After successfully starting and growing EcoFlow, a unicorn battery startup based in Shenzhen, Hannah Sieber wondered where else batteries could make a big impact

“Could we electrify the cold chain? And what would it look like to do battery-powered shipping?” she asked herself, after learning about the impact of refrigeration on the climate.

Enter Artyc. The company has raised $14M to date to tackle cold chain shipping, which is responsible for 4% of global carbon emissions (R-22 refrigerant leakage, power consumption, a 17% food spoilage rate) and is notoriously inefficient as it provides shippers with very little data concerning the temperature or location of goods at any given time.

Artyc is modernizing the cold chain by building systems that make the cold chain less carbon intensive + more reliable and resilient.

Specifically, they company is pioneering a new category around “active cooling;” instead of relying on large refrigerated trucks and warehouses, they’ve developed novel battery-powered coolers designed to ensure goods are temperature controlled (battery powered) and trackable (temperature, location), not to mention less energy intensive and less reliant on secondary cooling sources.

The first product, Medstow Micro, is designed for healthcare and pharmaceuticals. The Medstow Micro has a carbon breakeven after only 2 shipments, and reduces Co2 emissions by 60% after 10 shipments, compared with a traditional passive cooler.

Per TechCrunch, “Artyc’s next product will hold five liters, and it’ll likely be targeted at pricey, temperature sensitive foods like herbs, chocolate and wine. Then in 2025, the startup is planning to ship its 25-liter size.”