Smart container tech company AELER reports that it has raised CHF 7 million (approx. US$7.5 million) in a Pre-Series A financing round, with backers including Decisive, MACV, Tiger8, Virtual Networks, AA Sons, and other logistics industry stakeholders.
Based in Switzerland, AELER has developed a ‘smart’ shipping container that it says can reduce both operational costs and CO2 emissions in comparison with traditional steel containers thanks to its use of composite materials and embedded IoT technologies.
“The logistics industry is ripe for a new technological breakthrough. With the AELER container, we are reworking the very foundations of this trillion-dollar industry,” said AELER Co-CEO David Baur.
The funding will be used to support the roll-out of AELER’s Container As A Service (CAAS) subscription-based model for access to its containers. The units are claimed to provide 11% more storage volume than standard steel boxes and are subject to a lower level of temperature variation thanks to their structural insulation.
Customers will have access to container health data as required, such as humidity, temperature, pressure, door-opening alarms, and shock notifications.