Nabo is building a mobile platform that lets neighbours receive parcels for each other, replacing the standard one-person, one-van, one-parcel delivery model. This matters because the current last-mile delivery system is inefficient and vulnerable. As online shopping grows, so do the costs, theft, and damage that already burden businesses and consumers. The platform aims to solve this by connecting neighbours into a decentralised recipient network, improving first-time delivery success and reducing the need for extra vans on the road. If Nabo succeeds, the impact would be practical and measurable. Delivery companies would cut operational costs, consumers would face fewer stolen or damaged packages, and fewer trucks on residential streets would mean less congestion and pollution. The platform requires no new infrastructure—it simply uses existing community networks to make deliveries more reliable and environmentally safer. For a sector that quietly underpins e-commerce and daily life, this could shift how parcels reach people without adding more vehicles to already crowded roads.
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Nabo is a UK-based parcel logistics SME led by Mikkel Dissing (Technical Lead) and Lawrence Corbett (Project Lead). Last-mile parcel delivery in the UK is mainly via the 'one-person, one-van, one-parcel' model and accounts for over 50% of logistics costs. The system is inefficient and subject to vulnerabilities. While 5.3B parcels are delivered annually in the UK, there are over £500M in thefts and £8B in damaged goods. Delivery inefficiencies result in increased operational costs for businesses, hindering growth and productivity and higher prices for consumers. As online shopping increases, the volume of parcels is set to grow, potentially leading to higher prices and increased theft and damage. Over time, this trend risks billions in additional costs, undermining industry sustainability, impacting consumers, businesses and the wider economy. Nabo is developing a mobile-first digital platform for neighbours, ensuring successful and environmentally safe parcel deliveries. Nabo's consumer-focused platform will leverage community networks to optimise parcel deliveries. It will connect neighbours into a decentralised recipient network, improving delivery efficiency without requiring additional infrastructure. Nabo will drive community engagement through fewer trucks, reducing congestion and porch piracy issues. It will reduce costs by ~30-40% and save up to 0.62kg of CO2 per parcel, addressing congestion and pollution without additional infrastructure. Nabo will improve first-time delivery success by 25%, reducing theft and emissions through neighbour proximity, addressing inefficiencies and pollution.
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