FOSC chat: Investing in the supply chain with Prologis Ventures’ O’Donnell

This fireside chat recap is from Day 1 of FreightWaves’ Future of Supply Chain live event in Rogers, Arkansas. For more information and content from the event, click here.

FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: Venture capital at work in transportation and logistics

DETAILS: A chat with Prologis Ventures head Will O’Donnell on putting money to work in the supply chain.

SPEAKER: Will O’Donnell, managing director at Prologis Ventures

BIO: O’Donnell heads the innovation platform and venture capital arm of logistics real estate investment trust Prologis (NYSE: PLD). He joined AMB Property (merged with Prologis in 2011) in 2003, where he built and acquired investment platforms globally. He has more than 23 years of experience in real estate and technology in addition to private equity fund management expertise.

KEY QUOTES FROM WILL O’DONNELL:

On the end of the cycle: “I think in our business there are cycles. Were we in an era where capital was cheap and growth expectations were enormous? Yes.”

On investing in logistics: “It is a hard industry because of the hard-asset nature and applied technology. I don’t think, compared to some other sectors, that we got the runaway valuations that you saw in some areas.”

On short- and long-term investment opportunities: “We’ve just launched an EV-charging infrastructure business to help our customers electrify their fleets. Things like that, I think if you’re looking long term, there’s a huge opportunity. [Capital] has become more expensive in the last couple of months. People are being much more thoughtful about how they scale and grow businesses. But I’m still very optimistic about both the short-term and long-term, opportunity … because I think the supply chain is so critical to making the world economy work.”  

Prologis Ventures is an investor in FreightWaves.

Click for more FreightWaves articles by Todd Maiden.

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Source: freightwaves - FOSC chat: Investing in the supply chain with Prologis Ventures’ O’Donnell
Editor: Todd Maiden