- Founded: 2013
- Ceased Operations: 2018
What did Shyp do?
In their words: “Shyp provide(d) shipping services that ranges from picking-up the package to delivering it to the destination.”
Shyp was a technology company that provided on-demand shipping services to customers in select cities in the United States. The company’s goal was to make the process of shipping items more convenient and affordable for individuals and small businesses.
To use Shyp’s service, customers would take a photo of the item they wanted to ship using the Shyp app, and then provide some basic information about the destination and the package’s contents. Shyp would then dispatch a courier to pick up the item and pack it securely for shipping. The company would then compare shipping rates from different carriers to find the most affordable option for the customer, and handle all of the paperwork and tracking for the shipment.
Shyp initially focused on serving customers in San Francisco, but later expanded to several other cities across the United States.
Who started Shyp?
The company was founded by Kevin Gibbon and Joshua Scott in San Francisco, California.
Kevin Gibbon served as the CEO of Shyp until May 2017 when he stepped down from the position. Joshua Scott served as the CTO of Shyp until he left the company in August 2016.
Why did Shyp go out of business?
Shyp failed due to several reasons, including:
- High operational costs: Shyp initially offered a low-cost, on-demand shipping service, but the cost of acquiring, packaging, and shipping the items proved to be more expensive than anticipated, leading to losses.
- Limited market demand: While Shyp had a unique value proposition, the demand for on-demand shipping services was not as high as expected, and the market was already dominated by established players such as FedEx and UPS.
- Expansion too soon: Shyp expanded too quickly, launching in several cities in the US before establishing a solid presence in its initial market. The expansion resulted in high costs and difficulty in managing operations across multiple locations.
Relevant Links
- Shyp CEO Announces End of Delivery Startup, Crunchbase News, 3/27/2018