According to Fortune, Onshape, a computer-aided design (CAD) software startup from Cambridge, Massachusetts, has raised a total of $64 million in funding from New Enterprise Associates, North Bridge Venture Partners, and Commonwealth Capital. The funding values the company, which has operated stealthily for the past three years, at $295 million, including the funding. (This total funding…

In the world of omni-channel delivery, keeping track of inventory across multiple sources is a huge supply chain challenges for retailers. Local delivery options can be vast and making sure these guys are reliable and still in business can be a challenge for retailers. That's why CommerceHub's latest acquisition is so interesting to supply chain professionals…

according to 3Dprint.com, late last week United States Patent and Trademark Office published a patent filing by Amazon Technologies, Inc. which outlines a method of 3D printing on-demand within mobile manufacturing hubs.  According to Amazon, such a setup could save the company time and money on several fronts. “The multiplicity of items offered may require the electronic marketplace owner/operator…

Ann Grakin of ChainLink Research wrote an excellent piece on last mile delivery costs. Guess what! They are very expensive and can seriously impact retail and e-commerce margins. As Ann points out, however, once trained,  consumers wants their stuff as soon as they can get it, so the trend is unlikely to decellerate any time…

According to PEHub, Ele.me, a food delivery service based in Shanghai, announced this afternoon (link via Google Translate) that it has raised $350 million in Series E funding from CITIC, Tencent, JD.com, Dianping.com, and Sequoia Capital. The investment is notable because Tencent, e-commerce company JD.com, and restaurant review site Dianping.com are closely aligned. Investing in Ele.me, which operates…

Instacart, our favorite grocery delivery company, joins the ranks of the unicorns, with a $220 million dollar raise on a $2 billion dollar valuation. According to Re/code, this comes just six months after Instacart raised $44 million at a valuation of about $400 million in a round led by Andreessen Horowitz. It has now raised a…

According to Boston Business Journal, with the boom in e-commerce orders around the world, there's only one problem, specifically for apartment dwellers: Those packages that you've ordered are piling up in your lobby and someone might take them. Medfield-based Package Concierge Inc., a maker of so-called digital lockers for apartment buildings and college dorms, aims to…

  According to PE Hub, Roadie, Inc, a mobile app that tries to link up people who need things delivered with drivers with unused passenger capacity in their vehicles, has launched with $10 million in Series A funding. Investors participating in the funding round include UPS Strategic Enterprise Fund,TomorrowVentures, Warren Stephens of Stephens Inc., Guggenheim Partners Executive Chairman Alan Schwartz, Square co-founder Jim McKelvey, the Mellon Group and former ISSCEO Tom…

It's the ugly backwater of logistics, but apparently a very profitable one. Returns are rarely spoken about but are a huge pain to deal with and very expensive. This has led to the development of specialized companies who deal with returns, refurbishment and resale–the famous 3 R's of reverse supply chain. Now, top tier VCs…

According to bizjournals, Baxter the robot is now even more ready for life "outside the cage." That's how Jim Lawton, chief marketing officer for Boston-based robot makerRethink Robotics, describes Baxter's new software update, called the Robot Positioning System. The company recently released a software update for its manufacturing robot, Baxter, giving the robots much more mobility in a manufacturing…