From TrepCamp to unicorn status: Ex-Treps hit the billion-dollar valuation with Nowports.

Alfonso De los Rios and Maximiliano Casal, two talented software engineers, first match during our “food waste” challenge at TrepCamp Silicon Valley. At Stanford University during the summer of 2017, they developed PantrAl alongside with their team, a platform based in Artificial Intelligence to diminish food waste in households. 

Five years later, their company Nowports hit the unicorn status at a $1.1 billion dollar valuation. The logistics startup became the first unicorn in LogiTech for Spanish America, last May 23rd, after closing a $150 million Series C round with investors.  

Nowports who? 

Nowports, founded in Monterrey 2018, is a digital freight forwarder aiming to streamline the import and export processes of Latin American companies, and improve the visibility of supply chains with valuable information. Now, the company became the eight Mexican unicorn, following the steps of big names like Kavak, Bitso, Clip, Konfío, Clara, Merama, Jokr and Jeeves. Do you recognize them?

Logistics in their blood 

Alfonso De los Rios grew up in Monterrey, Mexico, within a family whose main activity had been traditional logistics for about 25 years. He also grew with piles of papers, stuck movement due to lost paperwork, days waiting for these to be liberated. 

“To move a container from China to Mexico, there had to be more than 80 mails sent and fill more than 15 manual documents, their operational system was an Excel and that was a pain for the world of logistics”, Alfonso says. 

Maximiliano Casal, with more working experience, also comes from a family dedicated to logistics at Uruguay. Both became partners on the creation of Nowports during winter 2018. Two engineers capable of reducing timing, in addition to automating other processes, and tracking cargos in-real time, installed their headquarters at Monterrey, Mexico.

Photo by Nowports (2022).

What’s next? 

“We’re excited to earn the trust of large investment funds and join the short list of unicorns in Latin America. This enhances our commitment for transforming the region’s supply chains with technology and agile access to financing for companies that import or export goods,” De los Rios says.

The new injection will allow Nowports to increase imports and exports by companies with fintech credit and financing solutions, seeking to develop a stronger platform to meet the market needs. The company will expand its presence first in Mexico, Brazil, and Chile.

Into the future

Alfonso De los Rios and Maximiliano Casals, through Nowports, became the latest example of new generations taking the leading role, of modern entrepreneurs reaching high, and how they are about to change the world for the better. 

From TrepCamp, we share with you this achievement towards a technological revolution by Nowports Freight. We’re proud of the level our Treps aspire to reach and inspire others on their way to achieving their goals. Congratulations to Nowports and we’ll keep you posted on the latest news on entrepreneurship.

If you want to become the next unicorn, click on the image below so you can get to know the program in which they were to achieve the success of their startup.