Advanced cold chain management systems are more important than ever as the pharmaceutical, food, and biotechnology industries need temperature-sensitive products at an exponential rate. This article analyzes a hand-picked list of 10 new cold chain solutions that are improving logistics with novel technologies. Using blockchain-powered traceability solutions to AI-driven predictive analytics, companies address important issues including inventory control, temperature monitoring, and supply chain transparency.
Autonomous vehicles for transportation, IoT-enabled sensors for real-time monitoring, and cloud-based platforms for data analytics emerge as trending areas reshaping the cold chain landscape. Novel companies leverage these developments to support the sustainability, efficiency, and integrity of cold chain operations. Let’s explore how these new technologies handle the challenges of cold chain logistics, from maximizing storage conditions to reducing waste, ensuring regulatory compliance, and safe delivery of temperature-sensitive products to customers.
Continue reading to gain up-to-date and data-driven insights on:
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 cold chain industry. This sector is marked by key trends and a substantial workforce, shaping its future. The last time we updated this report was 5 days ago. If there’s something missing or off, your tips are welcome! Here are some key insights at a glance:
- Latest Cold Chain Trends: Some of the major trends advancing cold chain management are temperature-controlled packaging, electric refrigeration systems for cold chain transport, advanced temperature data loggers, sustainable cold packs, and cold storage facilities.
- Cold Chain Industry Stats: The sector comprises 11.6K+ organizations worldwide. Out of these, 81-+ new cold chain companies were founded in the last five years. On average, each of these organizations employs about 76 people and witnesses 2020 as the average founding year. Moreover, the average funding received by these 810+ companies per round in the same span is USD 15.8 million.
- 10 Top Cold Chain Solutions to Watch:
- Yotuh Energy – Electric Refrigeration Systems for Vehicles
- Ember LifeSciences – Temperature-controlled Shipping Boxes
- Exquinz – Vaccine Temperature Monitoring
- Carnotfleet – Plug and Play Cold Storage
- Kelvin – Temperature Data Loggers
- Vaara – Refrigerated Transport Box for EVs
- Minus Works – Sustainable Cold Packs
- Coldbox Store – Cold Supply Chain Network
- Keep IT Cool – Cold Chain-powered Smart Distribution
- Clean Cold Power – Green Transport Refrigeration
Meet 10 out of 810+ Emerging Cold Chain Solutions
This section provides a hand-picked list of 10 pioneering companies in the field of new cold chain solutions. These businesses, by using emerging technologies and applications, are leading the way in advancing the logistics sector. Among their products are temperature-controlled shipping boxes that preserve product integrity during the delivery process, and electric refrigeration systems for vehicles, which guarantee dependable temperature control throughout transportation.
They also offer sustainable cold packs for environmentally friendly cold storage options and IoT-powered temperature data loggers for precise monitoring. The contributions of each organization tackle important issues in cold chain logistics, which protect the quality and safety of temperature-sensitive goods all along the supply chain. Read on to explore more such innovative solutions and learn how they can help your business!
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. Yotuh Energy
- Founding Year: 2020
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: India
- Signal Strength: Strong
- What they do: Yotuh Energy makes electric refrigeration systems for trucks used in cold chain logistics. Its products, Frio for chilled goods and Sheen for frozen items turn any cargo van into a temperature-controlled environment for perishables. Both systems have quick temperature drops — they reach frozen temperatures of -25°C in 30 minutes and chilling temperatures of 30°C to 0°C in 15 minutes. This leads to extended run times of 10-12 hours for chilled goods and 7-9 hours for frozen products. During vehicle breakdowns or prolonged idle times, a backup mode that connects to a regular single-phase socket ensures cargo preservation. The solution offers features like variable-speed AC and multiple modes for optimizing cooling based on needs, offering both rapid cooling and energy-saving options. Finally, the independent refrigeration system ensures continued operation even in the event of vehicle failure, minimizing potential product spoilage.
2. Ember LifeSciences
- Founding Year: 2022
- Employee Range: 11-50
- Location: USA
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: Ember LifeSciences tackles the challenge of cold chain management for pharmaceuticals with Ember Cube, a self-refrigerated and cloud-based shipping box. Constructed for drugs that are temperature-sensitive between 2 and 8°C, it uses GPS and integrated cellular radio to deliver real-time location, temperature, and humidity information. The company’s patented technology maintains exact temperature regulations for up to 72 hours, therefore removing the environmental effect of disposable packaging materials like Styrofoam. In addition, the Ember Cube simplifies logistics and speeds up its reuse for next deliveries with its button that starts a pre-labeled return shipment upon delivery.
3. Exquinz
- Founding Year: 2022
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: India
- Signal Strength: Medium Strong
- What they do: Exquinz develops a Vaccine Vial Monitor (VVM) device which uses a temperature-sensitive ink infused with nanoparticles to prevent spoilage of vaccines throughout shipping and storage. When temperatures are over a certain level for a predetermined amount of time, the ink changes color clearly, acting as a visible warning for possible vaccine spoiling. Exquinz offers a range of VVMs calibrated for different temperature requirements, ensuring broad applicability. Thus, by integrating onto vaccine vials, Exquinz’s solution enables healthcare workers to effectively monitor and safeguard vaccines throughout the cold chain process.
4. Carnotfleet
- Founding Year: 2021
- Employee Range: 11-50
- Location: USA
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: With its proprietary Adaptive Thermal Control System (ATCS) and solid-state thermoelectric heat pumps, Carnotfleet offers an easy-to-install cold chain solution for logistics vehicles. ATCS manages temperature control autonomously using machine learning and real-time data. The company’s CF1, CF2, and CF3 product ranges meet different cold chain requirements. For biopharmaceuticals or high-value perishables, CF1 units preserve precise temperature ranges for each payload. CF2 products enable cold chain functionality on dry vans and pre-defined spaces, suitable for transporting general perishable goods. Designed for last-mile delivery, CF3 units integrate with non-traditional vehicles like motorbikes and drones. Carnotfleet also offers a software suite featuring a mobile application, web portal, and APIs. These allow fleet managers, owners, and supply chain managers to monitor critical data points, predict potential risks, and optimize logistics throughout the cold chain.
5. Kelvin
- Founding Year: 2020
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: France
- Signal Strength: Medium Strong
- What they do: Kelvin offers a range of electronic monitoring sensors to address temperature control issues along the cold chain. Innolog is a single-use USB data logger that captures temperature data points during transport or storage. For a more permanent solution, Innocheck electronic temperature indicators provide a visual alert if critical temperature thresholds are breached. Finally, Innotrack real-time temperature recorders utilize cloud-based accessibility and geolocation to continuously monitor temperature and location data. This data allows users to remotely track and verify adherence to temperature protocols, ensuring the integrity and quality of temperature-sensitive products like pharmaceuticals, perishables, and medical devices. Kelvin thus enables exporters, logistics providers, and storage facilities, to maintain optimal conditions for their critical goods.
6. Vaara
- Founding Year: 2022
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: India
- Signal Strength: Medium
- What they do: Vaara manufactures self-contained, electric, and cellular-connected refrigerated boxes. These units, namely the V2200 Freezer, V2200 Chiller, and V40, leverage eco-friendly refrigerants and a proprietary control system to maintain pre-set temperatures across a broad range, spanning -25°C for frozen goods to +10°C for chilled products. Integrated cellular connectivity enables real-time remote temperature monitoring and location tracking through a cloud-based platform, ensuring constant visibility throughout the delivery process. To address the limitations of traditional refrigerated transport, Vaara equips each unit with a long-lasting, high-performance battery exceeding 5 hours of operation on a single charge. This eliminates the need for frequent recharging during deliveries, streamlining logistics and minimizing disruption.
7. Minus Works
- Founding Year: 2020
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: USA
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: Minus Works addresses sustainability challenges in cold chain management with a lineup of eco-friendly refrigerant gel packs and data loggers. its MONTT series gel packs utilize a proprietary, plant-based refrigerant formula contained within recycled plastic packaging. This combination keeps perishables fresh during transport and storage by maintaining a temperature range of -25°C to +10°C. The company also offers Tag T1 temperature data logger, an RFID-enabled device that tracks the temperature and geolocation of shipments throughout the supply chain. It has a long-lasting battery and cloud-based data storage accessible via a mobile app. This way, Minus Works’s solutions allow companies in the healthcare, food, and chemical sectors to maintain product integrity and temperature control while minimizing environmental impact.
8. Coldbox Store
- Founding Year: 2021
- Employee Range: 2-10
- Location: Nigeria
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: Coldbox Store prevents food loss and spoilage within the agricultural supply chain through a network of strategically located, solar-powered cold storage facilities. These facilities, Fruit and Vegetable Cold Rooms and Frozen Food Freezer Rooms, enable rapid cooling of produce at the first mile of the supply chain. This rapid cooling process ensures the superior quality of fruits and vegetables during transportation. Users are able to configure these rooms for the long-term storage of pre-cooled products. An operations analytics system manages the network, optimizing efficiency, ensuring market linkage for produce, and maintaining traceability throughout the perishable food supply chain. Further, the company promotes sustainability by employing solar energy to power its cold storage units. Coldbox Store thus enables small farms and businesses to effectively store and distribute temperature-sensitive agricultural products, minimizing waste and maximizing profit potential.
9. Keep IT Cool
- Founding Year: 2019
- Employee Range: 51-100
- Location: Kenya
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: Keep IT Cool by Raino Tech4Impact tackles post-harvest loss and limited market access for small-scale farmers and fishers through its web-based platform. It enables farmers to leverage proximity-based cold chain services, such as booking and logistics for refrigerated trucks, under a shared service model. This reduces transportation costs, expanding market reach and fostering better prices for producers. The company also provides KIC Cool Box, a portable, off-grid solar-powered refrigerator for first-mile storage. By keeping produce cool immediately after harvest, the KIC Cool Box extends shelf life and safeguards product quality.
10. Clean Cold Power
- Founding Year: 2019
- Employee Range: 51-100
- Location: UK
- Signal Strength: Very Strong
- What they do: Clean Cold Power designs transport refrigeration units (TRUs) that utilize liquid nitrogen for eco-friendly cooling. The company deploys the Dearman Engine, which drives dual cooling systems – initially leveraging the cryogenic temperature of liquid nitrogen, followed by a conventional refrigeration cycle activated by the engine’s expansion of nitrogen. This method avoids the need for diesel, reducing emissions and facilitating compliance with low-emission zones. The units have rapid cooldown capability, ensuring effective temperature controls and enhancing the preservation of sensitive cargo like food and medicine. Additionally, the quieter operation of the TRUs allows broader access and extended operating hours in noise-restricted areas.
Quick Tip to Find New Cold Chain Solutions
Utilizing a SaaS platform like the Discovery Platform for identifying new cold chain 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 cold chain innovations.
- Access to Real-time Insights: Gain a competitive edge with up-to-date information on the latest trends in the cold chain industry. The platform keeps you informed with near real-time updates on emerging cold chain solutions and news, enabling you to make swift and informed decisions.
- Tailored Exploration: Customize your search to focus on specific niches within the cold chain sector, such as temperature data loggers, plug-and-play cold storage solutions, or sustainable cold packs. 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 Cold Chain Solutions?
We’ve explored the dynamic landscape of the cold chain industry, examining the latest trends and spotlighting exceptional companies driving innovation. To dive deeper, download our free Logistics Report or schedule a demo of the Discovery Platform for a customized exploration of these groundbreaking developments. Interested in contributing your expertise on startups and tech? We’d love to hear from you.
