Localz has secured £3.6 million in investment from Notion Capital to help the start-up increase market share and enter the US.
Tim Andrew, co-founder and CEO of Localz, said: “This investment means we are exceptionally well positioned to continue leading the exponential growth in our category through 2018 and beyond. From the start we set out to build a genuinely differentiated technology firm that can address the growing consumer demand for products and services when and where they want them.”
The Australian start-up was the first winner of John Lewis’ JLab competition back in 2014. The start-up received £100,000 and the opportunity to trial its micro-location technology in John Lewis stores. The technology allowed retailers to know when customers enter a store to pick up a Click & Collect order, using this information retailers can guide customers around the store and speed up the collection process. While the technology is no longer being used by John Lewis, the start-up has been working with Woolworths in Australia, as well as British Gas and DPD.
The company has now expanded its technology offering to provide real-time tracking of parcels to increase fulfilment transparency. The micro-location technology allows drivers to know if parcel recipients are at home, while offering options to reschedule or change delivery options while the package is en route to the customer.