Ascension VC Invests in AI-powered Parcel Delivery Automation Startup Synkka
At a glance
This article covers the 28 August 2025 pre-seed funding round for Synkka, a London-based startup building autonomous AI workers for parcel delivery, founded by Torbjörn Maaherra, Jordon Cornish and Danylo Topchii, which raised an undisclosed amount in a round led by Ascension VC and joined by parcel delivery experts including former founders and executives from ITA Group, ZigZag, Sendify and ex-Global-E.
What does Synkka do?
The AI Carrier Integration Team is a fully digital replacement for carrier integration that automates technical connections between companies and delivery partners, shortening a process that typically takes months to days and reducing costs by up to 60%, according to the company.
Why is Synkka useful?
Synkka addresses the long-standing industry practice that scaling parcel delivery networks requires proportional increases in headcount by replacing manual integration, QA and support functions with autonomous AI workers, thereby reducing the time, labour and cost associated with onboarding carriers and related operational tasks.
How much did Synkka raise?
Synkka raised an oversubscribed pre-seed round led by Ascension VC and joined by a syndicate of parcel-delivery founders and executives; the company declined to disclose the round size or valuation, saying investor expertise mattered more than early financial benchmarks.
Who invested in Synkka?
Key investors included:
- Ascension VC is a UK venture capital firm focused on early-stage B2B and enterprise technology.
- Former founders and executives from ITA Group joined as angel investors, bringing expertise in parcel operations and carrier integrations.
- Ex-ZigZag founders and executives participated as angel investors, specialising in returns management and reverse logistics.
- Former Sendify leaders invested as angel investors with a background in carrier connectivity and freight technology.
- Ex-Global-E executives acted as angel investors, known for their work in scaling cross-border e-commerce logistics.
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Who founded Synkka?
Torbjörn Maaherra, Co-Founder & CEO
Torbjörn Maaherra is the Co-Founder and CEO of Synkka, a London-based logistics technology company building an AI workforce to automate carrier integrations and operational roles in parcel delivery. He brings 10+ years’ experience across the sector, including engineering at Centiro and Einride and serving as Head of R&D at APG eCommerce Solutions, where he led development of a multi-carrier, event-driven platform. He previously founded Telephort and was CTO at a stealth venture focused on AI for logistics. Torbjörn holds a BSc in Industrial Engineering & Management and an MSc in Supply Chain Management from Chalmers University of Technology.
Jordon Cornish, Co-Founder
Jordon Cornish is the Co-Founder of Synkka, a London-based logistics technology startup automating parcel delivery operations with AI-driven carrier integrations. Before Synkka, he founded Kinsail, a platform supporting working parents with childcare cost reductions to improve workforce retention and diversity. He has also held commercial and growth roles at Affinity and Showpad, working on pipeline development and revenue acceleration. Alongside Synkka, Jordon has been active as a private investor in B2B SaaS and AI ventures, backing companies such as UHubs, Honest Mobile and Robin AI.
Danylo Topchii, Co-Founder & CTO
Danylo Topchii is the Co-Founder and CTO of Synkka, where he leads the development of AI systems designed to automate carrier integrations and logistics operations. A technical founder with expertise in generative AI and software engineering, he has previously worked as CTO of a stealth startup focused on logistics, served as a consultant and advisor to technology companies, and produced content on engineering and emerging technologies through his podcast. Danylo holds a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics from the National Technical University of Ukraine 'Kyiv Polytechnic Institute'.
Where is Synkka based?
Synkka is based in London, UK.
What sector is Synkka in?
Synkka operates in the parcel delivery and logistics technology sector. This sector matters now because rising e‑commerce volumes are increasing delivery complexity and because operators face intense cost pressure to scale without proportional headcount growth.
Automation of operational roles is accelerating. Integration times are being shortened. AI is being used to replace manual integration, support and reconciliation teams. Examples of change include:
- Faster carrier integrations that reduce technical onboarding time from months to days.
- Agentic AI teams replacing routine QA and support roles.
The scale of the opportunity is large: global parcel volumes exceed about 100 billion shipments annually. Synkka cites potential cost reductions on integration tasks of up to 60%, indicating significant addressable savings for operators.
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