Tive
Tive makes shipment trackers and software that show where cargo is and its condition in real time.
On the record
Checkpoint: Renewal cycle for Tive's nine >$1M enterprise customers, and any FourKites/project44 hardware move
The call
Tive holds a real hardware and data lead in shipment tracking, but sits behind two bigger software rivals who could close that gap by buying or building hardware.
Tive makes small tracking devices that stick on shipments and collect real-world data about temperature, bumps, light, and location during delivery. These devices plus ten years of collected information create a genuine hurdle that pure software companies like FourKites and project44 would struggle to copy overnight, but those two rivals are bigger, grew faster by staying software-only, and could simply buy hardware capability or build it themselves. The real threat is that basic delivery time prediction is becoming a commodity through AI platforms, and hardware products inherently make less profit than pure software, so Tive's edge narrows unless it can prove its sensor data delivers measurable savings that customers cannot get elsewhere.
Why
01
AI pressure: Locus, GoComet and similar AI-native logistics platforms. AI tools are commoditizing ETA and routing predictions, but they still need Tive's sensor data as fuel, not a replacement for it. Could AI do the core job? Unlikely.
02
Bigger players: FourKites and project44. Both are bigger, software-only rivals that could acquire or build hardware trackers and match Tive's core offering. Could a giant copy it? Probably.
03
What protects it. A decade of proprietary sensor data plus hardware that software-only rivals would need years to replicate.
What would change this call
FourKites or project44 announces acquisition or in-house build of a sensor tracker. would show a software-only rival closing Tive's hardware moat.
Samsara launches a per-shipment tracker and names enterprise wins in freight visibility. would show a well-funded IoT player entering Tive's core hardware niche.
Tive's ARR growth rate reported below 30% YoY in a future funding or press update. would show growth decelerating despite prior 50%+ trajectory.
Samsara launches a per-shipment tracker and names enterprise wins in freight visibility. would show a well-funded IoT player entering Tive's core hardware niche.
Tive's ARR growth rate reported below 30% YoY in a future funding or press update. would show growth decelerating despite prior 50%+ trajectory.
Key numbers
- $100M booked ARR reached
- 4M+ trackers shipped
- $525-545M valuation after $20M round
Named risks
- FourKites or project44 could acquire or build competitive sensor hardware, eroding Tive's hardware moat.
- Hardware margins structurally compress versus pure-SaaS rivals as company scales.
- Generic ETA prediction is commoditizing rapidly via AI-native entrants, narrowing differentiation.
- Tive ranks #3-4 in a crowded market behind larger, better-funded software-only peers.
- Publicly reported revenue and headcount figures conflict across sources, limiting verifiability.
Rivals, as read in July 2026
| Rival | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| FourKites | gaining on | 532 third-party reviews vs Tive's 96 on SelectHub as of 2026-03-15 |
| project44 | gaining on | Ranked #1 on FreightWaves FreightTech 25 two years running as of 2022/2023 |
| Samsara | contesting | Fleet telematics leader that could ship a per-shipment tracker and win enterprise deals |
| Locus, GoComet (AI-native logistics platforms) | contesting | Logistics AI market crossed $26B in 2025 at ~44% CAGR, per 2026-05-30 report, commoditizing ETA features |
Questions people ask
- Is Tive profitable in 2026?
- Tive has not disclosed profitability. It announced $100 million in booked ARR on 2026-05-14, growing from about $100K seven years earlier, but as a private, VC-backed company it has released no net income or margin figures publicly.
- Could AI replace Tive's core product?
- Generic ETA prediction is commoditizing fast, but Tive owns proprietary multi-sensor hardware (location, temperature, shock, light) and years of ground-truth shipment data that pure-software AI tools cannot generate, per Tive's own Feb 18, 2026 agentic AI product post.
- Who is Tive's biggest competitor?
- FourKites and project44 are Tive's closest rivals in supply chain visibility. project44 ranked #1 on FreightWaves' FreightTech 25 and FourKites had 532 third-party reviews versus Tive's 96 on SelectHub as of 2026-03-15.
- Who owns Tive?
- Tive is privately held and founder-led by CEO Krenar Komoni, who started the company in 2015 in Worcester, Massachusetts. It has no parent company and is backed by venture investors including Two Sigma Ventures, AVP, WiL, Sageview Capital, and Lightsmith Group.
- Has Tive had layoffs?
- No layoffs have been publicly reported for Tive as of July 2026. Available sources show headcount growth, with estimates ranging roughly 250 to 308 employees by mid-2026, alongside continued funding and product launches.
- What is Tive's current valuation?
- Tive was valued at roughly $525-545 million following a $20 million funding round led by The Lightsmith Group announced January 13, 2026, per the company's own press release and Wall Street Journal reporting.
Timeline
- 2026-05-19Tive Seal tamper-detection lock reaches global commercial availability
- 2026-05-14Tive announces $100 million in booked ARR, 1,200+ customers
- 2026-02-18Tive launches workflow engine plus agentic AI automation feature
- 2026-01-13Tive secures $20 million led by Lightsmith Group at $525-545M valuation
- 2025-05-06Tive first unveils Tive Security Seal, built with TydenBrooks
- 2025-01-23Tive secures $40 million Series C led by WiL and Sageview Capital
- 2024-07-30Tive launches Solo Lite tracker, cites 60% YoY revenue growth
- 2023-10-10Tive announces one millionth tracker sold
- 2022-04Tive closes Series B funding round led by AVP
- 2020-12Tive raises $12 million Series A led by Two Sigma Ventures and RRE Ventures
Revision history
23 July 2026
First assessed. Defensible for now. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.
In the same band
Sources
- About us
- Tive Reaches $100 Million in Booked ARR (2026-05-14)
- Tive 2026: $100M ARR, 1,300 Customers (2026-05-12)
- Tive Secures $12 Million Series A Capital Funding
- Supply chain visibility platform Tive climbs to $300M valuation
- Tive Secures $40 Million in Series C Funding (2025-01-23)
- Lightsmith Group Backs Shipment-Tracking Company Tive (2026-01-12)
- $100M ARR, $545M Valuation (2026-07-11)
- Tive Announces One Millionth Tracker Sold (2023-10-10)
- Tive Celebrates 60% Year-over-Year Revenue Growth (2024-07-30)
- Tive Company Growth, Stability & Outlook 2026 (2026-06-10)
- Tive Seal Now Available Globally (2026-05-19)