Dutch delivery-startup Brenger, founded by Derk van der Have and Wisse Koedam in 2016, raised €600,000 from its current angel investors. This brings the innovative courier provider’s total funding to €1M. Brenger links customers’ transport needs to unused space in vans of couriers opening up a cheaper transport option for large items like furniture, fridges, and bikes – basically all items that do not fit through the mailbox.
Brenger’s platform currently processes 60 transport orders per day via its website. The platform is poised for positive cash flows as it charges a commission on both the demand and the supply side. For the users, the prices may fluctuate on the basis of how far the items need to be delivered and how early they want to ship.
Better use of vans and cars
By making better use of vans and cars, Brenger avoided at least 920,000 kg of CO2 emissions this year. Since the previous investment round in April 2017, the number of transport orders on brenger.nl grew by more than 30 percent each month.
“With this new investment, empty spaces in cars and vans can be used even better. Thanks to Brenger, the transport of especially large items (such as furniture) becomes more sustainable, efficient and cheaper. Our platform saves the client time and money, and the delivery person earns money on a ride that he or she is going to make anyway. The deliverer, the customer, and the climate benefit from Brenger, “said Derk van der Have, co-founder of Brenger.
Brenger helps reduce CO2 emissions
An average delivery order on the platform has a distance of 108 kilometers. Because one normally drives back and forth, Brenger saves 42 kilograms of CO2 emissions per assignment. This year, Brenger will fulfill at least 21,900 of this type of trips. It means that Brenger will save at least 919,800 kg of CO2 emissions in 2018. Brenger estimates it saved more than a million kilograms of CO2 emissions during the last year.
Online marketplaces and auction sites to trigger the growth of Brenger
Marktplaats alone sells north of €10B of merchandise via its e-commerce platform. Products purchased at Marktplaats or an auction site are regularly transported via Brenger. Items such as a couch, cupboard, table, and bicycles are difficult to ship in your car’s back seat. This is where Brenger provides the best value.
Another area Brenger is able to add value to is forgotten/lost items. Lost goods, such as a forgotten bag at a gas station, also finds its way back home via the platform.
Brenger is also used by courier services because they make better use of their courier vans. “For a private individual, we are cheaper than renting a bus or switching on furniture transport company. In addition, couriers see us as a good way to fill the empty space in their bus or to make extra money on the way back. Every party, therefore, benefits from our solution,” said Van der Have.
Sharing economy is about making buyer-seller connections
The client has a direct contact with the delivery person (the ‘Brenger’) via the platform. The platform facilitates and guarantees the payment, insures the goods and brings both parties together in a safe manner. In return, the transporter and client pay a commission on the remuneration for bringing the items.
