Phillip Nadjafov
| Phillip Nadjafov | |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, CEO of Oway |
|---|---|
| Known for | Co-founding Oway, an AI freight platform |
| Education | University of Southern California (USC) |
Phillip Nadjafov is an American entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Oway, an artificial intelligence-driven freight platform that utilizes unused truck capacity to offer lower-cost shipping. Oway participated in Y Combinator's Summer 2024 batch and is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area.[1]
Career
Nadjafov studied at the University of Southern California (USC).[2] He subsequently founded Oway, a logistics technology company focused on addressing inefficiencies in the United States trucking industry. According to the company, approximately 50% of U.S. truck space goes unused each year, representing what Oway describes as a $100 billion-plus inefficiency.[3]
Oway's platform uses machine learning and telematics data from electronic logging devices (ELDs) to identify available capacity on full truckload carriers and match it with partial shipments. The company has been described as a "rideshare freight platform," drawing comparisons to ride-hailing services applied to the freight industry. By bypassing the traditional hub-and-spoke network used in less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping — which involves warehouses, cross-docking, and multiple handoffs — Oway aims to move freight directly from dock to dock. The company claims this approach can reduce shipping costs by up to 50% compared to traditional LTL services while enabling carriers to increase annual revenue by up to 30% by monetizing otherwise empty space.[4]
In an interview with FreightWaves, Nadjafov discussed one of the primary challenges facing the company: overcoming the perception among full truckload carriers that partial loads yield low rates. He noted that LTL shipping inherently includes premiums because shippers pay for the entire hub-and-spoke infrastructure, and that redirecting LTL demand to full truckload carriers with spare capacity could offer better economics for both sides.[5]
In August 2025, Oway raised a $4 million seed round, with backing from General Catalyst and Y Combinator, among others.[6] As of late 2025, Oway reported a network of over 8,900 active vehicles with nationwide coverage and same-day average pickup times.
References
- ↑ "Oway – Y Combinator". 'Y Combinator}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Phillip Nadjafov – Crunchbase". 'Crunchbase}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Oway". 'Oway}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "How Oway uses AI to fill empty trucks and cut shipping costs". 'FreightWaves}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Exclusive: YC-backed Oway raises $4M to build a decentralized 'Uber for freight'". 'TechCrunch}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Oway Raises $4 Million for AI-Enabled 'Rideshare Freight Platform'". 'PYMNTS.com}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.