Today, Gently, the Los Angeles based logistics firm, announced its partnership with Cloud Paper, the leading tree-free paper products company on a mission to end deforestation. This new partnership allows Cloud Paper products purchased and delivered in the Los Angeles area to have an extra level of sustainability with Gently’s last-mile delivery service.
Gently, which made its first delivery in April 2023, will begin deliveries of Cloud Paper products immediately in Los Angeles, providing high-grade, sustainable logistics and utilizing sales data to help Cloud Paper drive customer interest and sustainable growth.
Founded by Harvard Business School classmates Elian Pres-Gurwits and Anas Aljumaily, Gently is a last-mile delivery provider that partners with retailers and leverages artificial intelligence and predictive data to store goods closer to the customer. This helps create a more efficient and sustainable supply chain, while speeding up delivery times.
Cloud Paper, founded in 2019 by ex-Uber employees Ryan Fritsch and Austin Watkins, sells sustainable, tree-free products, including toilet paper, paper towels, and more. Cloud Paper’s products have saved more than 25,000 trees to date, propelling them closer to their ultimate goal of saving 1 billion trees. Cloud Paper’s mission to end deforestation has caught the attention of notable investors including Bezos Expeditions (Jeff Bezos’ personal investment company), Ashton Kutcher’s SOUNDWaves, Marc Benioff’s TIME Ventures, Robert Downey Jr., and Gwyneth Paltrow, among others.
Gently stores stock in nano-fulfilment centers close to the consumer. The inventory in these fulfilment centers is proactively rebalanced on behalf of retailers through the use of data from retail partners, consumer purchase behaviour, and third parties, allowing demand spikes and supply shortages to be predicted ahead of time. This reduces emissions by eliminating unnecessary journeys and allows for faster delivery to customers.
Gently’s fleet of delivery vehicles is fully electric to further increase the sustainability of their service.
Gently Co-founder Elian Pres-Gurwits said: “We’re really excited to announce Cloud Paper as one of our first major delivery partners. They’re a great fit for Gently and I’ve always admired their focus on sustainability, so we’re looking forward to providing customer-focused and sustainable last-mile delivery to their growing customer-base.”
Gently Co-founder Anas Aljumaily added: “This is a pivotal time for Gently following our launch last month. We want to level the playing field for brands and retailers of all sizes, and partnering with popular, innovative American brands like Cloud Paper is a fundamental part of that mission.”
Gently seeks to transform the American supply chain by 2040 by supporting the growth of all retailers through competitive and sustainable last-mile delivery and by acting as an enabling layer, not a marketplace. Currently, many retailers have no option but to sell their products through ecommerce giants, who ultimately use businesses’ data against them.
Cloud Paper Co-founder Austin Watkins said: “We started Cloud Paper to change the traditional paper industry. From the outset, we have invested in offering the most sustainable products possible and ensuring that we continue to raise the bar in terms of sustainability. We see a lot of brand alignment with the Gently team and their vision to disrupt the logistics space.”
Cloud Paper VP of Operations Tori Kiss added: “At Cloud Paper we look for ways to make our supply chain more efficient and more sustainable wherever possible. Gently’s innovative approach to last-mile delivery is a win-win for Cloud Paper and our customers, and we are excited to be an early partner.”
