Josh Saunders and Stewart Flecknoe-Brown were working for an international ride share company that was breaking into the Australian market when they saw an opportunity to solve a major challenge for the logistics and transport industries.
To comply with safety regulations, drivers and their fleets are required to log hours’ worth of documentation and paperwork per year, creating an administrative burden for everyone involved.
Identifying that professional drivers needed an automated, centralised way to manage their Australian compliance requirements, Josh and Stewart developed Logmaster – an online platform for transport businesses and drivers to easily track hours spent behind the wheel; record vehicle checks; report incidents; store licences, and meet other regulatory requirements. The platform would allow drivers and their employers to keep track of important documentation and monitor driver fatigue levels.
Accelerating growth
While their experience at the ride share company had given them valuable insight into the mechanics of launching a rapidly upscaling business in a new market, even Josh and Stewart weren’t prepared for how quickly the industry would respond to the app.
“Our first program was designed to fill gaps in safety and compliance for light vehicle drivers, in response to known pain points for the industry,” says Stewart. “Within two weeks of sharing it on LinkedIn, we were approached by the heavy vehicle industry for a truck version.”
The founders jumped on the opportunity to expand into a new sector, but recognised this would require a significant shift in focus and direction. Their small, self-managed operation was quickly growing in headcount to meet client demand, and with new opportunities came new business challenges. “We quickly went from being demand-driven and self-funded, to being approached by large corporations wanting to sign agreements with us,” says Stewart.
To meet growing demand while setting the company up for sustained success, the time had come to look for legal advice about capital raising, structuring and commercial contracts.
"We quickly went from being demand-driven and self-funded, to being approached by large corporations wanting to work with us."
Stewart Flecknoe-Brown
Co-founder, Logmaster
The right support
Logmaster’s early success and speed of growth had resulted from its founders’ strong working relationship. A legal adviser would need to reflect this dynamic – knowledgeable, authentic, collaborative, adaptable, and in sync.
“Stewart and I bring a balance to each other,” says Josh. “We’re very different in what we can and can’t do, but between the two of us we can handle anything.” “We don’t think the same way, but we head in the same direction,” says Stewart. “Not every team has the flexibility and trust to do what we do.”
When searching for a firm to represent them, Lander & Rogers stood out to the founders for these very reasons. “Whereas other law firms might ask about the job at hand, Lander & Rogers asked about our business,” says Josh. “We began working closely with Jared Smith and his team, who took the time to understand our goals, posed the right questions, and were as excited and enthusiastic about our journey as we were. The Lander & Rogers team was practical and commercial, always thinking several years ahead, which aligned with how we had designed our product and value proposition. They knew we wanted to be a large-scale business that could partner with larger companies. We wanted a legal advisor that proposed solutions that focused on what we would need to do to get to that point.”
An initial brief for advice about what to do to prepare for a capital raise, how to protect intellectual property and to review commercial contracts expanded into new areas as the relationship deepened.
“The three things we asked Lander & Rogers for advice on, soon turned into five or six things,” says Josh. “The more they came to interrogate and understand our business, the more we were able to identify new areas in which they could provide value, from employment law advice to introducing us to other relevant advisors and potential investors. They have become an extension of our team and genuinely care about us and the success of our business.”
“There are nuances to our software-based business model that we wouldn’t have expected someone to be able to grasp right away,” says Stewart. “But the Lander & Rogers team clearly has a deep knowledge of technology companies and is always able to bring us the right expertise – from capital raising and intellectual property to commercial contracting, regulatory and employment – to provide practical and commercial guidance and ultimately peace of mind on our specific issues.”
"They have become an extension of our team and genuinely care about us and the success of our business."
Josh Saunders
Co-founder, Logmaster
The road ahead
Logmaster’s growth continues full speed ahead in 2022 as the company continues to raise capital and attract global interest from the transport industry. The heavy vehicle compliance platform recently passed the testing for accreditation as an approved electronic work diary from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NVHR), bringing it to a wider Australian customer base. The team is also gearing up for global expansion with growing international interest in the product.
Always quick to look ahead and pursue new opportunities, founders Josh and Stewart are already thinking about where they want to be in five years’ time – and are confident that, with strong support from Lander & Rogers, their business is set up to succeed.
At a glance
Organisation: Logmaster
Established: 2019
Headquarters: Surry Hills, Sydney
Purpose: Transport compliance solutions - online platform providing an electronic work diary and compliance management tools to improve safety for the rideshare, transport and heavy vehicle industries.
Founded by: Josh Saunders and Stewart Flecknoe-Brown
Advised by: Lander & Rogers’ M&A/ECM group (Jared Smith and Lora Ye), Technology & Digital group (Lisa Fitzgerald and Edward Lyons) and Workplace Relations & Safety group (Mark Sullivan).
Reflections
Lander & Rogers has helped countless enterprises turn digital products and services into commercial successes, providing commercial and practical advice to both growth companies and established businesses. We leverage deep tech sector knowledge, drawing on decades of experience.
“We’ve loved getting to know the talented founder team at Logmaster and are proud to see all their hard work pay off with the successful launch of their product. It’s been a privilege being part of their growth story, from those initial conversations where we sought to understand their vision, to assisting them navigate the capital raising process, commercialisation of their IP and employment arrangements.
"We look forward to helping Logmaster on their next growth phase - they are yet another example of the amazing tech companies emerging from the Australian tech ecosystem.”
Jared Smith
Partner, Lander & Rogers
Photo by KS Kyoung on Unsplash.
