Tech Roundup: Warehouse automation goes international

GoBolt joins Shopify fulfillment network, and Ensilitech secures $6 million to cut biopharma cold chain costs

The Rumst facility will house over 31,000 pallet positions across 150,000 square feet (Photo: Movu Robotics)
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Key Takeaways:

  • ODTH First Class Logistics in Belgium implemented a sustainable warehouse automation project with Movu Robotics, integrating automated storage and retrieval systems with existing infrastructure to reduce carbon emissions and improve efficiency.
  • GoBolt, a logistics technology company, joined the Shopify Fulfillment Network, offering Shopify merchants faster and more flexible delivery options to enhance customer satisfaction and reduce costs.
  • Ensilitech, a UK-based biotech startup, secured $6 million in funding to expand its platform for reducing cold chain costs in biopharmaceutical transport, addressing a major industry challenge.
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The Tech Roundup is a weekly rundown of advancements and news in the FreightTech space. This week: Warehouse automation takes center stage in Belgium, GoBolt joins Shopify fulfillment network, and Ensilitech secures $6 million to cut biopharma cold chain costs

Warehouse automation takes center stage in Belgium

The global supply chain continues to undergo a rapid evolution as automation, digital integration, and sustainable solutions reshape the way goods are stored, moved, and delivered. 

At the center of this wave of innovation is ODTH First Class Logistics in Belgium, which has partnered with Movu Robotics, a member of stow Group, to execute a project that embodies the next generation of warehouse automation.

At ODTH’s Rumst site, the companies have transformed a traditional warehouse into a high-density, software-driven logistics hub. The project integrates Movu’s atlas shuttle-based Automated Storage and Retrieval System with Movu OPS, a proprietary warehouse execution software designed to seamlessly orchestrate shuttle operations in real time within ODTH’s live SAP ERP environment.

Once complete, the Rumst facility will house over 31,000 pallet positions across 150,000 square feet, serviced by 20 autonomous shuttles working across four levels. Capable of 6,000 pallet movements daily, the system will meet the demands of fast-moving consumer goods clients without interrupting the site’s 24/7 operations. 

Importantly, ODTH and Movu achieved this while reusing the warehouse’s existing racking infrastructure, avoiding 680 tonnes of CO₂ emissions and demonstrating a model for sustainable brownfield automation.

For Movu, the project represents more than just technical progress. “It’s the first time our Movu OPS software orchestrates the Movu Atlas pallet shuttle system, fully developed in-house. The result is a seamlessly integrated solution, fast, flexible, and intelligent, proving that accessible, modular automation is the future of warehousing,” said Christophe Coulongeat, CEO of Movu Robotics, in a news release.

ODTH echoed that sentiment, emphasizing continuity and sustainability. “The reuse of our existing infrastructure helped us cut installation costs and carbon impact — while delivering real value from day one,” said project manager Wim Van Leuven. 

With additional phases already planned through early 2026, the project reinforces ODTH’s position as a leader in human-focused, sustainable logistics while validating Movu’s strategy of modular, accessible automation.

GoBolt joins Shopify fulfillment network

In North America, Toronto-based logistics technology company GoBolt has announced its integration into the Shopify Fulfillment Network, giving Shopify merchants access to faster, more flexible delivery options. The partnership allows brands to leverage GoBolt’s expanding logistics infrastructure to streamline fulfillment while cutting costs.

For direct-to-consumer businesses competing in a crowded marketplace, the collaboration provides new tools for balancing speed with efficiency. Shopify sellers can now rely on GoBolt to handle fulfillment at scale, enabling them to focus on growth while improving customer satisfaction.

The move also highlights Shopify’s ongoing investment in logistics technology, ensuring its merchants remain competitive as consumer expectations for delivery speed and reliability continue to rise.

Ensilitech secures $6 million to cut biopharma cold chain costs

Across the Atlantic, UK-based biotech startup Ensilitech has raised over $6 million in funding to scale its platform designed to reduce cold chain costs in biopharma transport. The company’s technology addresses one of the industry’s biggest pain points: the expense of maintaining strict temperature control during the shipment of sensitive biological products, including advanced therapies.

Cold chain logistics account for a significant portion of costs in the life sciences supply chain, where regulatory compliance and product integrity are non-negotiable. Ensilitech’s solution aims to lower those expenses without sacrificing quality, creating new opportunities for pharmaceutical companies to improve efficiency and resilience.

As investment in cell and gene therapies accelerates, the need for reliable and cost-effective cold chain solutions will only grow. Ensilitech’s funding round positions it as a promising player in the biopharma supply chain, with potential to deliver both economic and operational impact across the sector.

Mary O'Connell

Former pricing analyst, supply chain planner, and broker/dispatcher turned creator of the newsletter and podcast Check Call. Which gives insights into the world around 3PLs and Freight brokers. She will talk your ear off about anything and everything if you let her. Expertise in operations, LTL pricing and procurement, flatbed operations, dry van, tracking and tracing, reality tv shows and how to turn a stranger into your new best friend.