By Riley Kaminer
Giulio Profumo and the seven-person VendorConnect team have already made a mark on Miami’s logistics scene, and they’re just getting started.
As one of just two locally-based startups in this year’s Techstars Miami cohort, VendorConnect stands out not just because of its location, but because of its ambitious goal to transform how small and medium-sized logistics companies manage their operations.
“We need to make ourselves known out there,” Profumo said. And they’re doing just that by building a tool that has the potential to shake up the way freight forwarders – both in Miami and across the globe – handle the messy, manual work involved in shipping.
VendorConnect’s niche focus is on helping these smaller logistics companies streamline their document processing and data management, a task that’s long overdue for an upgrade. “There’s lots of fragmentation in the industry. Documents are all over the place – emails, messages, different systems – and it’s all managed manually,” Profumo explained to Refresh Miami. VendorConnect’s solution? A platform that automates the process, significantly cutting down on time and reducing human error.
Profumo, originally from Italy, knows the ins and outs of launching successful ventures. After exiting New York startup MicroMobility, he moved to Miami and set his sights on logistics. Alongside Profumo are co-founders Luciano Cases, who had spent years running a freight forwarding business, and CTO Mihailo Milojevic. The team’s deep industry knowledge has been crucial in developing a product that addresses real pain points for logistics companies.
Since joining the Techstars program, VendorConnect has begun onboarding its first customers. Profumo describes it as a pivotal time for the company. “We’ve been developing and testing for the past few months, and now we’re really starting to grow our customer base,” he said.
Profumo noted that Doral is home to one of the largest freight forwarding hubs in the country and has become a key focus for them as they tap into the local logistics scene. But their vision extends far beyond South Florida: the company is targeting businesses across Latin America and beyond, using industry networks and freight forwarding groups to reach new customers.
One of the standout features of VendorConnect’s platform is its ability to quickly process shipping documents that previously took hours of manual input. “What used to take 10 minutes, or even over an hour for more complex cases, can now be done in five seconds,” Profumo explained. Monthly subscriptions to access VendorConnect start at $50 per seat.
As for what’s next, Profumo and his team are planning to raise an angel round, focusing on investors with experience in logistics, particularly in Miami. With this funding, VendorConnect aims to continue scaling its platform and offering more advanced data tools that will allow companies to dig deeper into their operations.
Being a part of Techstars has only fueled their momentum.
“The most valuable part of the program is the network,” Profumo shared. “We’re getting advice, being challenged, and refining our product in real time.”
Photo at top of post: VendorConnect co-founders Luciano Cases (at left) and Giulio Profumo were finalists in Endeavor Miami’s pitch competition this year.
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