©Kanan Smart Solution
Grupo Bimbo has offloaded its baking x-ray technology subsidiary Kanan Smart Solution to food quality control system manufacturer Mekitec Group in a share transaction.
The deal includes a software development team and local sales and service operations in Mexico.
Kanan Smart Solution focuses on the development of artificial intelligence and x-ray inspection technology to detect foreign objects and ensure the safety of bakery products.
The inspection software company has a revenue of $1.8 million and 13 employees in Mexico, with presence also in the US, Ecuador and France.
Based in Finland, Mekitec provides food quality control systems for individual food production lines based on x-ray technologies, serving customers in a variety of industries including bakery, confectionery, dairy, frozen food and meat.
The deal will see Mekitec strengthen its x-ray inspection capabilities for baking companies and boost its market position throughout Latin America. With an increased focus on baking solutions, Mekitec will continue to offer traceability and quality control solutions for sustainable food production.
Grupo Bimbo has been using Mekitec’s x-ray systems powered with Kanan’s software solutions in its bakeries for five years.
Following the share transaction, Grupo Bimbo’s venture arm Bimbo Ventures will become a significant shareholder of Mekitec and will support the Finnish company in accelerating its growth.
“Traceability and artificial intelligence are significant drivers for the future of food safety. This acquisition is of major strategic importance for Mekitec, enabling us to lead the industry development globally,” said Antti Sivula, CEO of Mekitec Group.
“Having Bimbo Ventures as a partner and Grupo Bimbo as a customer means that our product development will always be fully aligned with the industry needs.”
Pablo Sánchez, CEO of Kanan and principal at Bimbo Ventures, added: “AI is transforming food inspection and enabling our customers to deliver even better products to their customers. We’re excited that together with Mekitec, we’ll be one of the creators of the next generation of inspection, starting with baking.”
Raul Obregon, chief information and transformation officer at Grupo Bimbo, continued: “Our company has a relentless commitment to quality. Grupo Bimbo doesn’t only want to adopt the best technology for quality assurance out there but also partnerships that allow us to co-create the future of food inspection with top technology developers.”
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024