This article presents a detailed analysis of 10 innovative companies reshaping the material handling industry. These enterprises leverage technologies like AI & robotic-driven material handling solutions to improve floor efficiency and tackle worker shortages. They also find applications in areas like freight condition monitoring and air cargo guidance. Further, these new material handling solutions include end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) for increased precision and comprehensive warehouse automation. Each company thus offers technologies that enhance operational efficiency and safety in logistics, manufacturing, and supply chain management.
Continue reading to gain up-to-date and data-driven insights on:
- Profiles of 10 Emerging Material Handling Solutions
- How to Scout New Material Handling Solutions Easily
Click to download
Key Takeaways
Drawing insights from the Big Data & AI-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform that provides data on over 4.7+ million emerging companies globally, we explore the evolving landscape of the material handling industry. This sector is marked by key trends and a substantial workforce, shaping its future. This report was last revised 5 days ago. See a missing piece? Your input can help — contact us. Here are some key insights at a glance:
- Latest Material Handling Trends: Some of the major trends impacting the material handling industry are mass personalization, autonomous mobile robots, advanced robotics, IoT, and predictive analytics.
- Material Handling Industry Statistics: The global material handling industry encompasses 17.3K+ organizations and has a massive 1.8 million workforce. It is experiencing a dip of 2.55% in annual growth rate but has seen the emergence of 2.1K+ new material handling companies in the past five years.
- 10 New Material Handling Solutions to Watch:
- Cargo Start – Air Cargo Guidance
- Zefere – Intelligent Material Handling
- Fynbo Technology – End of Arm Tooling
- Powerhouse AI – AI-powered Warehouse Operators
- CargoShot – Freight Condition Documentation App
- ATTA Paper Pallet – Sustainable Lightweight Pallets
- Accio Robotics – Warehouse Automation
- MotionX Robotics – Robotic Material Handling
- Swarm Robotics – Autonomous Robots
- Robust.AI – Robots For Material Handling
Meet 10 out of 2.1K+ New Material Handling Solutions
In this section, we explore 10 top material handling companies specializing in intelligent systems, autonomous robots, and more. These firms utilize artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, and sensor technologies to improve precision and efficiency in operations. For instance, AI-driven warehouse operators improve operational efficiency and worker safety. Each company’s contribution thus underscores the significant advancements in operational agility and safety within the logistics and supply chain sectors.
Note on Signal Strength
One of the unique metrics we feature for each company is Signal Strength, a proprietary data point generated by our Discovery Platform. It gauges the extent to which a company’s influence has permeated the global ecosystem of startups, scaleups, and emerging companies. This proprietary metric serves as a valuable guidepost for understanding a company’s standing in the broader market landscape.
1. Cargo Start
- Founding Year: 2020
- Employee Range: 11-50
- Location: Italy
- Signal Strength: Strong
- What they do: Cargo Start develops Cargo Gate, a cargo community system (CCS) platform that streamlines communication exchange between logistics providers and air cargo carriers. The platform also integrates with transportation management systems (TMS) through APIs or web access to facilitate efficient communication across the logistics network. For improving operational visibility, Cargo Start offers StarTracking, a real-time airport-to-airport visibility platform that delivers up-to-date shipment status updates from various carriers. The company also offers CarbonCare, a tool for measuring the carbon footprint of logistics. It allows businesses to quantify and mitigate their environmental impact. These solutions support logistics providers in managing shipment progress and sustainability.
2. Zefere
- Founding Year: 2021
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: India
- Signal Strength: Strong
- What they do: Zefere provides material handling solutions to enhance efficiency in industries such as steel, textile, and automotive. The company’s suite of products includes autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and robotic arms. They streamline operations and increase productivity. Further, the company’s cloud-based SaaS software, Kunaxi Guidance, supports complex material movement with features like real-time inventory management and intelligent route planning. Zefere’s navigation solution also ensures the integration and implementation of its systems into existing infrastructures. Companies thus benefit from reduced manual labor, enhanced safety, and improved operational flow.
3. Fynbo Technology
- Founding Year: 2020
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: Denmark
- Signal Strength: Strong
- What they do: Fynbo Technology develops the Gx Series as a solution for robotic grippers to increase flexibility and precision in metal handling applications. It improves robotic grippers with its modular components. It uses The Arm, which extends the gripper’s range, The Finger, allowing easy, tool-free repositioning, and The Change Station, which automates the transition between tasks. This system significantly improves efficiency and adaptability in handling various objects in industrial environments. This solution integrates with different gripper models adapting to various object sizes and shapes. It handles a diverse range of components and materials without the need for manual adjustments. The Gx system supports the automation of repetitive and precise tasks in metal handling. Its compatibility and ease of integration aid manufacturers to boost productivity and reduce operational costs.
4. Powerhouse AI
- Founding Year: 2021
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: USA
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: Powerhouse AI enhances warehouse operations with its AI-powered vision solution. The company’s solutions include Power Count, Power Scan, and Power Docs. They automate and streamline inventory management, document processing, and label scanning. These tools enable precise counting of boxes, including hidden ones, and facilitate the scanning of barcodes, text, and non-barcoded labels directly from packaging. The company’s solutions also integrate with existing warehouse management systems (WMS) to enable real-time data access and process optimization. Businesses in logistics and distribution benefit from increased accuracy and reduced labor costs, achieving faster fulfillment rates.
5. CargoShot
- Founding Year: 2021
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: USA
- Signal Strength: Strong
- What they do: CargoShot offers a mobile application to document proof of condition for freight across shipping, receiving, and cross-dock operations. It enables manufacturers, carriers and trucking companies as well as warehouse providers to capture and store photographs to create proof of condition at every point of handling. This application allows photo uploads to a cloud-based platform where the data is stored in real-time for quick and efficient data access and information sharing. This reduces fines, penalties, and damage claims by providing visual evidence that pinpoint responsibility for mishandled or damaged freight.
6. ATTA Paper Pallet
- Founding Year: 2020
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: Hungary
- Signal Strength: Strong
- What they do: ATTA Paper Pallet provides a sustainable alternative to traditional wooden pallets. The company’s paper pallets are sourced from recycled paper and provide lighter than standard EPAL/EURO pallets. This significantly reduces logistical costs and associated secondary expenses during use, storage, and handling. Each pallet supports a typical load of 800 kg and is designed for use on open racks. Thus, the company’s pellets mirror the functionality and handling characteristics operators expect from traditional pallets. Businesses in logistics use these palettes to enhance sustainability in their operations and also decrease deforestation driven by the global logistics industry.
7. Accio Robotics
- Founding Year: 2019
- Employee Range: 11-50
- Location: India
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: Accio Robotics automates warehouse operations across industries. The company’s robotic products are AccioPick Air and AccioPick Pilot. They convert traditional order-picking processes into cost-effective, space-saving, and high-performance operations. Additionally, AccioOS, the company’s software, streamlines tasks from receiving to dispatch to ensure untroubled operation enabling real-time analytics and process management. It boosts the picking system’s picking rates by optimizing operations. It also offers features like inventory management, shipping and dock management, and trend analytics providing detailed management of warehouse activities. Furthermore, the software includes predictive analytics for risk assessment and efficient planning, which prepares warehouse management for potential peak season challenges, ensuring smooth operation and maximum efficiency. Accio Robotics’ solutions find applications in sectors like e-commerce, grocery, pharmaceuticals, and automotive.
8. MotionX Robotics
- Founding Year: 2022
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: India
- Signal Strength: Medium
- What they do: MotionX Robotics develops autonomous mobile robots to improve material handling. The company’s Tug Series and Log Series robots, along with its fleet management platform, streamline operations and reduce operating costs. These products aid businesses to automate logistics tasks, improve workflow efficiency, and cut down on manual labor. MotionX Robotics benefits manufacturers and warehouses by integrating smart robotics into their daily operations, offering customized autonomous solutions.
9. Swarm Robotics
- Founding Year: 2023
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: Saudi Arabia
- Signal Strength: Strong
- What they do: Swarm Robotics combines robotics and IoT to optimize material handling across industries. The company offers autonomous mobile robots, automated guided vehicles, autonomous forklifts, and pallet jacks. Its software, Robotics Fleet Management System, manages and controls these autonomous devices to ensure maximum productivity. Consequently, businesses benefit from improved material handling accuracy and reduced human labor.
10. Robust.AI
- Founding Year: 2019
- Employee Range: 11-50
- Location: USA
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: Robust.AI offers robotic solutions to increase efficiency and flexibility in warehouse logistics and manufacturing environments. The company’s robots address labor shortages and the increasing demands for rapid delivery within complex supply chains. RobustAI’s robots also integrate easily with existing workflows and feature a no-code setup. This way, logistics companies and manufacturers are able to mitigate expensive in-house product development while ensuring rapid deployment.
Quick Tip to Find New Material Handling Solutions
Utilizing a SaaS platform like the Discovery Platform for identifying new material handling solutions provides significant benefits compared to traditional scouting methods:
- Streamlined Efficiency: The Discovery Platform offers advanced tools that streamline the scouting process. It replaces your hours of conventional desk research, saving time and resources in identifying material handling innovations.
- Access to Real-time Insights: Gain a competitive edge with up-to-date information on the latest trends in the material handling industry. The platform keeps you informed with near real-time updates on emerging material handling companies/solutions and news, enabling you to make swift and informed decisions.
- Tailored Exploration: Customize your search to focus on specific niches within the material handling sector, such as end-of-arm tools, AI warehouse operators, material handling robotic solutions, or paper pallets. The platform’s diverse filtering options allow you to target your scouting efforts precisely, ensuring that you find the most relevant and groundbreaking companies in the field.
Ready to Explore All New Material Handling Solutions?
We’ve explored the dynamic landscape of the material handling industry, examining the latest trends and spotlighting exceptional companies driving innovation. To dive deeper, download our free Logistics Reportor schedule a demo of the Discovery Platform for a customized exploration of these groundbreaking developments.
