Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Micro-Fulfillment Startup Raises $25M in Series C
Takeoff Technologies, a micro-fulfillment company (MFC), has raised $25M in Series C funding, bringing their total funding up to $86M. Micro-fulfillment centers allow businesses to be less reliant on store inventory by improving the speed and efficiency of online order fulfillment, but it relies on a high volume of orders. “Time will tell whether MFCs offer long-term savings and speed of fulfillment that justify their hefty upfront cost,” according to Supply Chain Dive.
Retail Inventory Robotics Startup Raises $26M in Series A
Simbe, a startup building robotic solutions for retail inventory management, has raised $26M in its Series A. The company has been showcasing its inventory robot, Tally, since 2015, which will be piloted in select stores belonging to the U.S. supermarket chain Giant Eagle.
Walmart to Invest More Heavily in Third-Party Fulfillment Service
Walmart plans to invest in its fulfillment service for third-party sellers to increase its competitiveness with other large retailers like Amazon. Walmart’s priority will be improving fulfillment and delivery times; right now it can take up to four days for a next-day item to be fulfilled.