Takeoff, Boston, Mass., closed its series B financing, taking the total capital raised to $37 million, in order to launch a new groundbreaking technology that brings innovative automation to the e-grocery industry.

How it works is, customers place orders online through their local grocery store. These orders are then filled by Takeoff’s Automated Micro Fulfillment Centers, where AI-enabled robots assemble full supermarket orders of 60 items in just a few minutes, what is said to be a fraction of speed and cost vs. current manual picking options. These centers have 1/10 the footprint of a typical supermarket thanks to innovative robotics and compact vertical spaces.

“The time is ripe for e-groceries,” says Jose Vicente Aguerrevere, co-founder and CEO. “Grocers have been dipping their toes in e-groceries for years. Now, it’s time to jump in with both feet. Our automated, hyperlocal fulfillment centers enable grocers to do so with minimal operational costs.”

Takeoff’s Micro Fulfillment Centers are set to be built in urban and suburban locations throughout the United States, resulting in convenient and hyper-local solutions for grocery shoppers nationwide.  Retailers can leverage underutilized real estate by turning existing stores into micro distribution centers with Takeoff’s technology.

“Takeoff is a win-win for grocers and consumers across the board,” says Max Pedro, co-founder and president. “Our e-grocery automation is a turnkey solution that uses robotics to unlock ultimate convenience for shoppers without need of charging fees or a price premium.”

The first Micro Fulfillment Center will go live in October.