Yolanda Mamani Cayo / La Paz
The use of technology with applications and social networks for the national and international heavy cargo transport service is the main tool of Delta X, the venture of Luis Fernando Ortiz, a 37-year-old engineer and economist from Santa Cruz.
The entrepreneur, who has several specializations in Bolivian and foreign universities such as Harvard, from the United States, seeks to position himself in the international transport market with this innovative startup.
Delta X managed to complete its first round of seed capital with one million dollars from the investment of US and Latin American funds such as Magma Partners (Chile), 99 Startups (Mexico), Cibersons (Paraguay), Duro Ventures (USA) and SC Angeles (Bolivia).
What is a startup and how is it used in your company?
A startup is a technology-based company with huge growth potential. In our case, we are a transportation service company, but based on technology that allows us to aspire to reach the entire Andean region in order to facilitate cargo transportation through our digital platform.
How was Delta X born and how long has it been on the market?
Delta X was launched a little over two years ago, in February 2020. It was born when I was working in the Pacific ports of Chile and Colombia, and there I noticed that there were a series of problems with the thousands of drivers in the ports, who had to wait days for a load to be assigned. There was very little transparency.
¿How to access the service?
Companies or people who wish to access our services can contact us through the website, by email or social networks to transport their cargo. They are generally freight forwarders, producers, industrialists or businesses that want to move cargo nationally or to neighboring countries.
We take that requirement, we make sure that we know the type of cargo and all the specifications and logistics for its transport and with that we go to the digital market or Marketplace where we make known to more than 1,300 drivers affiliated with the mobile application that a client requires service with all specifications; then, the drivers see and can apply for some of those cargo transportation opportunities.
We have affiliated unions and cooperatives. It’s like an uber for trucks or a mobile radio service, but we reach thousands thanks to digitization.
What is the scope of the company?
We currently have a reach to the north of Chile and the south of Peru, and in about two weeks we will be in Asunción, Paraguay, to integrate carriers into our platform. Later, in July, we will do the same task in Lima, Peru. The goal is to expand to all countries and reach all drivers through technology and reach the Caribbean coast in Cartagena (Colombia).
How many heavy-duty carriers are affiliated with your organization?
We currently have a little over 1,300 drivers and, on the part of the cargo owners, we have about 90 clients, of which a third have a very intense activity; that is, we move a lot of transportation of soybeans, iron, cement, beverages and food, among others.
