In this episode of Everything is Logistics, host Blythe Brumleve talks about venture capital and logistics to Burak Cendek, partner at Auto Tech Ventures. The conversation covers the investment strategy and cultural aspects of VCs, specifically in the freight industry. Cendek shares his journey from growing up in Turkey and coming to the United States for college to working in engineering and eventually venture capital. The episode highlights the importance of understanding the unique challenges and opportunities in the logistics industry when it comes to venture capital investments.LINKSConnect with Burak Cendek on LinkedinVisit Auto Tech Ventures websiteWHAT YOU'LL LEARN: The listener will learn about the background and experience of a venture capitalist who specializes in investing in early stage startups related to ground transportation. They will also learn about AutoTech Ventures, a sector-specific fund that focuses on ground transportation and has built an ecosystem around it. The episode discusses the importance of unit economics and team when investing in startups in the ground transportation, logistics, and tracking industries. The podcast also discusses the potential for a more connected and digital infrastructure in the freight industry, including the use of chatbots and trucking in a box companies.TIMESTAMPS: [00:01:23] Journey to the United States.[00:04:15] Disaster logistics in Turkey.[00:09:31] Ground transportation investment strategy.[00:11:32] Podcasting in Logistics.[00:15:29] Balancing growth and profitability.[00:19:21] Importance of team in startups.[00:22:53] Tech vs Brokerage Business.[00:26:31] Thesis-driven investment strategies.[00:31:30] AI in freight ecosystem.[00:34:03] Trucking in a box.[00:39:01] Starting a startup in freight.[00:41:49] VC firms and podcasts.Feedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know.-----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why. CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve. Digital Dispatch manages and maximizes your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.