CommonSense Robotics becomes Fabric and boosts US presence

Israeli micro-fulfilment startup CommonSense Robotics has rebranded to Fabric and moved its HQ from Tel Aviv to New York as it eyes rapid expansion of its US operations.

“In becoming Fabric, our vision is finally reflected in our brand. For us, our robots and software are critical to what we do, but at the end of the day, they’re a means to an end. What we’re really here to do is to be the fabric of the new world of e-commerce: mission-critical on-demand order fulfilment, enabling goods to be fulfilled and delivered faster and cheaper within cities,” says CEO and Co-founder, Elram Goren.

“With a location-first approach, micro-fulfilment centres now become part of cities’ fabric, enabling retailers to maintain their hard-earned identity and customer relationships while also building a thriving e-commerce business. This new brand reflects our vision to transform last mile logistics so that on-demand e-commerce becomes a profitable and scalable business for all retailers.”

In July, we reported that the venture had broken ground on what was pitched as the world’s first underground automated warehouse, in partnership with one of Israel’s largest grocery chains. This will measure just 18,000 square feet with an average clearance height of 11 feet. It will support fresh, ambient, chilled and frozen items, with the partner able to fulfil delivery orders in less than an hour, thanks to a combination of robotic sorting systems and AI.

Last year, Fabric launched its first centre in downtown Tel Aviv, measuring just 6,000 square feet in total. It went on to lay claim to the world’s first one-hour delivery fulfilled by robots, in partnership with Israeli drugstore chain, Super-Pharm.

The company raised $20 million in a funding round led by Playground Global last year. It says that it is in talks with a number of large grocery retailers in the UK and US and intends to launch multiple sites across the latter’s east coast during 2019.