#StartupsEverywhere Profile: Robert Buchanan, Founder, CEO, & Chief Engineer, Adhere Gear
This profile is part of #StartupsEverywhere, an ongoing series highlighting startup leaders in ecosystems across the country. This interview has been edited for length, content, and clarity.
Improving the Safety and Security of Cargo Operations
Based in Portland, Oregon, Adhere Gear is focused on developing sustainable use IoT Smart Cargo Network for cargo operations and logistics. Founder, CEO and Chief Engineer Robert Buchanan took a moment to share with us the origins of Adhere Gear, how he and his team hope to improve the global use of cargo, and his vision for the company’s future.
Tell us about your background. What led you to Adhere Gear?
At age 10, I was diagnosed as an insulin dependent diabetic. After a couple decades, I realized that being insulin dependent had given me small bread crumb insights of how to do things differently when it comes to carrying personal items or cargo. As a result, over 25 years later, I founded Adhere Gear, which focuses on bridging cargo and technology. We currently have three different scales of products that we're developing. Right now, maritime and aviation are the categories that we're putting the most of our energy into and we've also got smart luggage that we have put a lot of time into developing. For a variety of reasons, there's a big need right now in addressing how we move cargo on a daily basis in a very clean, systematic, efficient, and effective way, making sure the container’s security is intact. It's crazy how much cargo we move every day, and how much risk there is in so many different countries. So this is a sector that is ripe for innovation.
It was interesting to be able to bridge having a condition—like being diabetic—then take those insights and say, “Maybe I can make a little difference, add some different ideas, and make things a lot better.” That's the inspiration behind the company. I took things I had to do every day anyway and applied them to look at how we ship all kinds of materials. If you carry an insulin vial, you have to think very creatively about how to protect that item every second of the day—whether that’s in a boardroom, at a soccer field, or traveling across the country at six in the morning—there’s a lot that you have to think through. So now I am applying the same logic to designing software systems for cargo, as well as engineering the design of the containers for an entirely new but complimentary way of how cargo hardware should function.
How does the Adhere Gear technology work? What does it do?
We did research for about three years. Our goal was to really understand the need in the market and the primary questions on the table that have gone unaddressed: what's inside the container? Where is the container going? How much does the container weigh? Is the container clean? We figured that if we could address those four pain points that come up on a daily basis with all cargo, whether it's maritime, aviation, or trucking, then we would have something very profound that could have a positive impact on the economics of the industry.
For example: we're leveraging a lot of smart cameras strategically placed throughout the inside of maritime containers to be able to capture, in real time, images or videography that could be truly impactful for monitoring how cargo is doing. One of the pain points with cargo is that, when you get to your destination, the cargo is somehow destroyed or damaged in some way, and you have to file a claim. With our technology, you'll be able to know in real time when it got damaged, so you don't have to wait until it gets to the port to put in a claim. That enables customers to be able to operate closer to real time versus the lag time we currently see in the shipping industry. In regards to the question of the container’s cleanliness, that's a pretty profound question, especially in the age of a pandemic. That's where we've developed some awesome technologies that rely on UVC ultraviolet light. The customer will be able to clean cargo on demand at any moment remotely, and then integrate that into existing operations. Users can decide to clean cargo every hour while it’s on a journey or just one time before it arrives.
We’re very sensitive when thinking about the cargo’s weight, because if you incorrectly balance a 747 or a large ship, that will end in tragedy. It's very critical math. On top of that, for a ship, there’s a two to three day turnaround time to get everything loaded. And it's a massive game of Tetris where weight is a big deal. So our containers can provide real time weight measurements to the people moving the cargo. It's a game changer. Lastly, where's the cargo going? It's one of the simpler questions but it's logistically important to be able to pinpoint the real time GPS location and anticipate when you arrive at its destination. These are things that the large freight carriers have mastered. But it is a question of, how do we get it faster? For things like same hour versus same day delivery, the key is expediting tracking to a new level. And that's what we're looking at.
The fact that you're working in the shipping sector means that you are operating under a lot of different public policy frameworks. What's that experience been like? Have you run into any specific areas that have posed a real challenge to your ability to grow?
The ability to deploy the software will continue to be the biggest challenge. Maritime shipping specifically just hasn't evolved technologically. And because of that, we have to write software that communicates and integrates well with existing systems and rules, which is a challenge.
Language is also a huge barrier to address. We're still developing what the best tactics are to ensure that as our cargo containers move from one nation to another, the systems are universally able to be recognized. We have a set of primary languages that are mostly used across the world for cargo. But at the end of the day, it turns out that pictorial communication is the best way to share information in a way that everyone can understand. So we have to develop systems that enable people to fully understand what’s in the cargo or how to use our tools but also clearly spells out any information a country’s customs regulator would need to know. What's nice about this approach though, is that there is a lot of room for growth and innovation. And where we can play a big role is in pushing new, innovative shipping policy that's tied directly to technology.
One thing that we've heard a lot about in the recent months is the concept of supply chain issues. How can technology be better leveraged in order to address the concerns with the supply chain?
This is definitely not a good problem to have, but we’re very focused on it because we have a solution. What we're doing is addressing two distinct issues by focusing on those four questions I mentioned earlier. If you were to map out a timeline of a piece of cargo's journey, you can very easily identify all the different steps that a container would go through. One of the things that we're dealing with is there is too much of a bottleneck. You end up with a backlog at all these ports where containers are stacked up waiting to be moved. And what we're doing is picking off a ton of those moments and saying we don't need this, we don't need that. I'll give you a great example: having to inspect a container for its contents to ensure it is what it is and making sure it's safe. Our containers can remove having to open up the containers and do that by hand.
Our technology is going to expedite a lot of these types of moments by leveraging technology, which is great because right now, cargo is just a static metal box. There are people right now trying to apply logistics software to the problem to get things moving faster. But software can't solve what is actually also a hardware issue. So we empower our software by infusing hardware into logistics operations.
Are there any local, state, or federal startup issues that you think should receive more attention from policymakers?
Access to capital. There are definitely barriers to entry to accessing capital both in the private and public sector. Within the next four weeks, I will be finishing up Department of Transportation as well as Department of Energy grant applications for two different segments of our model. But the time involved to complete the applications is nuts. It took us just over two years just to work through the government registrations to become a government contractor. And, on top of that, the departments’ software for processing grant applications is really old and in need of updates. I think there could be a lot of improvement to simplify the process, even things like introducing micro-funding or micro-grants for startups that are just getting off the ground. I've seen a lot of great ideas that really only needed $10,000 or $15,000 to prove that they've got a worthy product. Investors never even take a look at those types of opportunities, and I think that's where the government can step in. So between the challenges of applying for government programs or getting in the door to access VC funding, it’s incredibly hard to get the funding to build a business that will make so many systems work better.
What are your goals for Adhere Gear moving forward?
We have three full size product models that are going to be done within the next four to five months, which is pretty exciting. They're going to showcase a lot of the great collaboration we have planned with the Port of Seattle, and we should be working with the Port of Greater Portland as well. The biggest thing that we're looking to do is deploy 100 percent dependable operational systems into the market within 12 months. COVID has not helped on the production side of it, but at the same time it is ramping up the demand for our products because we need to fix these things, like yesterday. We're going to put together something really nice to showcase and get going publicly, starting with the U.S. front.
The other thing that we're huge advocates of is people having the right to a quality home and to have the opportunity to create a good life (before I was a technologist I was an architect). What we've identified is that, as we developed, our program would work for retrofitting existing containers and eventually will deploy new containers altogether that are IoT intelligent. There is a big opportunity to use the decommissioned containers to create tiny homes for communities that are impoverished or in need. We're going to give them away for free. We have figured out the math, and it just makes sense. I think it’s important for policymakers to lift up and enable the companies they represent however they can.
All of the information in this profile was accurate at the date and time of publication.
Engine works to ensure that policymakers look for insight from the startup ecosystem when they are considering programs and legislation that affect entrepreneurs. Together, our voice is louder and more effective. Many of our lawmakers do not have first-hand experience with the country's thriving startup ecosystem, so it’s our job to amplify that perspective. To nominate a person, company, or organization to be featured in our #StartupsEverywhere series, email ian@engine.is.
