CartonCloud is gathering staff for the first time in two years after raising $12m for expansion

A Queensland software logistics company is gathering its staff together for the first time in two years and is eyeing an expansion into the United States after raising $12 million.

Logistics software company CartonCloud has expansion plans.

With borders reopening logistics software company CartonCloud will next week be bring its entire staff together for the first time in two years. The company is holding a “Back to Base” event and more than 50 employees will arrive on the Gold Coast from Vietnam, the Philippines, New Zealand and across the east coast of Australia.

And they will have a lot to discuss with CartonCloud after raising $12m cash through MA Financial to fund expansion into the North American logistics market and further develop its transport and warehouse management system.

CartonCloud chief executive and co-founder Vincent Fletcher, 34, said the investment represented a significant milestone for the software company, which began in 2012 at a cold store and freight business in Sydney’s western suburbs.

“We now have the ability to significantly increase our headcount, fast-track development to rollout new features and expand to North America,” he said.

“Entering the massive US logistics industry and building a team there opens up extraordinary opportunities for CartonCloud to secure new customers, build new industry partnerships and continue to improve our product for all of our global customers.”

CartonCloud CEO and founder Vincent Fletcher

CartonCloud’s warehouse, transport and integrated third party logistics management systems is designed to enable warehouse and transport businesses to streamline operations by automating a range of processes traditionally done using paper-based systems.

It supports optimising warehouse and transport operations, and providing data for business intelligence and planning.

Since 2017 the company has had consistent year-on-year growth of 45 per cent while the number of clients has jumped from 60 to more than 350 mainly in Australia and New Zealand.

In 2021 alone, CartonCloud clients used the platform to invoice more than $1bn worth of freight.

Making movies happen

Screen Queensland has appointed Belinda Burns as its chief creative officer to grow the Sunshine State’s reputation as a globally renowned screen hub.

As a published novelist with a PhD in creative writing, Dr Burns also has a background in lecturing and course development across literature and film studies at The University of Queensland and University of Southern Queensland.

She joined Screen Queensland in September 2020 as head of marketing and communications, following similar roles in Brisbane, Melbourne and London. Dr Burns said since she joined Screen Queensland they have secured a record number of interstate and internationally-attracted productions, and seen the development and release of an array of inventive, successful, Queensland-made films, series and games.

Screen Queensland has appointed Dr Belinda Burns as Chief Creative Officer (

New maccas to fire up jobs

More than 200 jobs will be created in Stockland’s $215m Aura Business Park on the Sunshine Coast with construction starting on a new McDonald’s.

The McDonald’s restaurant is anticipated to open in late September and will employ over 100 people during construction, as well as an additional 120 people once operational.

A new Sunshine Mitre 10, which is the first tenant within Aura’s new trade and construction precinct at the business park at Baringa is also being built.

The business park opened in 2018 and is home to more than 50 businesses. Construction is continuing on the second stage of the Kennards Storage and Stockland has announced plans for a service station to open within the next three years.

When completed Aura Business Park will generate an expected 20,000 new jobs be home to 200 businesses.

Stockland senior economic development manager Matthew Byrne said Aura was a next-generation urban community.

“Having two established brands such as McDonald’s and Mitre 10 open their doors will provide great employment opportunities, helping us continue to deliver on our ambition to become a city where people live, work and play,” he said.

An artist's impression of the new McDonald's at the Aura Business Park.