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Latham & Watkins Advises Bessemer Venture Partners on Raft.ai’s US$30 Million Series B Funding Round - Latham & Watkins LLP

Reported by Lw ·Legaldesire
Jul 21, 2023· 2 min read
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Key Takeaways
  • • Latham & Watkins advised Bessemer Venture Partners on a US$30 million Series B funding round for Raft.ai, an intelligent logistics platform automating freight forwarding operations.
  • • The Series B round was led by Eight Roads, with participation from returning investors Bessemer, Episode 1, and Dynamo Ventures, plus new investor Moguntia Capital.
  • • Raft.ai (formerly Vector.ai) uses cutting-edge technology to optimize and automate freight forwarder operations, positioning itself in the intelligent logistics automation segment.
  • • Latham & Watkins' London corporate team, led by partner Shing Lo, maintained its relationship with Bessemer after advising the firm on Raft.ai's Series A funding round in 2021.
Summary
Latham & Watkins has completed legal advisory work on Bessemer Venture Partners' participation in a US$30 million Series B funding round for Raft.ai, an intelligent logistics platform focused on automating and optimizing freight forwarding operations. The round was led by Eight Roads Ventures, marking a significant inflection point in the company's capital raise trajectory.

The Series B round included participation from both returning and new institutional investors. Existing backers Bessemer, Episode 1, and Dynamo Ventures joined the round alongside new investor Moguntia Capital, demonstrating continued confidence in the company's market position and technology platform. This multi-investor syndicate reflects broad sector interest in logistics automation solutions.

The London-based Latham & Watkins team, led by corporate partner Shing Lo with support from associates Aaron Bassett and Samantha Si, represented Bessemer on the transaction. The firm's involvement extends a prior advisory relationship—Latham previously advised Bessemer as lead investor on Raft.ai's Series A funding round in 2021. This continuity in legal counsel underscores the maturation of the company's financing relationships and institutional investor confidence.

Raft.ai's focus on automating freight forwarding operations through intelligent logistics technology addresses a sector characterized by significant operational complexity and manual processes. The funding progression from Series A through Series B signals market validation for technology-driven solutions targeting the freight forwarding and logistics verticals, which have historically lagged digitalization relative to other industrial segments.

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Lw Latham & Watkins Advises Bessemer Venture Partners on Raft.ai’s US$30 Million Series B Funding Round - Latham & Watkins LLP Legaldesire Latham & Watkins Advises Bessemer Venture Partners in the Sale of Its Portfolio Company Fin to Salesforce for US$3.6 Billion