Estonian parcel robot firm Cleveron eyes €30mn state loan

Estonian parcel robot firm Cleveron eyes €30mn state loan
/ Jprmg
By bne IntelliNews December 3, 2020

Cleveron, an Estonian automated parcel locker and parcel robot manufacturer, has applied for a loan of over €30mn from state credit agency KredEx. The money would be used to set up over 20,000 parcel vending machines across Estonia, including in private houses.

Most KredEx loans so far have been for firms hit by the effects of the pandemic, including shipping line Tallink, which received €100mn.

Both Foreign Trade and IT Minister Raul Siem and Economic Affairs Minister Taavi Aas said on December 2 they were unable to comment on the loan application, which is down to the government to decide.

Estonia’s state audit office has criticised KredEx for what it called “haphazardly” issued loans amounting to a staggering €1bn.

Over 500 households in Viljandi County reportedly already use such machines, and Cleveron's Viljandi headquarters is designing a new model, which would be able to accommodate a variety of different deliveries.

Cleveron board member Arno Kutt said that all companies and e-stores can send both groceries and ordinary goods to these facilities, as can various logistics firms and larger and smaller firms.

The parcel machines open to the public have both cooling and heating facilities where needed; the private versions would have an insulated cabinet which could maintain whatever temperature the delivery, including food and drinks, would require, Kutt said.

While intended for private houses they could also be installed adjacent to apartment buildings, he said, with spaces either purchased or rented. Rentals cost lest than €10 per month, he said.

Cleveron says that once the new system becomes available to around 50,000 households nationwide over the coming years, it would pique the interest of e-commerce and logistics firms.

Founded in 2007, Cleveron produces robotics-based parcel terminals and click-and-collect solutions for the retail and logistics sectors.

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