German delivery service tackles emission-heavy last-mile deliveries

The startup uses a fleet of cargo bikes and electric vehicles to reduce the emissions caused by deliveries

Spotted: Liefergrün is a sustainability focused last-mile shipping platform based in Germany. Founded in Münster in 2020 by Niklas Tauch, Max Schleper, and Robin Wingenbach, the company has just closed a €3 million funding round led by SpeedInvest with contributions also from Norrsken VC.

Liefergrün’s mission is to allow shoppers to buy things online without the environmental guilt of the additional carbon footprint caused by deliveries, with the company estimating that it prevents the release of 420 grammes of carbon dioxide per delivery. To achieve this, the startup uses a fleet of cargo bikes and electric vehicles. Deliveries are adaptable based upon customer needs, with two hour and next day delivery available, as well as 24/7 real-time tracking via an app.

“Ecommerce has exploded over the past two years. More than 75% of Germans regularly buy products online,” explains  Niklas Tauch, CEO and Co-Founder of Liefergrün.  “However, this convenience comes at a price – it’s creating a huge amount of emissions that people are rightly getting very concerned about. Simply telling people to buy less isn’t going to solve the problem. What we need to do is make ecommerce sustainable. A major part of that is tackling the last mile of delivery.”

Liefergrün is already present in 30 cities across Germany and works with the likes of Adidas, Dyson, and Every. The company plans to use the new funds to grow its team and expand the platform throughout other major European cities, such as London, Paris and Madrid.

Other last-mile delivery innovations spotted by Springwise include electric tuk tuks, and autonomous cargo helicopters.