Autonomous Transportation Company Glīd Technologies Secures $3.1 Million in Preliminary Funding Round
Glid Technologies, a pioneering autonomous road-to-rail solutions company, has announced plans to launch and commercialize several new products following a successful $3.1 million pre-seed funding round. The primary focus of these new products is to revolutionise the first mile of freight logistics through autonomous road-to-rail solutions.
Introducing GliderM, Rāden, and EZRA-1SIX
The flagship product, GliderM, is a manned, hybrid-electric road-to-rail vehicle designed to move 20-foot containers and heavy payloads directly from road to rail without the need for forklifts or additional transloading. GliderM is set to be deployed into pilot field operations in California and Washington in Q3 2025. This vehicle aims to significantly reduce costs and improve labor efficiency in first-mile logistics.
Rāden, the world’s first unmanned, hybrid-electric road-to-rail vehicle, is another groundbreaking innovation. Capable of autonomously traveling across both road and rail infrastructure, Rāden features a low-profile design with a clean LPG-based range extension. It is intended for complex, off-grid, and high-throughput environments unsuitable for traditional logistics vehicles. The new funding will accelerate the development of Rāden.
EZRA-1SIX, a proprietary AI logistics orchestration platform, powers real-time dispatch, multimodal autonomy, and secure human-in-the-loop operations across commercial and defence logistics. Glid will expand this platform’s capabilities as part of their growth plans.
A Robust Team and Ambitious Plans
Glid Technologies was founded in 2022 by Kevin A. Damoa. The management team also includes Chaitali Narla (CTO), Tony Petraborg (Chief Engineer), and Matt Mueller. The company aims to build logistics infrastructure that is autonomous, resilient, and secure for both commercial and contested environments.
The funding will not only be used to launch these new products but also to expand the engineering and business development teams, deepen partnerships with ports, rail operators, and government agencies, and transition from research and development to real-world deployment. Glid's business model is robots-as-a-service, described as Mobility-as-a-Service, aiming to create a fleet of Gliders deployable across the U.S. for commercial and defence freight logistics.
A Growing Market with Significant Potential
The global freight market is expected to exceed $20 trillion by 2033, making the need for efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly solutions more pressing than ever. Glid Technologies' innovative approach to freight logistics addresses this issue by converting static rail corridors into dynamic, high-throughput delivery networks, eliminating the need for terminals, drayage, or lift equipment.
With the successful funding round led by Outlander VC and multiple investors focused on infrastructure, defence resilience, and climate technologies, Glid Technologies is poised to make a significant impact in the freight industry. The investment will not only accelerate the development of Rāden and expand EZRA-1SIX capabilities but also position Glid as a leader in autonomous road-to-rail freight solutions.
[1] Glid Technologies Press Release, [Date] [2] Glid Technologies Website, [URL] [3] Outlander VC Press Release, [Date]
- Following a successful funding round, Glid Technologies is set to commercialize three new products, GliderM, Raďen, and EZRA-1SIX, aiming to revolutionize the first mile of freight logistics through autonomous road-to-rail solutions.
- GliderM, a manned, hybrid-electric road-to-rail vehicle, will be deployed in California and Washington in Q3 2025, aiming to reduce costs and improve labor efficiency in first-mile logistics.
- Raďen, the world's first unmanned, hybrid-electric road-to-rail vehicle, is designed for complex, off-grid environments and will be developed further with the new funding.
- EZRA-1SIX, a proprietary AI logistics orchestration platform, powers real-time dispatch, multimodal autonomy, and secure human-in-the-loop operations, and Glid plans to expand its capabilities.
- With the global freight market projected to exceed $20 trillion by 2033, Glid Technologies' innovative approach to freight logistics, converting static rail corridors into dynamic, high-throughput delivery networks, addresses the need for efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly solutions.
