Prologis Ventures Research
Investment Thesis
Prologis Ventures invests in bold ideas that transform the supply chain and logistics future. Powered by deep industry expertise from Prologis' 40+ years as the global leader in industrial real estate, Prologis Ventures bridges corporate resources with entrepreneurial innovation to accelerate commerce transformation. The fund believes that the next generation of competitive advantage will come from companies solving critical logistics challenges—from supply chain visibility and optimization to warehouse automation and energy sustainability.
Strategic Investment Focus
Prologis Ventures focuses on three primary strategic areas:
Supply Chain and Transportation: Technology that enhances resiliency, efficiency, and visibility strengthens logistics operations and keeps supply chains moving. This includes AI-powered delivery platforms, supply chain visibility solutions, predictive analytics tools, and intelligent freight optimization.
PropTech and Construction: Cutting-edge solutions drive continuous improvement in how industrial spaces are designed, built, and operated. This includes property data platforms, construction technology, and building operations software.
Energy and Sustainability: Future-forward infrastructure advances smarter operations, optimizes energy use, and supports high-demand environments. This includes renewable energy solutions, grid-scale storage, and electrification infrastructure.
Stage Focus
Prologis Ventures invests from Seed through Growth stage:
- Seed: Early-stage companies with proven concepts and initial traction
- Series A/B: Growth-stage companies with product-market fit
- Growth: Scale-stage companies demonstrating market leadership
The fund takes both direct equity positions and strategic co-investment alongside Prologis' corporate capital.
Check Size and Deployment
As a corporate venture arm of a public REIT with $40 billion+ in assets under management, Prologis Ventures has significant deployment capacity. While exact check sizes vary by round and stage, the fund typically invests $2-20M per round and has demonstrated the ability to scale investments and provide follow-on capital as portfolio companies grow. Fund II represents substantial capital commitment with $250M deployed across 50+ portfolio companies.
Lead Tendency
Prologis Ventures typically participates as a lead or co-lead investor, leveraging Prologis' brand, customer relationships, and operational expertise. The firm provides not just capital but strategic guidance and customer access through Prologis' global logistics network and customer base.
Recent Activity and Portfolio
Prologis Ventures has been actively deploying since the fund's establishment in 2016. Notable recent and historical investments include:
Recent: Hakuou Robotics (2024, autonomous forklifts, Japan), Crisp (2024, real-time retail data, Series B)
Active Portfolio Companies (50+): Airspace (AI-powered delivery), Altana (supply chain visibility), Archipelago (property insurance), Cargomatic (freight marketplace), Flexe (on-demand warehousing), Flexport (global logistics platform), Fort Robotics (autonomous systems), Gaussy (warehouse robotics, Japan), Gideon (autonomous warehouse robots), and many others across four continents.
Notable Exits: data.world (acquired by ServiceNow), Baton (acquired by Ryder), ClearMetal (acquired by project44/part of project44's suite)
Fund Status: Fund II is actively deploying. The fund demonstrates consistent investment activity with recent additions to portfolio throughout 2024-2025.
Team and Expertise
Prologis Ventures is led by an experienced team combining venture capital expertise with deep logistics and real estate operational knowledge:
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William O'Donnell (Managing Director): 22+ years in real estate and technology. Former AMB executive who built successful track record establishing investment platforms and completing major transactions. Brings private equity fund management expertise.
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Todd Lewis (Senior Vice President): 8+ years in innovation ecosystem. Previously at UPS where he relaunched their venture arm into a modern investment capability. Broad experience across autonomous vehicles, robotics, AI/ML, and logistics technologies.
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Lisa Costello (Vice President, Innovation & Growth): Leads initiatives accelerating innovation across Prologis ecosystem. Background in corporate innovation, futures thinking, and design thinking. Runs Prologis Innovation Accelerator program.
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Charlie Walker (Vice President, Investment): Decade of experience in technology and sustainability sectors. Previously at Silicon Valley Bank managing relationships across frontier and climate technology. Based in NYC office.
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Rajeev Oak (Investment Director): Founded Prologis Mobility and OnDemand energy platforms at Prologis. Background in technology transformation and O&M optimization. MS in Civil Engineering from Stanford.
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Tori Deems (Manager, Head of Community): Focuses on post-investment success, portfolio connections, and business development. Previously built relationships with CVC investors at Silicon Valley Bank.
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Rae Oakley (Investment Manager): Focused on net-zero future and sustainability. Built solutions at real estate technology startups. MBA from Stanford GSB.
Decision Process and Investment Approach
As a corporate venture arm of Prologis, decision-making combines partnership-style evaluation with access to Prologis' operational knowledge. The fund leverages:
- Deep industry expertise in logistics, real estate operations, and supply chain
- Direct customer relationships with Prologis' global logistics customer base
- Operating resources and mentorship from Prologis operational teams
- Access to Prologis' innovation network (PrologisNext executive community)
- Strategic capital deployment to support mutual growth
The fund actively supports portfolio companies with customer introductions, operational guidance, and potential integration opportunities.
Geographic Focus
Prologis Ventures operates globally with portfolio companies across 4+ continents, with particular strength in:
- North America (primary)
- Europe (selective)
- Asia (selective, including Japan)
The fund follows Prologis' global footprint and can leverage customer relationships in major logistics hubs worldwide.
Founder and Company Preferences
Prologis Ventures backs founding teams that understand the logistics and supply chain landscape deeply. The fund prefers:
- Experienced operators with domain expertise in logistics, supply chain, or real estate
- Technical founders solving real customer pain points
- Companies addressing critical inefficiencies in commerce and logistics
- Bold, innovative approaches to supply chain transformation
- Teams willing to partner strategically with Prologis
Notable Portfolio Highlights
AI & Automation: Airspace (AI-powered critical shipment delivery), Altana (AI supply chain visibility), Gideon (AI warehouse robots), Fort Robotics (autonomous systems)
Supply Chain Optimization: Project44/ClearMetal (predictive visibility), Cargomatic (freight marketplace), Flexport (global logistics platform), Emerge (freight procurement)
Warehousing Innovation: Flexe (on-demand warehousing), Gaussy (warehouse robotics marketplace, Japan), Hakuou Robotics (autonomous forklifts, Japan)
Data & Retail: Crisp (real-time retail data), data.world (data governance, acquired by ServiceNow)
Emerging: Relay (AI-powered delivery), various sustainability and energy solutions
Prologis Strategic Assets
What differentiates Prologis Ventures from pure-play venture funds is access to Prologis' strategic assets:
- Global Customer Base: Prologis' logistics customers across Americas, Europe, and Asia
- Real Estate Portfolio: 1.2 billion sq ft of logistics properties globally used for testing and deployment
- Operational Expertise: Decades of supply chain logistics operational experience
- Capital: Access to REIT capital and strategic investment capability ($40B+ AUM)
- PrologisNext: Executive community connecting senior supply chain leaders with portfolio companies
Fund Performance and Deployment
Since founding in 2016, Prologis Ventures has deployed $250M+ across 50+ companies spanning Seed through Growth stage. The portfolio demonstrates strong survival and growth metrics, with successful exits (ServiceNow acquisition of data.world, Ryder acquisition of Baton, project44 acquisition of ClearMetal) and multiple companies reaching significant scale ($20M+ ARR, significant user bases).