Startup opening sustainable microfactory for water cold packs that will run in complete darkness.<\/p>\n
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Cooking up a meal kit is usually done in a well-lit kitchen. But in a new Montr\u00e9al factory, the refrigeration packs for delivery meal kits will be assembled under very different circumstances: by remote-controlled robots, in near-total darkness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there\u2019s a real opportunity for what we\u2019re doing in Montr\u00e9al to become a centre of excellence for our concept of autonomous, distributed manufacturing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wayne McIntyre,
Relocalize<\/p>\n
Relocalize<\/a>, a Montr\u00e9al-based manufacturing startup, announced today that it\u2019s opening its second autonomous microfactory to make cold-chain products on demand. Wayne McIntyre, the company\u2019s co-founder and CEO, told BetaKit that the \u201cdark factory\u201d will be the first of its kind in Canada: no lights on and no humans working in-person shifts.<\/p>\n The Montr\u00e9al factory is set to open in the fourth quarter of this year, near the Lachine Canal in Griffintown. It will make 100-percent water-based cold packs, which are used in last-mile packaged food delivery as a replacement for the less environmentally sustainable gel packs that require 30 days of cold storage.\u00a0<\/p>\n In March, Relocalize closed a $7-million CAD seed extension round, building on raises in 2023 and 2024<\/a>. It was led by Desjardins Capital and existing investors, including Toronto-based Waterpoint Lane and California-based RGS Ice. In addition, it secured $2.5 million from Calgary cleantech firm CWV Sustainable Royalties for an equipment financing deal for the microfactory, and plans to raise up to $22.5 million from the investor. McIntyre said this brings its total capital raised to $18.1 million, including roughly $2 million composed of debt and grants.<\/p>\n Founded in 2021, Relocalize has focused its efforts on the packaged ice industry as its entry into sustainable, decentralized manufacturing. Facilities are often smaller and more spread out, closer to the customers served, instead of concentrating production in one central location. McIntyre said this approach\u2014which is Relocalize\u2019s raison d\u2019\u00eatre\u2014reduces carbon emissions by cutting out unnecessary transport and eliminates waste by manufacturing on demand. \u201cIn our hearts, we\u2019re a cleantech [company],\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The microfactory\u2019s opening is part of Relocalize\u2019s pivot from pilot programs to commercialization. Automated \u201cdark\u201d or \u201clights-out\u201d factories can operate 24\/7 with dimmed or no lights by relying on AI and robotics. In China, these factories have deployed hundreds of thousands of robots to manufacture electric vehicles<\/a>. While these automated facilities can reduce costs and energy consumption for companies, Bloomberg has reported<\/a> that China\u2019s industrial robotics push has displaced workers and lowered living standards.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n