5.15% annually. The United States is leading with 51 060+ patents and China is following with 48 290+ patents.
Explore the Funding Landscape of the Logistics Market
The average fund raised per funding round is USD 16.6. More than 24 500 investors participate in 40 500+ funding rounds, which assist 13 100+ companies. These diversified investments from private and public communities ensure the sector stays up to date.
Who is Investing in the Logistics Market?
Top investors contributed USD 21.1 billion to the logistics sector.
- Alibaba invested USD 3.8 billion in 14 companies. It also invested USD 1.38 billion in ZTO Express and acquired a 10% stake in the company.
- SoftBank spent USD 3.8 billion on 42 companies. Veho, a logistics startup also received investment from SoftBank Vision Fund.
- Airtel contributed USD 2.5 billion to at least one company. It also acquired Quikmile, a logistics startup, that provides a logistics ecosystem to stakeholders.
- Tiger Global distributed USD 2.2 billion among 65 companies. Wiz Freight, a supply chain logistics startup, raised USD 11.24 million in a series B round led by SBI Investments and Tiger Global.
- Sequoia Capital invested USD 2.1 billion in 59 companies. BlackBuck, a B2B logistics startup, received USD 27.4 million from Sequoia Capital in 2018.
- Goldman Sachs invested USD 1.8 billion in 29 companies.
- D1 Capital Partners invested USD 1.7 billion in 8 companies.
- GIC distributed USD 1.6 billion among 10 companies. It also formed a joint venture with the ESR Group worth USD 600 million to support industrial and logistics assets in India.
- Cainiao invested USD 1.6 billion in 5 companies. It has invested in logistics companies like Deppon Logistics and Global Logistics Properties.
Top Logistics Innovations & Trends
Discover the emerging trends in the logistics market along with their firmographic details:
- Inventory Tracking is a major trend in logistics. There are 1100+ companies in this sector and it is additionally growing at a rate of 15.33% annually. More than 45 600 people are working in the sector. 4100+ people joined the sector last year. Numerous technologies assist in inventory tracking. For example, blockchain provides product authentication, while radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and IoT sensors track assets in transit.
- The Palletizing sector employs 668 800+ people currently. More than 25 700 people joined the sector last year. There are 13 300+ companies in the sector currently and it is growing at a rate of 2.66% every year. Palletizing ensures faster handling, streamlines goods flow, and optimizes storage space.
- Cold Storage is essential in modern logistics for maintaining the quality of the product in transit. It additionally extends shelf life, ensures food safety, and preserves nutritional values. Currently, 3900+ companies are working in this sector and it is growing at a rate of 18.99%. 456 400+ people are currently working in the sector and 19 000+ more joined last year.
5 Top Examples from 9700+ Innovative Logistics Startups
The five innovative startups showcased below are picked based on data including the trend they operate within and their relevance, founding year, funding status, and more. Book a demo to find promising startups, emerging trends, or industry data specific to your company’s needs and objectives.
ANT Machines designs Robots for Industrial Yard Operations
Germans startup ANT Machines build industrial robots for challenging yard environments. The robots are customizable and are suitable for various routes, dynamic movements, different loads, and sites. It is fully automated and teleoperational.
The robots are operated as automated guided vehicles (AGV) by walk-by trained operators from a control tower or remote control system. It is attachable to all trailers and chassis. The yard robots are suitable for cargo ports, logistics hubs and warehouses, intermodal terminals, construction yards, and more.
eLogii develops a Route Optimization Software Suite
England-based startup eLogii builds a digital logistics platform for planning, optimizing, executing, and analyzing routes for logistic operations. It is a cloud-based route optimization and execution system, suitable for retail and distribution, ecommerce, food delivery, post, healthcare, and more.
The platform runs scenarios and comparisons and allows same-day re-optimization of the current time, ongoing routes, ETA, and driver locations. It also uses deterministic and non-deterministic K-Means clustering as well as DBSCAN (Haversine distance) clustering.
It features multi-language settings and allows drivers to select from more than ten languages. The platform is customizable to any size distribution, field service, and routes. It is suitable for smart distribution and field service fleet operators to run their operations efficiently.
Airbound manufactures Delivery Drones
Indian startup Airbound builds tailsitter delivery drones, Blended WingBody Tailsitter. A tailsitter drone uses the same components for horizontal, vertical, and transition flights by rotating the entire frame. This makes vertical landing possible without the requirement of additional propellers or heavy moving parts.
The startup also uses Boeing’s BWB aircraft concept to get a highly efficient lift-to-drag ratio and lift distribution. This reduces the internal support required for handling bending loads. Carbon fiber frame makes the drone lighter than other long-range delivery drones. The drone offers optimum range, minimal footprint, sufficient cargo speed, and high speed.
MagicLog provides a CX Digitization Platform for Logistics Providers
US-based startup MagicLog builds a platform called MagicDome for managing end-to-end operations for logistics providers. The platform takes care of everything from order management, production tracking, international transportation, and customer brokerage to warehousing, last-mile distribution, reverse logistics, and accounting. It also comes with AI-led customer service and provides real-time insights through data-analyzed reports and data quality audits.
Additionally, a customized notification and alert system provides immediate updates of any unexpected changes. MagicDome speeds up internal processes and reduces manual tasks by simplifying the quotation process. The end-to-end visibility ensures complete ownership of the customer in the process. The platform offers a cost-effective way of managing logistics operations.
Mastiff Cargo Bike manufactures Delivery Bikes
Hungarian startup Mastiff Cargo Bike makes Mastiff, a durable and eco-friendly cargo bike. It is suitable for industrial workers and service providers for material handling. The bike features puncture-resistant tires, extra-long platform, and high load capacity. The steel frame makes it long-lasting and reliable in any scenario.
The bike also comes with boxes (big box, convoy box, child carrier box, and open carrier box) and messenger bags, which makes it easier to carry things or people in it. These attachments are interchangeable, making the bike multi-functional in the least amount of time. Mastiff comes fully assembled and is useful for harsh industrial landscapes, agriculture, parcel delivery, and individual carrying purposes.
Gain Comprehensive Insights into Logistics Trends, Startups, or Technologies
The logistics sector is undergoing a major transformation driven by trends like inventory management, palletizing, and cold storage.
The sector is supporting critical operations in industries like healthcare, construction, mining, real estate, and more. With more advancements in the coming time, the logistics sector is set to grow and develop more.
Get in touch to explore all 9700+ startups and scaleups, as well as all market trends impacting logistics companies.
