Draper U Ventures, Outlander VC, Antler, The Veteran Fund and M1C back the next generation of dual-use logistics mobility
OAKLAND, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Glīd Technologies, pioneering autonomous road-to-rail solutions within the first mile, today announced the close of its oversubscribed $3.1 million pre-seed funding round. The round was led by Outlander VC, with participation from Draper U Ventures, Antler, The Veteran Fund, M1C, and mission-aligned angel investors focused on national resilience, industrial reinvention, and climate infrastructure.
With the global freight market expected to exceed $20 trillion by 2033, the need for intelligent infrastructure has never been greater. The first mile of freight movement—moving containers from ports to rail yards is the most congested and costly part of the supply chain. Today, containers often sit idle for weeks while being transloaded between trucks, cranes, and storage yards adding labor, emissions, and delays. Glīd transforms static rail corridors into dynamic, high-throughput delivery networks eliminating friction with its proprietary autonomous, dual-mode Glīders that operate seamlessly on both road and rail. These vehicles move standard containers directly onto the rail network without the need for terminals, drayage, or lift equipment, enabling continuous, on-demand freight flow. See the Glīd difference.
“We’re building the logistics infrastructure of tomorrow—autonomous, resilient, and secure for both commercial and contested environments,” said Kevin A. Damoa, Founder and CEO of Glīd. “Whether it’s accelerating throughput at congested ports, operating across austere terrain, or strengthening supply chains for critical industries, Glīd delivers where legacy systems fail. This is not just automation. It’s sovereignty. It’s security. And it’s what American innovation is built for.”
A New Era of Road-to-Rail Infrastructure
Earlier this month at New Mobility Futures in Detroit, Glīd unveiled two breakthrough technologies that redefine what’s possible in first-mile logistics. Rāden is the world’s first unmanned, hybrid-electric road-to-rail vehicle, built to autonomously travel across both modes of infrastructure. With a low-profile design and clean LPG-based range extension, Rāden is built for deployment in complex, off-grid, and high-throughput environments where traditional logistics vehicles cannot go. Alongside Rāden, Glīd debuted EZRA-1SIX, its proprietary AI logistics orchestration platform. This intelligent system powers real-time dispatch, multimodal autonomy, and secure, human-in-the-loop operations across commercial and defense domains.
This investment marks Glīd’s transition from research and development into real-world deployment. Capital will be used to launch GliderM, the company’s manned, hybrid-electric road-to-rail vehicle, into field operations in California and Washington in Q3 2025. GliderM is purpose-built to move 20-foot containers and heavy payloads directly from road to rail without the need for forklifts or added transloading steps, unlocking significant cost savings and labor efficiency. The company will also accelerate development of the Rāden platform, expand EZRA-1SIX capabilities, grow its engineering and business development teams, and deepen strategic partnerships with ports, rail operators, and government agencies.
“The first mile of our supply chain hasn’t evolved since the advent of rail, and it’s now the biggest bottleneck for moving goods. Glīd offers the most timely and innovative solution we’ve seen to fix it, from commercial freight to critical defense logistics,” said Jordan Kretchmer, Senior Partner at Outlander VC and Glīd board member. “With decades of experience in rail and logistics, this team is uniquely positioned to lead the transformation.”
Glīd’s subscription-based Mobility-as-a-Service model makes automation affordable and scalable across industrial and defense applications—delivering impact in emissions reduction, labor stability, supply chain visibility, and mobility in both peacetime and crisis.
Founded in 2022 by Kevin A. Damoa, a former SpaceX and U.S. military logistics leader, Glīd is led by a cross-disciplinary team with deep expertise in aerospace, ground systems, autonomy, defense logistics, and manufacturing. With a focus on reclaiming underutilized infrastructure, empowering human oversight through technology, and restoring U.S. leadership in freight innovation, Glīd is not just reimagining the supply chain—it’s rebuilding it from the ground up.
About Glīd
Glīd Technologies is a dual-use logistics company transforming how goods move through autonomous, electrified road-to-rail systems. Its Mobility as a Service platform blends robotics, AI, and modular vehicles to streamline freight operations across ports, industrial sites, and defense corridors. By integrating manned and unmanned vehicles with intelligent orchestration software, Glīd replaces outdated transload methods, reduces emissions, and reclaims underused infrastructure. The result is a faster, safer, and cleaner logistics backbone for both commercial and national security needs. Learn more at www.glidtech.us.
Contacts
Media Contact
Donna Loughlin Michaels
LMGPR for Glīd
408.393.5575
[email protected]
