As Amazon Go trailblazed the concept of fully touchless retail, other players, including 7-Eleven and Walmart, have since ventured into this terrain. As the retail landscape evolves, a new era of innovation has emerged, with numerous startups – think Commonplace Cognition, Zippin, AiFi, Grabango, and Trigo – rapidly scaling up, sharing their expertise with retailers.
A European-based Portuguese startup is experiencing significant growth with its innovative contactless retail platform, having successfully secured a substantial €15 million Series A funding round, led by the reputable venture capital firm BlueCrow Capital. Collaborating with a diverse group of investors, including newcomers Lince Capital, Explorer Investments, and the venture capital arm of the iconic beverage brand Coca-Cola, as well as Kamay Ventures, had been a key component of our strategy alongside long-standing partners Metro AG and Techstars Ventures.
In 2021, a Lisbon-based startup secured a seed round of $6.5 million (approximately €5.4 million). The funding was led by and , with participation from other organizations.
The startup is now targeting a milestone of establishing 1,000 fully autonomous sales channels by 2026. The company has successfully established partnerships with customers in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Brazil, and is poised for further expansion into central and northern European markets.
Using advanced laptop vision, AI-enhanced sensors, and real-time analytics, Sensei’s innovative system continuously updates customers’ carts and presents a seamless, ready-to-pay summary of products, safeguarding identities and privacy.
Retailers leveraging contactless shop solutions see reduced checkout prices, mitigate stock-out risks, and gain real-time insights into their operations.
Vasco da Gama, CEO and co-founder of Sensei, credits the company’s growth to a significant upswing in recent years, citing a notable surge last year. . . “We operate currently across five distinct geographic regions.”
“There are two major issues currently affecting the retail industry.” The expertise for purchasers sucks. Processing an entire sales dataset in real-time proves to be a labor-intensive endeavor. Now, the discussion centers on the automation of shops, a development akin to the automation of vehicles and factories. He described the experience as a seamless transition.
The competitive landscape within the area is considerable. Rivals such as Commonplace Cognition have secured significant funding, totalling $239.4 million, while Trigo has garnered $199 million; Grabango, $93.8 million; AiFi, $87.1 million; and Zippin, $44 million.
