Washington-based Ossia is integrating its Cota wireless technology to power retail IoT devices from the CoolR Group.

Ossia, the company behind Cota Real Wireless Power, and CoolR Group, a Virginia-based retail technology firm, have announced a partnership to build Cota wireless power technology into CoolR wireless hardware products, starting with the Vista product line.

Vista provides cameras and sensors to detect out-of-stock inventory, non-compliance, product velocity and merchandising insights.

“With the retail sector undergoing a secular shift to ecommerce, the industry is looking for more innovative ways to enhance and digitise the physical retail experience,” said Preston Woo, chief strategy officer of Ossia. “Retail industry innovations from agile technology companies like CoolR Group are now changing the landscape of how retail businesses work. Through its partnership, Ossia and CoolR Group will be able to conveniently deploy smart, connected devices and software to allow stores be more effective in stocking shelves, correcting foreign product placement and sensors that keep coolers and shelves running efficiently.”

CoolR creates technology to increase sales for the in-store retail environment. Specialising in the beverage and retail industries, its products leverage a proprietary machine-learning platform to reduce out-of-stocks, increase sales and decrease loss.

With three major product lines and more on the roadmap, CoolR is focused on deploying Cota wireless power into the Vista line to provide retailers with a way to analyse data and provide smart decision recommendations in real time.

Cota delivers power over the air, at a distance, without the need for plugs, pads or line-of-sight. The receiver technology is suitable for integration into retail devices and sensors. Ossia is working with players in the retail space to enable broader IoT and device deployment, enhancing the brick-and-mortar experience for customers and retailers.

Ossia is a technology company that engages in commercial relationships through licensing, joint development, joint venture and customised alliances.

“CoolR Group was founded as a machine-learning platform to track relevant data through smart devices in real time, giving retailers data to maximise efficiency and sales growth,” said Roy Mehta, CEO of CoolR Group. “Integrating Ossia’s Cota technology into our products, starting with the Vista product line, alleviates the major concerns retailers have about deploying devices that either require expensive and often impractical wiring installation, or require maintenance to remove and replace batteries with finite lives. The Cota technology frees up retailers to select full feature devices, such as the Vista, without having to worry about power, enabling physical stores to offer the best retail experience to customers.”

CoolR is a machine-learning platform that analyses retail shelves, providing product performance metrics, and anomalous product and pricing detection. It combines wireless cameras, sensors and cloud computing to deliver actionable insights to the CPG retail and beverage industry. The company is headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia, with offices in New York, Los Angeles and New Delhi.

Ossia is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington.