Relocalize is redefining how—and where—food and beverage processing can be done.
The Montreal-based startup’s compact, autonomous units produce packaged ice—and, eventually, other F&B products—right inside grocery distribution hubs. That brings production from hundreds of kilometers away to the foot of the retail shelf, reducing miles, waste, emissions, and reliance on rigid supply chains.
Why it Matters: Decentralizing Food Production
Relocalize’s approach synchronizes with growing pressure to build resilient, low-carbon food systems. By shifting concentrated processing capabilities to local nodes, the company reduces long-haul trucking, slashes spoilage, and boosts supply reliability—especially when demand surges or infrastructure breaks down. It also aligns with bigger industry forces: rising freight costs, climate disruptions that test long-haul supply chains, and consumer interest in products made closer to home.
To scale this vision, Relocalize is building the digital backbone needed to manage a distributed manufacturing network. In December 2024, the company received Innovation Booster funding from CFIN to advance the development of an “autonomous manufacturing command and control centre.” This system brings real-time visibility to their micro-factories by using industrial IoT, edge computing, and machine learning. IoT sensors track performance and quality, edge computing allows instant adjustments, and predictive algorithms anticipate maintenance needs before they slow production. The result is a platform that lets remote teams monitor and fine-tune operations—location by location—so scaling multiple micro-factories across communities becomes stable and efficient.
What’s Next for Relocalize
The company isn’t building in a vacuum. Its integrated micro-factories have already run ice production pilots in grocery environments and met quality benchmarks. Sector recognition followed: over the past year, Relocalize won both the Progressive Grocer Impact Award and Food Logistics Top Tech Award, along with a UNIDO manufacturing prize and inclusion in the Inc. Best in Business list.
With their digital operations platform in development, Relocalize plans to expand deployments into new regions and products. They’re piloting additional micro-factory units and laying the groundwork for tech-enabled network of hyper-local local production. It is a model with the potential to redefine how manufactured foods get made and distributed—nearer, fresher, and greener.