San Jose-based startup B Garage has secured $20 million in a recent Series A funding round to further develop and commercialize its autonomous drones and software designed for warehouse inventory tracking. The funding was led by LB Investment, with participation from Ignite Innovation Fund, Krossroad Partners, and existing investor SoftBank Ventures Asia. With this latest investment, B Garage's total funding now amounts to $30 million.
Founded in 2017 by Aiden Kim, a former software engineer at Oracle and a PhD holder in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University, B Garage aims to address labor shortages in industries such as logistics and agriculture by leveraging the power of autonomous drone technology and AI-driven software for warehouse inventory management.
One of the key factors driving B Garage's mission is the severe labor shortage faced by many B2B logistics warehouses in the United States. These warehouses are typically located far from urban areas, making it challenging to attract sufficient workforce. Kim believes that autonomous drone technology can be a highly suitable solution for B2B logistics warehouse inventory management, helping alleviate labor shortages and increasing efficiency.
B Garage has recently conducted a successful proof-of-concept pilot test with Kenco Innovation Lab, a unit of Kenco Logistics, over the past few months. Building on this progress, the company plans to deploy its autonomous drones in more than 10 select Kenco warehouses across the United States by the end of 2023. Additionally, B Garage is collaborating with the Incheon Port Authority in South Korea, with the goal of launching a project by the year-end.
The sector is heating up, where other companies like Verity, Gather AI, and Corvus Robotics have also secured funding for their inventory drones. B Garage positions its drones offer full autonomy, allowing them to navigate through multiple aisles and provide comprehensive coverage of warehouse spaces. B Garage's drones require no additional infrastructure, operate without the need for mapping, and offer automatic battery swapping capabilities.
According to Kim, users of B Garage's drone solutions can seamlessly integrate the technology with their existing warehouse infrastructure, eliminating the need for costly additional technology or ongoing operating expenses. Competing solutions often require installation of markers or beacons for indoor GPS throughout the warehouse and continuous mapping updates, resulting in extra charges for their clients.
Another significant advantage of B Garage's drones is their automatic battery swapping facility. The company equips its drones with advanced battery technology, enabling efficient battery replacement. When a drone's battery runs out, it automatically returns to a dedicated battery swapping station where a fully charged battery from the inventory of pre-charged batteries replaces the depleted one within minutes.
Looking ahead, B Garage plans to continue enhancing its software solutions and integrate them with its hardware to expand the application of its technology beyond logistics. The company aims to extend its reach into industries such as defense and security. Additionally, B Garage intends to introduce ground robots for inventory management, allowing the startup to cater to a broader range of customers and provide comprehensive inventory management solutions across various sectors.
With the recent funding infusion, B Garage is poised to make significant strides in revolutionizing warehouse inventory management.
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