We’re likely not going to be featuring a lot of products and services here, preferring to concentrate on ideas, communities, collaborations, etc. But this one is pretty brilliant and fills a need we’ve seen for sure.

Tulu manages tool libraries for different types of residential, office or hospitality buildings — smart lending cabinets full of things you only need occasionally or for a short time, such as tools. This saves the residents a lot on purchase costs and reduces CO2 emissions at the same time.

When talking about “the sharing economy,” most people tend to think of Airbnb, and Uber, but that’s not really sharing, it’s offering a service using your property, your home or car in the case of these two.

Actual sharing is usually done in communities, between people, buying something in a group, or sharing things we own. Tulu is a kind of midway point, and a scalable version of the lending libraries that have been popping up in a few places. Some public libraries have started offering more than books and games, adding tools of different kinds. There are also tool libraries set up by companies or coops, buying equipment that they can then lease or share between members. La remise bibliothèque d’outils is a great example of such a group, right here in Montréal.

Interestingly, Tulu goes beyond tools and offers cooking appliances, sports accessories, on-demand printers, scooters, and bicycles.

The range of cabinets varies per residential complex and changes with the needs of the residents. Ultimately, residents determine what items are available in the cabinet.