The intricate network of global commerce, fueled by an ever-increasing demand for goods, constantly seeks efficiencies in its foundational element: logistics. At the heart of this complex system lies the critical juncture where freight transitions from road to rail, a process historically plagued by bottlenecks, safety concerns, and operational inefficiencies. This very challenge captivated Kevin Damoa, a mechanical engineer and seasoned professional, whose experiences from a young U.S. Army enlistee to roles at leading aerospace and automotive firms ultimately converged into the founding vision for Glīd Technologies. His startup is poised to introduce an autonomous solution designed to revolutionize the "first mile" of intermodal freight movement, a development that will be spotlighted at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025.

The Genesis of a Logistics Visionary

Damoa’s profound connection to logistics began at the age of 17, when he served as a U.S. Army enlistee, tasked with the laborious and often hazardous duty of loading heavy military equipment, such as tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles, onto railway cars. This early exposure to the practicalities and inherent difficulties of transferring massive cargo between different transport modes ignited a lifelong passion for optimizing supply chain operations. His career trajectory further diversified this expertise, spanning a 13-year tenure with the U.S. Air Force National Guard as a firefighter, where rapid response and coordinated movement were paramount, to key engineering and operational roles within the private sector. Companies like SpaceX, known for its ambitious vertical integration and logistics challenges, Northrop Grumman, a defense industry giant, and electric vehicle innovators Romeo Power Tech and Xos Trucks, all benefited from his analytical mind and hands-on problem-solving skills.

Despite his varied and impactful career, the fundamental inefficiencies of road-to-rail transfer remained a persistent thought. It wasn’t until 2022, while contributing to the Harley-Davidson e-bike brand spinoff, Serial 1, that Damoa experienced what he describes as a pivotal "come-to-Jesus moment." Observing the global logistics landscape, he noted pervasive issues: congested ports, overwhelmed road networks leading to alarming fatality rates, and a paradoxically underutilized rail infrastructure. The answer to "Why aren’t more folks using rail?" echoed back from his 17-year-old self: "Because it’s hard to get things from road to rail." This realization catalyzed his decision to establish Glīd Technologies, pronounced "Glide," a California-based startup dedicated to automating and streamlining this critical nexus. The company’s innovative approach has earned it a coveted spot among the 20 Startup Battlefield finalists at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, scheduled for October 27-29 in San Francisco.

Understanding the Intermodal Bottleneck

To fully appreciate Glīd’s proposed solution, it is essential to understand the existing complexities of intermodal freight transfer, particularly the "first mile" from port to railhead. Intermodal transport, which involves moving freight in standardized containers using multiple modes of transportation—such as ship, rail, and truck—without rehandling the cargo itself, has been a cornerstone of global trade efficiency since the advent of containerization in the mid-22nd century. Malcom McLean’s pioneering efforts transformed cargo handling, dramatically reducing costs and transit times by enabling seamless transfers between modes. However, the physical act of transferring these containers between modes, especially the initial journey from a ship’s berth or a distribution center to a waiting train, often remains a manual, multi-step, and time-consuming process.

Currently, when a container ship docks at a port, a series of sequential and often disconnected steps unfold. First, towering gantry cranes lift containers from the vessel. These containers are then typically placed onto a specialized short-haul vehicle known as a hostler truck or yard truck. This truck transports the container a short distance to a temporary storage area, where it is often stacked high using large reach stackers or forklifts. When it is time for the container to proceed to the railhead, another forklift retrieves it from the stack and reloads it onto a hostler truck. This truck then navigates to the rail yard, where yet another crane or forklift is required to hoist the container onto a waiting freight train. This entire sequence is characterized by multiple hand-offs, reliance on diverse heavy machinery, significant human intervention, and considerable dwell times, all contributing to operational inefficiencies, increased costs, and heightened safety risks. Damoa emphasizes, "The first mile is where all your problems happen. This is where you unload ships and stack up your containers and then figure out where they’re intended to go to. That process is still broken and involves a bunch of steps."

Glīd’s Autonomous Solutions: A New Paradigm

Glīd Technologies is not aiming to compete with the rail industry itself, but rather to enhance its accessibility and efficiency by targeting the problematic first mile. The startup’s comprehensive approach involves both novel hardware and sophisticated software, designed to create a seamless, autonomous bridge between road and rail.

The company’s flagship hardware product is the GliderM, a hybrid-electric vehicle engineered specifically for 20-foot containers. What sets the GliderM apart is its integrated hook mechanism on the rear, allowing it to directly pick up and transport containers to the rail line. This innovative design eliminates the need for intermediate equipment like forklifts and hostler trucks, drastically reducing the number of steps and pieces of machinery involved in the transfer process. By streamlining the physical movement, GliderM promises faster turnaround times and reduced operational complexity.

Complementing the GliderM, Glīd is also developing the Räden, an armored, low-profile autonomous platform. The Räden is designed to slide underneath any standard trailer, lift it, and then autonomously transport it along designated routes to the railhead. This versatility means Glīd’s system can handle a broader range of freight, including those already loaded onto conventional trailers, further expanding the potential for direct road-to-rail transfer without conventional human-driven trucks or specialized lifting equipment.

Powering these autonomous vehicles and orchestrating the entire process is Glīd’s proprietary logistics software, EZRA-1SIX. This software is envisioned as the intelligent backbone of the system, optimizing routes, managing container flow, and ensuring the precise and safe operation of the GliderM and Räden platforms. Together, these innovations form what Damoa describes as "the baton racer," efficiently handing off loads to the middle mile of the supply chain. The overarching objective, he explains, is "utilization — how many containers can we get within that first mile, within a day, in order to maximize our optimize our costs."

Economic and Environmental Impact

The economic proposition of Glīd’s system is compelling. By eliminating the reliance on multiple pieces of equipment and the associated labor for forklifts and hostler trucks, and by facilitating greater use of the more cost-effective rail for longer hauls, Glīd projects substantial savings. The company operates on a mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) model, offering customers an annual subscription of $300,000. This fee provides access to GliderM or Räden units, along with the EZRA-1SIX logistics software. Additionally, customers are charged 8 cents per ton per mile for the actual movement of freight. Damoa highlights the significant value proposition, noting that this comprehensive service effectively bundles the capabilities of a train, truck, and forklift. He contrasts this with the current industry average cost of approximately $2.27 per ton per mile, which encompasses transloading, train, and truck fees. Glīd’s model represents a potential cost reduction of over 90%, a figure that could reshape operational budgets for many logistics companies.

Beyond direct cost savings, the environmental benefits are substantial. Greater adoption of rail freight over long-haul trucking inherently reduces carbon emissions, as trains are significantly more fuel-efficient per ton-mile. By making rail more accessible and efficient for the first mile, Glīd could accelerate this modal shift, contributing to broader sustainability goals within the supply chain. Furthermore, the reduction in human-operated heavy machinery in congested port and industrial environments can lead to enhanced safety, mitigating risks of accidents and fatalities that are unfortunately common in these high-activity zones.

Market Adoption and Future Outlook

Glīd Technologies is strategically targeting specific segments of the logistics market where its solutions can have the most immediate and profound impact. These include short rail systems, ports that maintain their own internal track networks, and large industrial parks. These environments often face the most acute "first mile" challenges due to high volumes and complex internal movements.

The 14-person startup has already demonstrated significant traction. It has secured agreements with four short line railroads, signaling confidence from established players in the rail sector. Notable partnerships also include the Port of Woodland in Washington, a vital maritime gateway, Taylor Transport out of Vancouver, and the expansive Great Plains Industrial Park in Kansas. This 6,800-acre industrial hub, boasting 30 miles of internal rail lines and an onsite transload facility, represents an ideal proving ground for Glīd’s autonomous solutions.

The journey to this point was not without its hurdles. Damoa candidly admits that the initial years of Glīd were challenging, marked by difficulties in attracting investment. However, a turning point arrived after participating in the Antler startup accelerator program, which provided crucial mentorship in CEO development and pitching skills. This strategic refinement proved instrumental, as Glīd successfully secured pre-prototype investment. The startup announced a $3.1 million pre-seed funding round in July, led by Outlander VC, with additional participation from Draper U Ventures, Antler, The Veteran Fund, M1C, and various angel investors. Since then, Glīd has continued to attract capital, bringing its total funding to $7.1 million and achieving a post-money valuation of $35 million. This robust financial backing underscores investor confidence in Glīd’s technological innovation and its potential to disrupt a critical segment of the logistics industry.

As Glīd Technologies prepares to showcase its innovations at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, the company stands at the vanguard of a new era for intermodal freight. By tackling the persistent inefficiencies of the first mile with autonomous, cost-effective, and environmentally conscious solutions, Glīd is not merely building a shortcut; it is constructing a more intelligent, safer, and sustainable pathway for global commerce. Its emergence signals a broader trend toward automation and optimization across the supply chain, promising a future where goods move with unprecedented fluidity from origin to destination.