Meet the Founder of Fin, Rich Pleeth: “We’re making sustainable net zero logistics mainstream”
1. Describe your startup in two sentences?
Fin is a sustainable logistics organisation, reducing carbon emissions on all deliveries. We’re making sustainable net zero logistics mainstream. Starting in London and expanding to Europe.
Using our advanced technology, our electric vans pick up parcels all over the UK, bring them into our micro hub network before our e-cargo bikes deliver to doorsteps while looking after our environment.
2. What gave you the inspiration?
I’ve always been a keen cyclist and passionate about how we can reduce congestion and emissions in cities to make cities more liveable. The last 80 years cities have been designed around vehicles. We're consistently taking away from green spaces and pavements to have more roads, making our cities air quality dangerous and increasing road deaths. We wanted to revolutionise the logistics space by changing how parcels are delivered, utilising machine learning and AI to optimise the routing and vehicle process while treating our team as employees.
3. How did you meet?
Scott and I met in 2013 at a strategy hacking event in New York. We became fast friends and business partners. We’re friends first and business partners second.
4. What has been your greatest success to date? And your greatest challenge?
Winning our amazing roster of clients, we love growing our client base and taking vans off the road. Our greatest challenge is getting to decision makers to win clients. It’s tough to grab people’s attention. Some people claim they care about sustainability, but they don’t, they are perfectly happy to continue using diesel vans for delivery.
5. What kind of impact is your business having and how do you measure it?
We measure in a number of ways, firstly how many emissions we’re eradicating, how many vans we’re taking off the roads and how much congestion we’re preventing on a daily basis.
6. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I didn’t have a clear path, I’ve always been incredibly curious, enjoy solving complexities and rather opinionated all of which have led me here.
7. If you weren’t doing this, what would be your plan B?
I am a terrible employee; I would be working on another startup idea in the same space. I want a better world for my daughter and the only way to do so is to reduce emissions and improve the environment.
8. What would you save in a fire?
My wife (my biggest supporter), daughter and best friend (Winston our Spaniel)
9. Who is your role model/ greatest influence? and why?
I don't have a particular role model, I have huge admiration for individuals who have encountered struggles and overcome them. I went through a massive challenge in 2018 when I was diagnosed with late-stage bowel cancer. Since then, I have changed my perspective on almost everything, I’m a lot more determined, I have a lot more fun and I try to raise awareness about bowel cancer (don’t die of embarrassment, talk about your poop). I am so massively inspired by those who have faced adversity and managed to triumph over it. So well done to everyone!
10. What is your happy track?
Can’t help falling in love - Kina Grannis version, it’s our wedding song and my wife’s favourite.
11. What’s your motto?
Problems have solutions
Don’t be a d***
Do the right thing
Lower emissions with a smile
12. What are you most looking forward to in the next year?
I’m most excited for our expansion with more clients, taking more vans off the road, cleaning up cities and ensuring more local people get fantastic well paid jobs with career progression.