Business Talk: Manufacturing Moves From Locus Robotics, INLIF Limited, Blackline Safety, and More
Business Talk is a recurring round-up where each installment tracks the latest manufacturing business developments and strategic moves within the industry.
Highlights:
- Kryptowire Labs rebrands to A2 Labs, LLC to differentiate A2 Labs from Krpytowire, which spun off in 2021 and operates independently as Quokka.
- Blackline Safety Corporation has started production and shipping of its EXO 8 Area Monitors
- INLIF Limited, a manufacturer of injection molding machines, has become a public company
- The Flexible Film Recycling Alliance has launched the Plastic Film Recycling Directory to increase recycling rates across the U.S.
- Bounteous and Accolite are unifying under the Bounteous brand name globally, a year after their merger.
- Locus Robotics' Vector robot has achieved CE certification, enabling broader adoption across Europe and other international markets.
Kryptowire Labs Changes Name to A2 Labs, LLC
Kryptowire Labs, a research & development company specializing in cybersecurity, xG (extended generation) innovation, testbed development, and custom software solutions for government agencies and industry, has rebranded to A2 Labs, LLC.
The company has stated that the name change is the only thing different and that the rest of the company's operations have stayed, and will stay, the same.
The rebrand helps to distinguish A2 Labs from Kryptowire, Inc., which spun out in 2021 and now operates independently as Quokka. Quokka focuses on enterprise mobile security and privacy solutions for apps and devices, protecting mobile ecosystems.
"We are excited to officially operate under our new name, A2 Labs," said Angelos Stavrou, President and Founder of A2 Labs. "This is a true name change, not a rebranding or shift in direction. Our mission remains the same—to deliver cutting-edge technology solutions that support government agencies, industry partners, and their most critical initiatives."
Blackline Safety Starts Shipping EXO 8 Area Monitor
Blackline Safety Corp., a connected safety tech provider, has announced that its EXO 8 Area Monitors are now in volume production and shipping globally.
The monitor, already having secured major orders including Total Safety’s recent purchase for its rental fleet, are for large organizations in the oil & gas, petrochemical, mining, and water & wastewater sectors—alongside fire-hazmat and homeland security associations—helping teams rapidly respond to hazardous incidents to ensure the safety of workers, first responders, the public and the environment during these events.
INLIF LIMITED Closes $8 Million IPO, Gets Listed on Nasdaq
INLIF LIMITED, a manufacturer of injection molding machine-dedicated manipulator arms, has closed its initial public offering of 2,000,000 ordinary shares at a public offering price of US$4 per share. The ordinary shares began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on January 2, 2025, under the ticker symbol "INLF".
The Company received proceeds of US$8 million from the offering and will use the proceeds for constructing a 5G digital intelligent equipment production base, establishing 24 local marketing and service offices within the PRC, constructing an industrial robot and automation application technology R&D center, and working capital.
Established in 2016, INLIF installs manipulator arms and accessories and raw materials for manipulator arms. The company has an extensive portfolio of injection molding machine-dedicated manipulator arms, including transverse single and double-axis manipulator arms, transverse and longitudinal multi-axis manipulator arms, and large bullhead multi-axis manipulator arms, all developed by itself.
Flexible Film Recycling Alliance Launches Plastic Film Recycling Directory
The Flexible Film Recycling Alliance (FFRA) has launched the Plastic Film Recycling Directory in an aim to increase plastic film recycling rates across the United States by improving knowledge of and access to recycling collection points. The directory also provides clear educational resources on how to recycle plastic film.
FFRA has also pledged to develop a verification program to work closely with collection and recycling partners to maintain integrity in recycling efforts; address constructive inquiries, share its responses publicly, and encourage stakeholders to submit requests to evaluate the alliance's impact; and to share the data on the directory's impact toward recycling rates within two years.
Retailers and recycling depots collecting plastic film are encouraged to join the directory. For inclusion, contact Kurt Kurzawa at kkurzawa@plasticsindustry.org.
For more information, visit the directory’s website.
Bounteous & Accolite to Rebrand as Bounteous
Bounteous and Accolite will unify under the Bounteous brand name globally, a year after their merger.
Over the past year, the merger has strengthened the company's capabilities serving diverse C-suite stakeholders. The company was recognized 12 times in 2024 by analyst groups for the strength of its service offering.
Bounteous, a digital transformation consultancy, serves 300+ Fortune 1,000 and high-growth clients, solving problems across industries like retail, logistics, telecommunications, manufacturing, technology, and others.
"This merger has enhanced our ability to serve our client stakeholders globally, delivering measurable results through customer experience transformation, data & AI, product engineering, and cloud modernization solutions," said Keith Schwartz, CEO at Bounteous. "As we look toward 2025 and beyond, we remain committed to using co-innovation to drive value, improve customer experience, and achieve operational efficiencies for our clients."
Locus Robotics' Vector Receives CE Certification
Locus Robotics' largest, most dynamic mobile robot, the Locus Vector, has achieved CE certification, enabling broader deployments across Europe and other international markets. Powered by the LocusONE platform, Locus Vector enhances warehouse productivity, flexibility, and scalability, empowering businesses to automate complex workflows with unmatched efficiency.
Locus Vector is actively deployed across leading 3PLs and a premier global apparel and footwear retailer in Europe. With this certification, Locus demonstrates its ability to manage complex multistep processes, accommodate larger payloads, and adapt to a wider range of order dimensions.
"This CE certification for Locus Vector allows us to bring the benefits of our flexible warehouse automation solution to more customers globally," said Denis Niezgoda, Chief Commercial Officer, International, at Locus Robotics. "Vector's exceptional payload capacity, mobility, and seamless integration into LocusONE make it the ideal solution for robust automation in industries like 3PL, retail, and healthcare. Customers are already seeing increased flexibility and efficiency by deploying Vector alongside their Locus Origin fleets or standalone."