AEDC awards $100K grant to Bentonville logistics startup

Logistics technology startup FR8relay of Bentonville has received a $100,000 matching grant from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC). The funding complements the company’s Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), furthering its mission to revolutionize logistics through advanced technology and sustainable practices.

“The AEDC grant and USDA Phase 2 SBIR award are pivotal to our continued innovation and growth,” said Aayush Thakur, CEO and co-founder. “They not only bolster our efforts to bring groundbreaking solutions to the market but also align with our vision of a more efficient, sustainable, and connected trucking industry.”

FR8relay’s USDA Phase 2 project features a pilot test of its relay scheduling system on a major trucking corridor. The initiative aims to demonstrate the system’s ability to reduce shipping times, improve operational efficiency and lower environmental impact.

Thakur said the pilot, which partners with a large Arkansas-based freight brokerage, will validate the system’s effectiveness in optimizing load pooling and asset utilization, promoting sustainable logistics and supporting alternative fuel vehicles.

FR8relay has received multiple SBIR grants from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy and the USDA. Their patented relay scheduling technology addresses critical challenges in the trucking industry.