FirstMile

What FirstMile does

FirstMile was a US-based eCommerce shipping carrier that aggregated national, regional, and local delivery networks (USPS, UPS, DHL, OnTrac, and regional partners) behind a single routing and billing layer for online retailers and third-party logistics providers. The company's core product was Xparcel, a patented dynamic shipping method that evaluated package dimensions, weight, destination ZIP code, historical carrier performance, network reliability, and cost thresholds in real time to select the optimal carrier and service level for each shipment. Xparcel was offered in three primary tiers (Ground at 3-8 days, Expedited at 2-5 days, Priority at 1-3 days), alongside supporting services including international shipping to 220+ countries with DDU and DDP options, an on-demand returns product, an Invoice Audit Queue, Zip Limiting rules, Package Claims, and Amazon FBA routing. The supporting technology stack included ZIP-level historical performance data, a TSA and IAC-certified sortation hub in Salt Lake City with additional hubs in Los Angeles, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, and 30,000 annual pickup operations.

FirstMile generated revenue primarily through per-package transaction fees billed weekly, with fuel surcharges indexed to EIA diesel and jet fuel prices and quoted rates varying by zone, weight, and volume. The company served three primary customer segments in roughly equal strategic weight: Enterprise Shippers requiring consolidated single-invoice nationwide delivery, 3PL Companies needing fulfillment consolidation across multiple client accounts, and Small to Mid-Sized eCommerce Brands seeking cost-efficient shipping without enterprise-scale overhead. A secondary segment of Amazon FBA Sellers was added in early 2025. Distribution combined a direct sales-led model with account managers, website quote requests, and integration partnerships with eCommerce platforms (ShipStation, EasyPost, ShipHero, Shopify, Fulfil, OrderCup, SmartShyp, ShipWise, ShipSource, Skupreme, ShipStore) that embedded Xparcel as a selectable carrier option. Marketing was content-led through blog, SEO, social, and newsletter channels.

Operationally, FirstMile reported 50M+ packages processed annually, 1,500+ active clients, 99% claimed US ZIP coverage, and 96%+ on-time delivery performance, with 18% shipping cost reduction cited in a DTC brand case study. On August 7, 2025 FirstMile merged with ACI Logistix and Sendle to form FAST Group, backed by Sydney-based Federation Asset Management, expanding the combined footprint to the US, Australia, Canada, India, and the Philippines. The merger collapsed in January 2026 after Federation Asset Management froze redemptions in its $100 million Federation Alternatives Investment Fund II on December 12, 2025, citing 64% fund concentration in FAST Group and material deficiencies in ACI Logistix's financial statements. FirstMile's homepage now states it is no longer operating as an active business, with Devin Johnson as Founder and CEO at the time of closure.

Name

FirstMile

Legal name

FirstMile

Website

https://firstmile.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

FirstMile was a US-based eCommerce shipping carrier that aggregated USPS, UPS, DHL, OnTrac, and regional carriers behind its patented Xparcel dynamic routing engine, serving eCommerce brands, 3PLs, and Amazon FBA sellers with single-label, single-invoice parcel services. The company merged into FAST Group in August 2025 and ceased operations in January 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Parcel Shipping Services: FirstMile generates revenue through shipping fees charged to eCommerce brands and 3PLs for domestic and international parcel delivery. The company aggregates volume across hundreds of DTC brands and fulfillment providers, moving shipments through its network of carriers including USPS, UPS, DHL, OnTrac, and regional partners. Revenue is based on package weight, dimensions, destination, and service level selected. Invoices are sent weekly in CSV and PDF format, with standard payment terms of Net 5. Fuel surcharges are added to weekly bills based on EIA diesel and jet fuel price indices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FirstMile is a parcel shipping carrier for eCommerce brands and 3PLs that uses its patented Xparcel dynamic routing technology to select optimal national, regional, and local carriers for each package, delivering one label, one pickup, and one invoice across USPS, UPS, DHL, OnTrac, and gig couriers. The company offers tiered domestic services (Xparcel Ground 3-8 day, Expedited 2-5 day, Priority 1-3 day), international shipping to 220+ countries with DDU/DDP options, returns management, billing audit, and package claims.

Product overview

FirstMile was an eCommerce shipping carrier combining proprietary technology with national and regional carrier networks. The core platform was Xparcel, a patented dynamic shipping method that automatically selected optimal carrier and service level for each package. Xparcel offered three service tiers: Xparcel Ground (3-8 days), Xparcel Expedited (2-5 days), and Xparcel Priority (1-3 days). Supporting services included International Shipping (reaching 220+ countries with DDU/DDP options), Xparcel Returns (on-demand QR code returns), Invoice Audit/Billing Queue, Package Claims, Zip Limiting, and PRCL Pack packaging discounts. The company also supported Amazon FBA routing. Services were designed for ecommerce businesses, 3PLs, and fulfillment providers, offering one label, one pickup, and one consolidated invoice across multiple carriers. FirstMile merged with ACI Logistix and Sendle in August 2025 to form FAST Group and is no longer operating as an independent business entity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Xparcel: FirstMile's patented shipping method that dynamically selects optimal carriers to save cost and boost speed. Includes Xparcel Ground (3-8 day delivery), Xparcel Expedited (2-5 day delivery), and Xparcel Priority (1-3 day delivery).
• Xparcel Returns

Products and services

• Xparcel

Quantifiable outcome

• 96%+ on-time delivery performance
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

AI capability2 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• SendlecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 August 2025Australian parcel delivery company that merged with FirstMile and ACI Logistix on August 7, 2025 to form FAST Group. The merger created a global e-commerce logistics powerhouse serving US, Australia, Canada, India, and Philippines markets. Sendle subsequently collapsed in January 2026 following FAST Group wind-down.
• ACI LogistixcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 August 2025US-based logistics company that merged with FirstMile and Sendle on August 7, 2025 to form FAST Group. Financial discrepancies discovered post-merger led to Federation Asset Management freezing fund redemptions and ultimately the collapse of FAST Group in January 2026.
• USPScoreTechnology or IntegrationNational carrier partner integrated into FirstMile's multi-carrier network for final-mile delivery across the United States. Packages are inducted into USPS network when optimal for cost and performance.
• UPScoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic carrier partner leveraged within FirstMile's dynamic Xparcel system. UPS provides extensive national coverage and consistent delivery performance, strategically integrated when its capabilities align with delivery objectives.
• DHLcoreTechnology or IntegrationInternational carrier partner for global eCommerce shipping, enabling delivery to 220+ countries and territories through DHL's international network.
• OnTraccoreTechnology or IntegrationRegional carrier partner for last-mile delivery, integrated into FirstMile's network for cost-effective delivery in specific geographic areas.
• ShipStationmajorTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership allowing ShipStation users to access FirstMile's Xparcel shipping services directly within the ShipStation platform interface.
• EasyPostmajorTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership providing EasyPost users access to FirstMile's multi-carrier network and Xparcel services through the EasyPost shipping API.
• ShipHeromajorTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership enabling ShipHero users to utilize FirstMile's shipping services for their fulfillment operations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Shippo: Multi-carrier shipping API and platform serving SMB eCommerce merchants with rate shopping, label generation, and discounted carrier rates. Closely comparable to FirstMile's dynamic routing and integration model, though more software-led versus FirstMile's hybrid carrier/aggregator positioning.
• EasyPost: Shipping API aggregator offering multi-carrier rate shopping, label generation, tracking, and address verification to developers and merchants. Functions as both a partner (integrated with FirstMile) and a direct competitor in the multi-carrier shipping optimization layer.
• ShipStation: Multi-carrier shipping management platform owned by Stamps.com (Auctane) targeting SMB and mid-market eCommerce shippers. Direct competitor in shipping workflow management; also a FirstMile integration partner.
• ShipperHQ: Shipping rate management and multi-carrier optimization platform for eCommerce merchants, integrated with major ecommerce platforms. Comparable to FirstMile's Xparcel in providing dynamic carrier selection logic for DTC and 3PL customers.

Broad incumbents

• ShipBob: Tech-enabled 3PL providing eCommerce fulfillment and shipping services to DTC brands with proprietary warehouse network. Comparable to FirstMile's enterprise shipper and 3PL customer overlap, with broader fulfillment scope.
• ShipMonk: Multi-channel 3PL offering fulfillment, shipping, and inventory management for eCommerce brands and 3PLs. Overlaps with FirstMile's 3PL segment and SMB/mid-market eCommerce customer base.
• ShipHero: eCommerce fulfillment and shipping software platform with proprietary WMS. Direct integration partner of FirstMile and direct competitor in serving 3PLs and DTC brands with multi-carrier shipping optimization.
• Stord: Cloud supply chain operator combining warehousing, fulfillment, and parcel shipping for eCommerce and omnichannel brands. Comparable to FirstMile's enterprise shipper segment with a vertically integrated fulfillment-plus-shipping model.
• FedEx SmartPost: FedEx economy residential ground service combining FedEx linehaul with USPS final-mile delivery. The closest direct analogous product to FirstMile's Xparcel Ground, illustrating the competitive incumbent benchmark for blended-carrier economy shipping.

Emerging players

• Better Shipping: Multi-carrier shipping rate optimization platform for eCommerce merchants, similar in approach to FirstMile's dynamic routing but software-only without owned sortation infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gofirstmile
• Facebookfacebook.com/firstmileshipping
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/firstmile-international-fulfillment-solutions-
• Instagraminstagram.com/gofirstmile

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FirstMile