Funding will be used to support commercialization of RAYHAWK’s autonomous railcar opening & closing technology.

January 30, 2025 – Saskatoon, SK – RAYHAWK Technologies is pleased to announce that the company has closed a $3 Million seed financing round led by Emmertech, a Saskatchewan-based venture capital firm specializing in AgTech and Agribusiness Innovation.

Headquartered in Saskatoon, RAYHAWK has developed proprietary technology for automating the lid opening, inspecting, closing, and sealing of railcars.

RAYHAWK is already used by a global enterprise in the mining sector and nearing completion of its first installation with a leader in the grain-handling industry, driving significant improvements to the speed and efficiency of customers’ rail loadout operations. With this new funding the company will double down on commercialization of its technology, with a focus on grain terminals, food processing plants, port facilities, and mining sites.

“Shipping by rail has been a critical link within the supply chain for decades” said Tom Boehm, President and CEO of RAYHAWK. “With RAYHAWK we’re removing people from the hazards of working on top of a railcar, introducing a completely new approach to rail operations while driving unprecedented levels of safety and efficiency.”

Innovation Saskatchewan, a provincial government agency responsible for supporting the advancement of commercial research and technology in the province, is a core investor of Emmertech. In 2022, the agency provided RAYHAWK with $450,000 through its Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fund (SAIF), helping the company develop its in-demand technology in advancement of the seed financing.

“RAYHAWK is an excellent example of an organization that is accelerating made-in-Saskatchewan technology, proving our province can be a leader in developing and producing innovative solutions that will transform key industries like agriculture and mining,” Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan Warren Kaeding said. “This funding shows how Saskatchewan’s innovation ecosystem provides unparalleled support to innovators, while creating economic and employment opportunities across the province.”

After officially unveiling its product to the US Agriculture sector last year at the GEAPS Exchange 2024 conference (Grain Elevator and Processing Society), RAYHAWK was named the most groundbreaking new technology by Feed & Grain Magazine. RAYHAWK’s solution has garnered interest from leading global crop logistic enterprises, and with orders lining up for the next year and beyond, the new capital from Emmertech will support scaling RAYHAWK’s operations to meet customer demand.

“RAYHAWK has world-leading technology that drives logistical efficiency while improving worksite safety – values that resonate strongly with Emmertech’s approach to investing in meaningful agricultural innovations” said Kyle Scott, Managing Partner of Emmertech. “We see great potential for RAYHAWK to redefine industry standards and, based on my own personal experience flipping rail car lids at a grain terminal, to make a real, positive impact in the industry. We are thrilled to welcome the exceptional RAYHAWK team to the Emmertech portfolio and look forward to supporting the next phase of growth for the company.”

Railways are by far the most critical mode of transportation for the global agricultural supply chain. Grain handlers face a number of key challenges in their rail operations today including labour shortages, safety risks, and rising costs. RAYHAWK’s technology solves these challenges by employing a specially designed tool operated by a vision-based software to automate the most manual tasks within rail loadout operations including lid opening, inspecting, closing, and sealing.

“The industry excitement around the RAYHAWK technology has been impressive” said Boehm, adding that the customers he’s spoken with all see RAYHAWK’s technology as a game changer. “Our team’s vision is to reduce risk through autonomous railcar loading, and we’re pleased that so many in the granular shipping industry share our vision as they look to elevate their operations to new standards of safety and efficiency.”

About RAYHAWK:

RAYHAWK Technologies is dedicated to reducing risk through autonomous railcar loading. The company has developed a proprietary technology for automating railcar lid flipping, inspecting, closing, and sealing. The RAYHAWK system enhances safety, improves rail loading cycle time, and enables 24/7/365 loading of bulk materials in railcars.

About Emmertech:

Emmertech is an AgTech fund that invests in high-quality businesses developing novel technologies in their early and growth stages. Emmertech deploys capital with a focus on pursuing two core investment themes: technologies that increase agricultural yield & productivity, and technologies that reduce the cost of agricultural production.