Parcel and Postal Technology International
  • News
    • A-E
      • Automation
      • Business Diversification
      • Construction / Development
      • Cross-border
      • Delivery
      • E-commerce
      • Expo
    • F-O
      • Freight
      • IT & Systems
      • Last Mile
      • Lockers / PUDO
      • Logistics
      • Mail
      • Operations
    • P-R
      • Packets
      • Parcels
      • Peak
      • Retail
      • Returns
    • S-Z
      • Sorting Systems
      • Staff / Personnel
      • Sustainability
      • Technology
      • Vehicles / Fleet
  • Features
  • Online Magazines
    • September 2023
    • June 2023
    • March 2023
    • December 2022
    • SHOWCASE 2019
    • Archive Issues
    • Subscribe Free!
  • Opinion
  • Videos
  • Analysis
  • Awards
    • 2023 Awards
    • 2022 Award Winners
    • 2021 Award Winners
    • 2020 Award Winners
    • 2019 Award Winners
    • Previous Winners
  • Supplier Spotlight
  • Events
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job – It’s FREE!
    • Manage Jobs (Employers)
LinkedIn YouTube Twitter
  • Sign-up for Breaking News Emails
  • Meet the Editors
  • Contact Us
  • Media Pack
Subscribe >
LinkedIn Facebook
Parcel and Postal Technology International
  • News
      • Automation
      • Business Diversification
      • Construction / Development
      • Cross-border
      • Delivery
      • E-commerce
      • Expo
      • Freight
      • IT & Systems
      • Last Mile
      • Lockers / PUDO
      • Logistics
      • Mail
      • Operations
      • Packets
      • Parcels
      • Peak
      • Retail
      • Returns
      • Sorting Systems
      • Staff / Personnel
      • Sustainability
      • Technology
      • Vehicles / Fleet
  • Features
  • Online Magazines
    1. September 2023
    2. June 2023
    3. March 2023
    4. December 2022
    5. SHOWCASE 2019
    6. Archive Issues
    7. Subscribe Free!
    Featured
    August 25, 2023

    In this Issue – September 2023

    Online Magazines By Dan Symonds
    Recent

    In this Issue – September 2023

    August 25, 2023

    In this Issue – June 2023

    July 6, 2023

    In this Issue – March 2023

    March 29, 2023
  • Opinion
  • Videos
  • Analysis
  • Awards
    • 2023 Award Winners
    • 2022 Award Winners
    • 2021 Award Winners
    • 2020 Award Winners
    • 2019 Award Winners
    • Previous Winners
  • Supplier Spotlight
  • Events
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job – It’s FREE!
    • Manage Jobs (Employers)
LinkedIn Facebook
Parcel and Postal Technology International
Automation

Robotics developer iFollow to increase production tenfold following latest funding round

mmBy Elizabeth BakerNovember 26, 20213 Mins Read
Share LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

French robotics startup iFollow has raised €7.5m (US$8.4m) in funding led by Supernova Invest, alongside Socadif – taking over from historical seed investors Axeleo Capital and NCI Waterstart, all with the support of BPI France.

The latest round of funding enables iFollow to expand its assembly line, currently based in Gentilly, France. Production is planned to increase tenfold to reach 1,500 robots manufactured per year. With over 100 robots already operational, iFollow is aiming to deliver at least 500 new AMRs in 2022.

The slimline autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) can transport loads of up to 1,000kg and are built to withstand traveling on rough floors. The AMRs can carry two roll cages at once in cold stores and ambient warehouses. They are built to withstand temperatures from -25° C to +40°C, without degradation to battery life. As a full charge from 10% to 100% requires 1.5 hours, uptime is maximized through opportune charging.

As they are just 17cm high, these robots can also fit under lower roll cages. Using the common combination of camera and QR-code navigation, these compact robots are designed to offer easy movement in cramped environments and have the flexibility to transport different storage units such as pallets, trolleys and roll cages.

Founded in March 2017 by CEO Vincent Jacquemart and chief technology officer Nicolas Menigoz, the iFollow team was previously focused on R&D and made up of approximately 40 employees. The team will be gradually strengthened to reach 80 employees within 18 months with new strategic areas to include deployment, maintenance, logistics and marketing.

Frazer Watson, country manager of iFollow’s UK and Ireland divisions, said, “With labor shortages being a major challenge, the ability of iFollow robots to transport two roll cages at once will clearly transform the operational performance of grocery DCs. Designing and manufacturing our own robots and using our own software allows us to tailor solutions to meet the needs of individual applications. Intelligent robots offer a flexible solution that can be easily adapted to changing needs, which makes iFollow’s technology ideal for supporting an era post-Covid-19 in grocery warehouse operations, which are facing demands for ever-shorter delivery times from growing e-commerce channels as well as store orders.”

Nicolas Menigoz, iFollow’s general manager, commented, “This new round of financing marks a major milestone for the company, as our objective for 2022 is to scale up existing installations at several major French customers in the industrial and logistics sectors. Our ambition is to duplicate these well-established robotization models and become a world leader in this significant market (€10bn [US$11bn] in 2023).”

David Hansen, investment director at Supernova Invest, said, “We are very impressed with iFollow’s value proposition, based on cutting-edge technology that offers significant benefits over existing solutions, including the absence of dedicated infrastructure, the thinness of the robots to fit under any surface, a payload of up to 1 ton and the ability to operate in extremely cold environments. We are therefore delighted to become a leading partner of iFollow and to accompany them in their future successes.”

Samya Glangetas, investment director at Socadif Capital Investissement, concluded, “We are delighted to join the founders of iFollow in this industrial endeavor which should lead them to become one of the world leaders in AMRs for logistics players. We were attracted as much by the technological advancements of the proposed solutions as by the quality and enthusiasm of the entire team.”

Share. Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email
Previous ArticleParcel delivery companies underperforming in the UK, finds customer survey
Next Article DX directors purchase nearly US$180,000 of company shares

Related Posts

Expo

VIDEO: Impressions from Parcel+Post Expo 2023: Part 2

November 23, 20231 Min Read
Sustainability

DHL to transition on-site fuelling stations from diesel to HVO

November 22, 20232 Mins Read
Freight

Arup releases future freight trends report

November 22, 20234 Mins Read
Latest News

Australia Post rolls out weekend deliveries

November 24, 2023

VIDEO: Impressions from Parcel+Post Expo 2023: Part 2

November 23, 2023

Aramex opens courier operation facility in Oman

November 23, 2023

Receive breaking stories and features in your inbox each week, for free


Enter your email address:


Free Reader Enquiry Service


Request exclusive and rapid information about the latest technologies and services from the advertisers featured in our latest issue!

Click here

Getting in Touch
  • Contact Us / Advertiser
  • Meet the Editors
  • Download Media Pack
  • Breaking News Emails
Our Social Channels
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
Supplier Spotlights
  • Fives Intralogistics S.p.A.
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Notice & Takedown Policy
  • Site FAQs
© 2023 UKi Media & Events a division of UKIP Media & Events Ltd

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.

CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie records the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie records the user consent for the cookies in the "Analytics" category.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional1 yearThe GDPR Cookie Consent plugin sets the cookie to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie records the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie stores user consent for cookies in the category "Others".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie stores the user consent for cookies in the category "Performance".
elementorneverThe website's WordPress theme uses this cookie. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time.
JSESSIONIDsessionNew Relic uses this cookie to store a session identifier so that New Relic can monitor session counts for an application.

Functional

Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.

CookieDurationDescription
__cf_bm30 minutesCloudflare set the cookie to support Cloudflare Bot Management.

Analytics

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

CookieDurationDescription
CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded YouTube videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
uidsessionThis is a Google UserID cookie that tracks users across various website segments.
vuid1 year 1 month 4 daysVimeo installs this cookie to collect tracking information by setting a unique ID to embed videos on the website.
_ga1 year 1 month 4 daysGoogle Analytics sets this cookie to calculate visitor, session and campaign data and track site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognise unique visitors.
_ga_*1 year 1 month 4 daysGoogle Analytics sets this cookie to store and count page views.

Advertisement

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.

CookieDurationDescription
OAGEOsessionOpenX sets this cookie to avoid the repeated display of the same ad.
OAID1 yearCookie set to record whether the user has opted out of the collection of information by the AdsWizz Service Cookies.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysYouTube sets this cookie to measure bandwidth, determining whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYoutube sets this cookie to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the user's video preferences using embedded YouTube videos.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the user's video preferences using embedded YouTube videos.
yt.innertube::nextIdneverYouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
yt.innertube::requestsneverYouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.

Others

Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.

CookieDurationDescription
VISITOR_PRIVACY_METADATA5 months 27 daysDescription is currently not available.

SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by