Mark 3 International, which specialises in express parcel and freight logistics, particularly between the UK and the US, has entered into a partnership with New York-based tech startup Dobby AI.
The partnership’s initial aim is to develop an ‘AI operations agent’ to organise and consolidate data on each shipment, making it easier to reconcile and creating a single source of reliable information for sharing.
Mark 3 will provide core data and information from which the AI tool can learn, helping to make shipment data more readily accessible for its customers.
The tool will help streamline processes and iron out data inconsistencies. It automatically organises and consolidates shipment data from multiple sources – emails, texts, ERP and TMS systems, and more – making it easily and consistently accessible.
Matthew Ware, CEO at Mark 3, said; “The logistics sector has remained somewhat reluctant to embrace emergent technologies, so we’re excited to be working with such an innovative partner to bring AI into the global ecosystem.”
“We will significantly improve our customers’ experience by providing more accurate, verified information at every stage in the shipment chain.”
The partnership with Dobby AI is part of Mark 3’s strategy to build infrastructure and improve operational systems. These initiatives will help to prepare the company for growth, which it is already experiencing as demand has soared over the last year.
Matt Ware added, “This partnership is just the start of our tech innovation strategy, and we’re delighted to be working with Dobby AI on a system designed from the ground up.”
Mark 3 intends to introduce AI functionality in a carefully controlled rollout. Some elements are in place now and the company expects the full system to be used internally over the next four to six months.
Founded by former Senior Product Manager at Dropbox, Taylan Kalkavan, and Francesco Paduano, a former staff engineer at Meta, Dobby AI is being developed with the aim of solving big problems for everyday people, with a simple user experience and complex tech behind the scenes.
Taylan Kalkavan said; “Before embarking on this journey, we took a year to undertake deep research into the sector, interviewing people across the supply chain, from manufacturers to freight forwarders and carriers, while also experimenting with what AI can do.
“Most tech in this ecosystem is built by people who’ve worked in logistics and deeply understand one narrow part of it – but don’t think about the ecosystem as a whole.
“More importantly, they aren’t strong technologists.
“That’s why supply chain tech is full of horror stories: companies promise to make life easier but build low-quality products that don’t consider the bigger picture. They often fragment the tool landscape further and make things worse.
“Partnering with Mark 3 helps us realise our ambition to create a highly advanced tool that will transform the logistics sector.
“By working with Matt and the team, we are perfectly placed to gain a deep understanding of the industry and use real world data on which to train our AI tool.”
The partnership with Dobby AI is part of a wider suite of initiatives by Mark 3, including the newly operational 12,000 sq ft facility at JFK airport in New York, and the announcement of plans to open a similar facility at LAX airport in Los Angeles in the next 18 months.
Mark 3 recently announced new roles for two of its key staff, designed to allow them to bring their extensive experience and expertise in UK/US logistics to other countries.
