Nanolike opens first Canadian office in Montreal

As part of its efforts to grow internationally, France-based Nanolike opened its first Canada office in Montreal. Thus, the French company wants to strengthen its position as a leading player in non-intrusive level measurement for feed bins on the North American continent by getting closer to its customers.

Founded in 2012 and historically based in the south of France (Toulouse), Nanolike initially offered mechanical deformation sensors for aeronautics industry applications. The company made a strategic change in 2018 to refocus its know-how in deformation measurement to serve the farming industry through the measurement of livestock feed bins. This new strategic shift came in response to the request of key players in the French animal nutrition industry (Cooperl and Even Nutrition Animale). The main purpose is to enable feed suppliers and agricultural cooperatives to streamline their logistics processes while providing even more comfort and security to the farm producers.

Following its first successes in France and then in Europe with the opening of a second office in Germany (Munich) in 2020, Nanolike is now reaching a new milestone on an international scale. Indeed, 2022 marked the ongoing development of the company with the opening of a third entity in Montreal following a first large-scale rollout in collaboration with an Ontario feed supplier (Molesworth Farm Supply Ltd.) and numerous ongoing projects. Besides, the BinConnect was designed by and for the key players in the animal nutrition supply chain. The main objective was to provide them with more visibility on all feed inventories while preserving the integrity of the bin at the lowest possible cost. BinConnect consists of one sensor per bin (installed at ground level) and two interfaces to always have the bin data at your fingertips and stock forecasts (through a mobile app and a web platform). So far, more than 18 different countries have adopted the BinConnect. It allows all operators in the animal nutrition industry to anticipate their customers’ needs via automatic alerts, to spread the workload over the week and to increase farm producers’ loyalty with an innovative service.

GROWING DEVELOPMENT IN TWO STRATEGIC HUBS OF FARMING INDUSTRY
By opening first Canadian office, the company aims to get closer to its customers to guarantee them even more personalized support, while strengthening its presence in the North American markets thanks to this new strategic geographical location. “We already talked about this growth in our business a few months ago on an international level and the latest events and collaborations we have signed in North America have confirmed the maturity of this market. BinConnect fulfills two main objectives: to create a disruptive system through its specificity of being non-intrusive and to address common issues faced by all players in the animal nutrition industry. The demand is constantly growing and we are pleased to be able to support our customers with our expertise in deformation measurement and our know-how in data processing. It was previously difficult to access or too costly to deploy on a large scale and equip an entire fleet of bins”, says Jean-Jacques BOIS, President of Nanolike Canada Inc.

BINCONNECT: A SIMPLE STRAIN GAUGE DESIGNED TO SOLVE A COMMON ISSUE
Unlike existing intrusive technologies (ultrasound, laser, radar, etc.), Nanolike has chosen to develop a complete solution by adapting a technology that has been proven for more than 80 years (the strain gauge) to make it 100% connected and functional on all types of bins with legs. Meanwhile, Nanolike is multiplying its projects in other use cases and has recently strengthened its presence in the construction market after a first rollout with the Holcim Maquer team in Greece. The easiness of the technology used and its very affordable price are attracting the actors of this new market as well as other industrial sectors.

Jean-Jacques BOIS, President of Nanolike Canada Inc

A NEW CHAPTER IN NANOLIKE’S HISTORY WITH ITS BINCONNECT
“From day one, being close to our customers has always been a key point in our approach. We do not forget that it is also thanks to our customers that BinConnect has been able to evolve. Indeed, over the years, our entire team has always been able to adapt and be reactive to suit the needs of each of our customers and those despite the distance. Opening this third entity consolidates our evolution and our will to enhance our presence and link by being closer to our customers as we already did two years ago with the opening of our new office in Germany. Thus, after a first large rollout with Molesworth Farm Supply and considering the market potential that Canada and the United States represent, we made the choice to open our new entity in Montreal. This new milestone in Nanolike’s history represents a great step forward in the development of BinConnect internationally and also the beginning of a great adventure for the entire team”, declares Jean-Jacques BOIS.

BUILDING LASTING RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH A LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY CARRIED BY RÉZOWAY
Choosing this new location in Quebec was obvious from the beginning of the company’s activities in North America. Besides the common language, Montreal represents a strategic hub for all French companies wishing to continue their expansion across North America. Quebec offers a dynamic ecosystem and also a direct access to global markets. Moreover, in order to better discover its new environment and to get more involved in the local business community, Nanolike has chosen to start this new adventure in cooperation with Rézoway for the opening of its first Canadian office. The objective is to have local resources and know-how to help the company’s project run smoothly.