Konvoy Kegs to tap US market after latest IP acquisition

Keg rental business Konvoy is looking to rapidly expand into North America following its acquisition of the intellectual property assets behind Portuguese technology outfit Onalytics for an undisclosed fee.

The Sydney-based transportation and logistics company offers brewers short-term rentals and long-term leasing. It has also developed a passive tracking beacon and software system through its subsidiary Katch to track the location of kegs.

Launched in October 2019, Konvoy raised more than $50 million during two funding rounds in 2021 from investors including Five V Capital, Ellerston Capital and Aquasia.

The latest technological addition will allow Konvoy to offer its fit-for-purpose keg tracking solution globally while reducing the risk of product delays associated with component shortages within the global supply chain.

“This acquisition is precisely what Konvoy needs to expand internationally in the market. Our katch technology solution is fit for purpose in ANZ, Asia and EMEA but the complementary cellular technology means we can expand rapidly into North America,” Konvoy and Katch founder Adam Trippe-Smith said.

“Konvoy’s aim is to use technology to improve the keg industry, refine processes and efficiencies in logistics which will have a beneficial environmental impact with reduced transport times.”

Konvoy, which acquired Red Kegs and Meddings family-owned business Keg Services in 2020, currently tracks 120,000 kegs through its global keg tracking equipment solution business.

“We have been extremely busy building the next 2.0 version of the katch beacon, and with Onalytics’ technology onboard, we are now able to refine it further, reducing the price point for the market and also increasing the efficiencies of the beacon globally,” Konvoy general manager of technology Marc Eggins said.

“It’s a very exciting time, and we are looking forward to working with the retained Onalytics team to bring this to market quickly.”

Adding a cellular device to the Konvoy offering complements the current Sigfox 0G device, with the business estimating that roughly 20,000 production devices will be in operation by February 2023.

The Onalytics team has been retained to help expand Konvoy’s technology business and increase the speed to market, with US trials set to take place before October.

Onalytics co-founder and chief sales and marketing officer Cristina Raposo is thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with Konvoy and Katch and continue the collaboration built up over the past few years in keg tracking and monitoring technology development.

“We're joining the Katch team to accomplish a bigger vision - together we can be faster and stronger, focus on expansion into new markets and work towards a world-first keg tracking technology,” she said.

“To customers around the world, what this means is that they will have faster access to an affordable and reliable technology that can provide extraordinary results in a short amount of time and help their businesses thrive.

“We will continue to work on adding value to the beverage industry, by enabling breweries to be more sustainable, streamline keg logistics, and control the quality of beer served to customers."