As cities become increasingly dependent on e-commerce and on-demand services, urban logistics is reaching a turning point. Every retailer, marketplace and delivery platform building its own fleet may no longer be the most efficient model.

A growing number of innovators believe the future of last-mile delivery lies in collaboration rather than ownership. Instead of adding more vehicles to already crowded streets, the next generation of logistics platforms aims to connect the capacity that already exists.

One of them is HiO, a Romanian startup founded by logistics entrepreneur Bogdan Termure, whose vision is to create a shared digital infrastructure for urban deliveries. Rather than competing with existing courier companies, HiO connects marketplaces, retailers and logistics providers into a single ecosystem, helping them make better use of available resources.

Why Cities Need Shared Logistics

Last-mile delivery has become one of the fastest-growing segments of urban mobility, but also one of its most fragmented.

Marketplaces, retailers and logistics companies often operate independently, investing in separate fleets that frequently overlap geographically while leaving significant capacity unused.

HiO approaches the problem differently.

“Our role is to understand where demand exists and move fleets in a way that they can cover their idle time,” explains Bogdan Termure. Instead of building another delivery network, the platform orchestrates existing logistics resources, creating a more efficient ecosystem for every participant.

From Competition to Collaboration

Termure has worked in logistics since 2011, giving him a front-row seat to the rapid evolution of the delivery industry. One of the biggest lessons, he says, is that operational excellence eventually outweighs branding.

In the early days of on-demand delivery, many platforms insisted that every courier should carry their own branded equipment. Over time, however, customers proved to value reliability, speed and affordability far more than the logo on a delivery bag.

“What matters is that the service is done well—not necessarily who delivers it,” is the conclusion the industry gradually reached, according to Termure. Delays, high costs and inconsistent service ultimately have a much greater impact on customer satisfaction than visual branding.

Why Marketplaces Are Rethinking Delivery

Another trend reshaping the sector is the growing separation between commerce and logistics.

Rather than investing heavily in delivery operations, marketplaces increasingly focus on connecting buyers and sellers while outsourcing fulfilment to specialised logistics partners.

According to Termure, this model is not only operationally simpler but often more profitable. Marketplaces can concentrate on generating transactions and platform revenue, while dedicated logistics providers handle deliveries more efficiently.

HiO positions itself as the technological layer that enables this collaboration between retailers, marketplaces and delivery fleets.

Building the Digital Infrastructure for Smarter Cities

To accelerate this vision, HiO secured funding through a European Union research programme.

The objective extends beyond improving deliveries for individual businesses. The project aims to create a digital platform capable of interconnecting all logistics actors within a city, allowing them to share resources and collaborate instead of duplicating infrastructure.

For smaller businesses, the impact could be significant. Instead of investing in vehicles, drivers and operational capacity that may remain underutilised, they gain access to logistics services on demand.

“If everyone starts building their own fleets, it becomes a nightmare,” says Termure. “Small companies often don’t have the resources to build and maintain their own logistics operations.”

Beyond Last-Mile Delivery

HiO’s vision reflects a broader shift taking place across Europe’s innovation ecosystem.

As cities search for ways to reduce congestion, improve sustainability and make better use of existing infrastructure, collaborative logistics is emerging as an increasingly attractive model. The future may not belong to the companies with the largest fleets, but to those capable of connecting them intelligently.

For HiO, the ambition is not to become another delivery company. It is to build the digital infrastructure that allows urban logistics to function as a connected ecosystem—where retailers, marketplaces and logistics providers all benefit from shared capacity, lower costs and smarter resource allocation.

The post Shared Fleets, Smarter Cities: The Future of Urban Logistics appeared first on Startups&TheCity.

For most navigation apps, the shortest or fastest route is the default choice. Romanian startup Defensive Pedal is taking a different approach: helping cyclists reach their destination using the safest route instead.

Among the startups showcased in the Techsylvania Startup Alley, Defensive Pedal has developed a navigation app that analyzes road infrastructure, traffic conditions, weather, and dozens of other variables to recommend routes that minimize cycling risk rather than travel time.

“We’re essentially building Google Maps for safe cycling,” said Victor Rotariu, founder of Defensive Pedal, during an interview with Startups&TheCity.

A risk algorithm built on European cycling data

At the core of Defensive Pedal is a proprietary risk-scoring algorithm developed using European cycling accident data and extensive rider feedback.

According to Rotariu, the first versions of the model were validated with input from over 2,400 cyclists, while the current algorithm evaluates approximately 80 different factors that influence cycling safety.

Most of these variables relate to infrastructure, including:

• road type;
• roundabouts;
• tunnels;
• parks;
• road curvature;
• traffic models;
• weather conditions.

Rather than relying solely on mapping data, the platform combines multiple public datasets with its own analytical model to generate a safety score for every road segment.

According to the team, routes generated by Defensive Pedal are currently 2.1 times safer than the default cycling routes in Romania. The claim is based on an internal validation in which the startup compared 10,149 routes generated by the Defensive Pedal algorithm with Google Maps routes between the same randomly selected origin and destination pairs across Romania. The safety assessment used the company’s proprietary risk model, which incorporates cyclist risk factors identified in official European research on the causes of cycling accidents. 

AI continuously improves route recommendations

Although the core risk model is deterministic, Defensive Pedal adds an AI layer that continuously refines its recommendations.

As cyclists use the app, they can report unsafe locations, while anonymous usage data helps the system understand whether riders follow the suggested routes or choose alternatives. This feedback loop enables the algorithm to identify potentially dangerous areas that may not be evident from public data alone.

“The AI helps us continuously improve the quality of the safety ratings,” Rotariu explained.

Already live in Romania

The Android version of Defensive Pedal has been available for about two weeks and currently covers the entire Romanian road network. The iOS version also launched last week.

The startup has intentionally kept marketing efforts limited during the initial rollout, focusing instead on validating the product and collecting user feedback.

Even so, the platform has already attracted a few hundred active users from word of mouth alone, while approximately 900 cyclists have signed up for early access and are expected to join.

Helping cities improve cycling infrastructure

The technology is designed not only for individual cyclists but also for urban planners.

Defensive Pedal is collaborating with the World Bank on cycling consultancy projects, using its risk algorithm to identify dangerous streets and intersections at a highly detailed level.

Rather than simply highlighting that one city is safer than another, the platform can pinpoint exactly where infrastructure improvements would have the greatest impact on cyclist safety.

Rotariu said the company can already calculate safety scores for individual cities and plans to publish a city ranking covering most Romanian and European cities in the near future.

Expanding across Europe

While Romania serves as the startup’s launch market, the ambition is significantly broader.

The team plans to expand across the European Union within this year. Since much of the required infrastructure and traffic data is publicly available, adapting the platform to new countries is technically straightforward, although each market requires local validation, cyclist feedback, and adjustments to national traffic regulations.

A mixed business model

Defensive Pedal plans to monetize the platform through several complementary revenue streams.

The navigation app will remain free for basic users, while premium features are planned under a subscription model. Beyond consumer subscriptions, the company also sees commercial value in aggregated cycling intelligence.

Anonymous mobility insights can help outdoor brands, bicycle retailers, and local authorities better understand where cyclists travel and how infrastructure influences riding behavior, while municipalities can use the data to prioritize investments that improve cycling safety.

As cycling continues to gain momentum across European cities, Defensive Pedal is betting that safer navigation—and better data—can become essential infrastructure for both riders and the organizations building more bike-friendly urban environments.

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