News Brief: Sendle Collapse Leaves Customers and Staff in Limbo
Summary
Australian parcel delivery company Sendle has abruptly ceased operations, halting all shipments and leaving small business customers scrambling, staff jobless, and investors facing significant losses. The collapse follows a troubled merger with two US firms in 2023.
Key Points
- Sudden Shutdown: Sendle halted all parcel bookings without warning on January 11, 2026, via email, “ghosting” customers and staff.
- Customer Fallout: Small businesses are stranded with undelivered parcels, lost shipping fees, and no customer service support.
- Job Losses: Australian staff were immediately laid off. Over 80 call center workers in the Philippines also face redundancy.
- Failed Merger: Sendle merged with US companies ACI Logistix and FirstMile in 2023 to form FastGroup. Investor Federation accuses ACI Logistix of providing inaccurate financial data pre-merger.
- Investor Losses: Major backers like Touch Ventures have written down their investments to “nil.” Recovery of funds is uncertain.
- Business Model: Sendle acted as a broker between large courier networks and small businesses, offering carbon-neutral, low-cost shipping.
新闻简报：Sendle快递公司倒闭引发混乱与不满
摘要
澳大利亚快递公司Sendle突然停止运营，中断了所有货运服务，导致小企业客户陷入困境、员工失业、投资者面临重大损失。此次倒闭源于2023年一次问题重重的合并。
关键点
- 突然关闭：Sendle于2026年1月11日通过电子邮件无预警地停止了所有包裹预订，对客户和员工“玩失踪”。
- 客户困境：小企业主面临包裹滞留、运费损失且无法获得客服支持的困境。
- 员工失业：澳大利亚员工被立即解雇。菲律宾的80多名呼叫中心员工也面临裁员。
- 合并失败：2023年，Sendle与美国公司ACI Logistix和FirstMile合并成立FastGroup。投资方Federation指控ACI Logistix在合并前提供了不准确的财务信息。
- 投资损失：主要投资方如Touch Ventures已将其投资价值减记至“零”。资金回收前景不明。
- 商业模式：Sendle充当大型快递网络与小企业之间的中间商，提供碳中和的低成本运输服务。
Original Article Link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-23/australian-courier-tech-sendle-collapses/106237380