The Supply Chain Report 2024 presents an analysis of the industry that remains focused on efficiency, transparency, and resilience, adapting to global challenges and opportunities. Trends such as the internet of things (IoT), automation, and enhanced visibility are reshaping traditional supply chain processes to create resilient, interconnected, and responsive networks. This report delves into the latest trends, key players, firmographic data, and investment patterns shaping the future of the supply chain industry.
This supply chain industry report serves as a reference for stakeholders in the industry, investors, policymakers, and economic analysts, providing a snapshot of the industry’s health to map its trajectory for innovation and growth in the coming years.
StartUs Insights Supply Chain Report 2024
- Executive Summary
- Introduction to the Supply Chain Report 2024
- What data is used in this Supply Chain Report?
- Snapshot of the Global Supply Chain Industry
- Funding Landscape in the Supply Chain Industry
- Who is Investing in Supply Chain Solutions?
- Emerging Trends in the Supply Chain Industry
- 5 Innovative Supply Chain Startups
Executive Summary: Global Supply Chain Outlook 2024
This report is created using data obtained from the Big Data and AI-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering more than 4.7 million global companies, as well as 20K+ technologies and emerging trends. We also analyzed a sample of 8600+ supply chain startups developing innovative solutions to present five examples from emerging supply chain industry trends.
- Industry Growth Overview: The supply chain industry is steadily growing at an annual rate of 1.54% and comprises over 117000 companies.
- Manpower & Employment Growth: The industry employs more than 16 million people globally, with a growth of 870000 new employees in the past year.
- Patents & Grants: Innovation is a cornerstone, with over 36000 patents filed and more than 7100 grants awarded to support research and development.
- Global Footprint: The supply chain industry has a strong global presence, with top country hubs in the USA, India, UK, Canada, and Germany, and top city hubs in London, New York City, Mumbai, Singapore, and Dubai.
- Investment Landscape: The industry attracts investment, with an average investment value of USD 60.3 million per round. Over 33000 funding rounds have closed, involving more than 9500 investors.
- Top Investors: The combined investment value of the top investors exceeds USD 12 billion, with major contributions from SoftBank Vision Fund, Alibaba Group, and Tiger Global Management.
- Startup Ecosystem: Five innovative startups include Firstshift (AI-driven demand & supply chain planning), Extheria (IoT-based supply chain), Secure Forte (cyber supply chain risk management), WaterMirror (physical computing systems), and Wiseside (collaborative traceability platforms).
- Recommendations for Stakeholders: Investors and entrepreneurs alike must explore opportunities in digital transformation and green logistics. Governments should implement supportive policies, infrastructure investments, and regulatory frameworks that incentivize transparency and sustainability. Companies must invest in cybersecurity measures, enhance data analytics capabilities, and collaborate across the supply chain to improve efficiencies.
Explore the Data-driven Supply Chain Outlook for 2024
The Supply Chain Report 2024 uses data from the Discovery Platform and encapsulates the key metrics that underline the sector’s dynamic growth and innovation. The heatmap visually represents key data points within the supply chain industry. Our database includes 8600+ startups and over 117K+ total companies, showcasing the sector’s diversity and reach. The industry consistently expands and develops with a steady annual growth rate of 1.54%.
Intellectual property, including over 36000 patents, drives innovation. Moreover, financial support comes from 7100 awarded grants. The global supply chain workforce exceeds 16 million, offering significant employment opportunities. The last year has seen employee growth of 870000. Leading country hubs include the USA, India, the UK, Canada, and Germany, while top city hubs in London, New York City, Mumbai, Singapore, and Dubai are key centers of startup activity and innovation.
What data is used to create this supply chain report?
Based on the data provided by our Discovery Platform, we observe that the supply chain industry ranks among the top 5% in the following categories relative to all 20K topics in our database. These categories provide a comprehensive overview of the industry’s key metrics and inform the short-term future direction of the industry.
- News Coverage and Publications: The industry receives extensive coverage through publications, with over 102K articles published in the last year.
- Funding Rounds: Our database captures data from more than 33000 funding rounds, highlighting substantial financial investments in the sector.
- Manpower: The supply chain industry employs over 16 million workers. Also, it added 870K new employees in the past year.
- Patents: With over 36000 patents, the industry demonstrates a strong focus on innovation and intellectual property.
- Grants: Companies benefit from 7100 grants. This emphasizes robust financial backing for research and development.
- Yearly Global Search Growth: The industry experiences a global search growth of 11.06%, reflecting increasing interest and engagement.
- and more. Get in touch to explore all data points used to create this supply chain report.
A Snapshot of the Global Supply Chain Industry
The supply chain industry demonstrates steady growth and innovation. The annual growth rate stands at 1.54%, highlighting consistent expansion within the sector. With over 8600 startups, a substantial number are in different stages of development. More than 4400 early-stage startups contribute to a dynamic pipeline of emerging companies, while over 8000 have undergone mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
Regarding intellectual property, the industry remains innovative, with over 36000 patents filed by more than 13000 applicants. The yearly patent growth rate is 2.99%, reflecting ongoing technological advancements. The United States leads as the top issuer of patents with 13800+, followed by China with 5300+. This underscores their role in driving innovation within the supply chain sector.
Explore the Funding Landscape of the Supply Chain Industry
Financially, the supply chain industry attracts substantial investment. The average investment value per funding round is USD 60.3 million, and more than 33000 funding rounds have been closed. Over 9500 investors actively participate in these rounds, demonstrating widespread investor confidence and engagement in the supply chain sector. In addition, more than 11000 companies have received investments, further emphasizing the industry’s financial strength.
Who is Investing in Supply Chain Solutions?
The supply chain industry attracts investment, with the combined value of top investors’ commitments exceeding USD 12 billion. Below, we provide a breakdown of the top investors, including the number of companies they have invested in and the total value of their investments.
- SoftBank Vision Fund has invested in 15 companies, with a total investment value of USD 3.2 billion.
- Alibaba Group has allocated 7 companies, with a total investment value of USD 2.3 billion.
- Tiger Global Management has contributed to 28 companies, with a total investment value of USD 1.9 billion.
- Warburg Pincus has invested in 13 companies, with a total investment value of USD 1.4 billion.
- Insight Partners has allocated 23 companies, with a total investment value of USD 1.3 billion.
- U.S. International Development Finance Corporation has contributed to 10 companies, with a total investment value of USD 1.3 billion.
- Goldman Sachs has invested in 14 companies, with a total investment value of USD 1.2 billion.
- and more. Contact us to explore all investment data in the supply chain industry
Access Top Supply Chain Innovations & Trends with the Discovery Platform
Explore the top trends in the supply chain sector including the firmographic data:
- Supply Chain Visibility involves over 900 companies dedicated to enhancing transparency and traceability. The sector employs more than 90K individuals, including 10K new hires in the last year. With an annual trend growth rate of 26.2%, the focus on visibility is driven by the need for real-time data, improved efficiency, and better decision-making processes.
- Supply Chain IoT is a rapidly growing trend, with over 150 specialized companies. This sector employs more than 6K people, including 870 new hires in the last year. The annual trend growth rate stands at 56.8%. This highlights the adoption of IoT technologies to enhance connectivity and automation, track and monitor the condition of goods, and perform data analytics.
- Supply Chain Automation drives efficiency and productivity, with over 400 companies focused on automating various supply chain processes. This sector employs more than 40K individuals, including 4K new hires in the last year. The annual trend growth rate of 41.72% indicates the increasing reliance on automation technologies to streamline operations, reduce manual labor, and improve accuracy.
5 Top Examples from 8600+ Innovative Supply Chain 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 platform demo to find promising startups, emerging trends, or industry data specific to your company’s needs and objectives.
Firstshift facilitates AI-driven Demand & Supply Chain Planning
US-based startup Firstshift provides supply chain solutions for demand forecasting strategic planning and operational excellence. Its solution Demand Sensing, leverages AI and allows rapid response to changing demand. Demand Planning combines AI-driven forecasting with collaborative planning for accuracy. The startup’s Inventory and Replenishment Planning solution optimizes product levels at the right time and location. In addition, Firstshift democratizes supply chain insights and diagnostics across the organization.
Extheria offers an IoT-based Supply Chain
German startup Extheria provides IoT solutions for supply chain management. Its energy-autonomous microelectronic cells integrate into objects, enabling electronic identification, location tracking, and sensor data collection. These cells communicate bidirectionally and allow remote instructions and updates. Leveraging Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure, Extheria’s cloud applications combine IoT data with other intelligent algorithms. The platform provides real-time insights into object parameters, accessible via browsers or smart devices.
Secure Forte enables Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management
Australian startup Secure Forte offers a Forte Vendor Risk Management SaaS platform that streamlines supplier assessment, profiling, and risk evaluation. Its cyber supply chain security automates communication among contract stakeholders and generates risk-based insights on suppliers. Further, the Secure Forte platform’s proactive monitoring feature leverages threat intelligence feeds to safeguard high-impact suppliers.
WaterMirror builds Physical Computing Systems
Chinese startup WaterMirror develops intelligent unmanned warehousing solutions. Its AGV-based system leverages mobile robots as carrier platforms, integrating smart warehousing design and optimization algorithms. WaterMirror delivers a logistics system through coordination with handling robots, warehousing management software, and automated logistics interfaces.
Wiseside develops Collaborative Traceability Platforms
Italian startup Wiseside develops iChain, a cloud/IoT software platform that manages processes within internal ecosystems or collaborative stakeholder networks. It facilitates digital transformation by creating a unique infrastructure for various applications. iChain changes real-world processes into digital representations (digital twins) that support advanced analysis. It collects data from connected devices (IoT), integrated systems, and manual inputs, enabling features like visualizing phenomena, predictive analysis, and decision support. iChain also ensures data security using blockchain technology and adheres to GS1 standards for data consistency
Gain Comprehensive Insights into Supply Chain Trends, Startups, or Technologies
The supply chain report 2024 shows a future involving integrating advanced technologies to enhance efficiency and adaptability. Trends like IoT, automation, and improved visibility are improving operations, creating a more agile and resilient supply chain network. Get in touch to explore all 8600+ startups and scaleups, as well as all industry trends impacting supply chain companies.
