German-based NexDash recently announced it has secured $5.8 million in seed funding to build a digitally connected electric truck fleet in Europe. The round was led by Extantia Capital and Clean Energy Ventures. The funding comes three months after the company’s founding and will support acquisitions of smaller logistics firms, deployment of electric trucks and development of its digital fleet management platform.
NexDash describes itself as a neo-carrier, a new class of logistics operator that combines technology, capital and operations to electrify and digitize freight at scale. Founded by Michael Cassau, builder of the tech-rental unicorn Grover, and joined by Karsten Sachsenröder, a former DB Schenker executive, NexDash aims to tackle challenges in Europe’s ground freight transport sector.
The company is building Europe’s largest digitally connected electric truck fleet, starting in Germany, with plans to lay the foundation for large-scale electrification across the continent.
One area NexDash hopes to address is heavy truck emissions. Ground freight transport is one of Europe’s most economically significant yet least digitized industries, with heavy-duty trucks contributing about 35 percent of transport-related CO2 emissions.
The other is the fragmented nature of European logistics. According to the announcement, the sector faces structural challenges: More than 90 percent of logistics operators run fewer than 10 vehicles — typically small, outdated diesel fleets — and operate on thin margins with limited access to capital and digital tools.
“Germany’s electrification starts with logistics,” said Michael Cassau, NexDash founder and CEO, in a statement. “The SME sector is the backbone of the industry — but remains extremely fragmented. We consolidate, transform and electrify diesel fleets, creating the foundation for a new operating model: Trucking-as-a-Service made in Europe.”
To bridge the gap, NexDash has introduced NexOS, an AI-powered orchestration platform that integrates fleets, energy and capital. The company’s “Trucking-as-a-Service” model manages routing, energy, maintenance and financing for energy and industrial partners in real time, creating a scalable, economically sustainable approach to emission-free, digitally connected transport logistics.
“Electrification in heavy-duty transport doesn’t fail because of technology, but because of orchestration,” said Joern-Carlos Kuntze, a partner at Extantia Capital and NexDash board member. “NexDash integrates software, infrastructure and capital in a TaaS model and scales transformation where it matters most — in operations. This team has the potential to consolidate the fragmented market and build a robust, zero-emission logistics platform in Europe.”
While currently focused on electrification, NexDash plans to expand into autonomous and data-driven transport solutions based on its proprietary charging infrastructure. The company aims to build a sustainable logistics platform for the next generation of European freight transport, positioning itself as a pioneer in the emerging neo-carrier category that combines technology, capital and operations to electrify and digitize freight at scale.
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