Ember, a manufacturer of temperature control technology, has a similar business.

The Los Angeles-based company is known for selling "smart mugs" that can heat coffee, tea, and other beverages at a specified temperature for several hours. However, Ember now hopes to follow in the footsteps of other consumer technology developers by expanding into the medical technology field-which shows that it is more than just Apple, Fitbit and Bose games.

With the support of a recent $23.5 million E-series financing, Ember is looking at new equipment that will transport drugs and other sensitive drugs by maintaining a much lower temperature range.

Venture capital financing was led by Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group's GOLDTek Technology subsidiary, and received additional support from technology investment company EDBI and other new and existing investors. It brings Ember's total proceeds in its five rounds of financing to more than 65 million U.S. dollars.

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Ember's pharmaceutical cold chain technology will center on self-refrigerated, cloud-based shipping boxes, which the company says will be the first of its kind, designed to keep medical products cool throughout the transportation process.

The company’s founder and group chief executive Clay Alexander said the new application will build on Ember’s “over 129 patents granted for temperature control, data and connectivity”.

Its flagship cup is equipped with precision sensors for temperature control and liquid volume measurement, and a long-lasting lithium-ion battery for continuous temperature control (and the included charging coaster). At the same time, the convection technology makes the beverage circulate continuously, so that it always maintains even heat.

In terms of software, the Ember device will automatically turn on and off based on whether it detects liquid. They also track the user's preferred temperature and will return to that temperature every time it is used, unless programmed otherwise-this can be done using a connected smartphone app or using the touchpad on the side of the cup during travel-sized iterations.

Similar technologies will undoubtedly be embedded in Ember's medical cold chain products. The company said it also plans to expand its range of consumer products with temperature-controlled infant feeding devices and other new beverages.

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As R&D progresses, Ember will allocate some new funds to build its international footprint. This will include more than doubling its team in the United States and Asia throughout 2022; this year, its headcount has increased by more than 75%. Ember also plans to establish a regional headquarters and R&D facility in Singapore—investor EDBI is also located there—after the company recently moved to a new Los Angeles regional corporate headquarters.

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