· Solutions provided by the automated parcel operator help to reduce last-mile carbon emissions by 70 per cent, company says
· Start-up plans to double its presence in Hong Kong to over 2,000 locations and expand its business into the Greater Bay Area
Hong Kong-based logistics technology start-up alfred24 has been chosen as the first investee of a collaboration between MTR Lab and tech hub Cyberport to nurture digital and sustainable solutions in the city.
Alfred24, which specialises in automated parcel lockers and provides software solutions for locker operators, will use the funding to invest in sustainable solutions such as battery and solar-powered Bluetooth lockers to optimise its technology, as well as “reduce carbon emissions related to the last-mile delivery by 70 per cent”, according to a statement on Tuesday.
“Traditional e-commerce logistics requires the equivalent of 17 carbon dioxide-emitting vans per 1,000 deliveries, while alfred24 requires the equivalent of just four,” said Christian Secci, co-founder and CEO of alfred24 in a statement.
“With our innovative parcel lockers, residents can soon shop until 8pm and collect their parcels as early as 8am from any convenient alfred24 collection point along their daily commuting journey, reducing the need for daytime deliveries and cutting 13 vans for every 1,000 deliveries.”
The start-up plans to double its presence in Hong Kong to over 2,000 locations, expand its business into the Greater Bay Area and enter at least one other Southeast Asian country by 2025.
Alfred24 currently has customers in 14 markets, including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and the United Kingdom.
As of March, alfred24 had nearly 1,000 smart lockers and pickup locations in Hong Kong. Kerry Logistics’ automated “Click & Collect” stores in MTR stations across the city currently use alfred24’s hardware and software solutions.
The start-up is expected to launch its battery-powered smart lockers in late 2023 as part of its partnership with MTR Lab.
Alfred24 will also release artificial intelligence-powered software for scouting and analysing new installation locations, and optimising fleet routing to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and promote a greener, more sustainable way of delivering parcels, according to the statement.
lfred24’s offering “is changing the e-commerce logistics landscape, cutting time, costs and carbon out of the commercial delivery cycle”, said Michael Chan Ting-bond, managing director at MTR Lab in a statement.
MTR Lab, a subsidiary of Hong Kong’s railway operator that invests in technology, launched a collaboration with Cyberport last June to jointly invest in digital tech start-ups to help Hong Kong develop into a smart city. MTR Corp has set aside over HK$300 million (US$38.2 million) to invest in start-ups from 2022 to 2025.
“Achieving sustainability and carbon neutrality has always been one of Cyberport’s top priorities and we encourage start-ups to incorporate green elements into their solutions,” said Peter Yan, CEO of Cyberport in a statement.
The use of automated locker machines is not new to the city.
In 2015, PCCW, the flagship company of media and telecommunications mogul Richard Li Tzar-kai, launched a network of automated locker machines to store parcels across Hong Kong as part of its “last-mile” logistics support for e-commerce merchants.
