Autonomous retail technology firm Sensei raises €15 million and preps European expansion and new store

Sensei, a Portuguese startup focused on the autonomous retail technology space, has secured €15 million in a Series A funding round.

Taking the total raised to €21 million, this will enable the company to expand across Europe, particularly in central and northern regions, while also opening what is pitched as the world’s largest autonomous store next year. 

Involving existing investors like Metro AG and Techstars Ventures, the round was led by BlueCrow Capital, with the participation of Lince Capital, Explorer Investments, and Kamay Ventures (the investment arm of Coca-Cola and Arcor Group).

Vasco Portugal, CEO and Co-founder at Sensei, says: “We are driven by a relentless obsession to deliver the ultimate store experience. Our technology operates invisibly within the store environment, yet it has a massive impact - enhancing the shopping journey for consumers and driving operational efficiency for retailers."

Using computer vision, AI powered sensors, and real-time algorithms, Sensei creates an environment where customers can shop without waiting in queues or manually scanning items. As they do so, their cart is automatically updated, and at checkout, the system displays a ready-to-pay list of items - allowing customers to pay however they prefer, while their identity and privacy are fully protected.

This funding will also support a 30% increase in Sensei's workforce over the next six months, reinforcing its capacity to meet the demands of a customer base across Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Brazil, while also driving its expansion into central and north Europe.

António de Mello Campello, Partner at BlueCrow Capital, says: "Artificial intelligence, as we have seen in recent months with the success of ChatGPT, in general terms, and in the various sectors, is transforming several industries, and at BlueCrow we believe that retail is one of the biggest opportunities and is about to be disrupted.”

“Sensei has proven to be one of the best in the sector, has had a long history and great development in the various sectors associated with this transformation, with real potential to lead autonomous retail around the world. We are very pleased to have had the opportunity to lead this round and to be part of this project, confident in its success in the very medium term. The revolution is already coming to our cities.”

Gabriela Ruggeri, Managing Partner at Kamay Ventures, says: “We believe in the team led by Vasco Portugal to consolidate Sensei's growth and presence in the autonomous retail sector, as well as to expand the technological solution developed by the company in Latin America, strengthening its influence in the sector."

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Autonomous stores are a key focus area for the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards, which is now open for entries.

The awards, sponsored by Scala, CADS, 3D Cloud, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Key 2024 dates

Friday, 25th October: Award entry deadline 

Tuesday, 29th October: 2024 shortlist revealed

30th October-6th November: Judging days

Thursday, 21st November: Winners announced at the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony, to be held at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London.