Hull software start-up Avail Technologies has secured £300,000 of Northern Powerhouse funding as it looks to revolutionise the haulage industry.
Avail removes the need for traditional recruitment agencies for short-term contracts, allowing drivers to earn more and hauliers to reduce costs.
The Hull-based firm will now benefit from a total of £350,000 of investment – including £300,000 from the Northern Powerhouse’s Mercia Equity Finance fund.
The funding will enable Avail to further develop its platform and app to improve its usage for users in the haulage industry.
Erin Short, CEO at Avail Technologies, said: “The haulage industry is built on hard work from everyone involved and Avail has been designed to alleviate some of the pressure that comes with that.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to work with The Green Group, renowned as one of the most forward thinking and respected operations in the industry, and for this latest investment which will allow us to further our platform and challenge how the industry currently works.”
Avail Technologies removes the need for traditional recruitment agencies for short-term contracts, allowing drivers to earn more and hauliers to reduce costs.
Avail’s co-founder Erin Short was previously a logistics specialist with the British Army but was medically discharged after being injured.
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He went on to complete a business management degree while working part-time as a HGV driver, before joining forces with fellow logistics manager Callum Clark to launch Avail in June last year.
The company has already signed up over 1,000 drivers and its first haulage client, the Rotherham-based collective, The Green Group.
The £300,000 Northern Powerhouse funding is supported by £50,000 from Avail’s chairman, Keverne Watt.
Simon Crabtree, investment manager at Mercia, said: “Demand for temporary HGV drivers has increased significantly in recent years but the use of traditional agencies can be time-consuming and costly for the company and effectively reduces pay for the drivers.
“Avail’s technology bridges the gap and aims to bring the system into the 21st century.
“The funding will allow it to fully develop the marketplace and will support the business through the next stage of its development.”
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union.
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It benefits from funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.
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