Including Auger, Wayvee, and 3D Cloud: 15 retail technology funding rounds you need to know about

RTIH rounds up 15 retail systems ventures who have recently secured significant investments in their businesses, including visual commerce platforms, game-changing 3D technology, autonomous stores, emotion AI, and robotics and data intelligence solutions.

1. 3D Cloud

3D Cloud (formerly Marxent), a specialist in 3D digital asset management for 3D product visualisation, has announced a $20 million growth capital investment led by Arnie Bellini of Bellini Capital.

"Retailers and manufacturers are flocking to 3D Cloud, drawn by its pioneering cloud-based design and visualisation software that outperforms traditional solutions by a factor of five," says Bellini.

"This game-changing technology enables retailers to deliver hyper-personalised, on-demand services like never before. I'm excited to be part of this journey as 3D Cloud continues to drive innovation and lead the market.”

"We're pleased once again to have the support of Arnie Bellini and Bellini Capital.  Arnie's mentorship and counsel have been invaluable to our team," says Beck Besecker, CEO and Co-Founder at 3D Cloud, whose clients include CITY Furniture, Best Home Furnishings, and Flexstee.

"Arnie is a long-term thinker who understands the real challenges of bringing new tech to market and how to mature an organisation from a startup to a sustainable business that not only delivers value to customers but also understands its responsibility to team members and the broader community. Arnie's energy and enthusiasm are unmatched. We're thrilled to have his support."

2. Dexory

Dexory, a robotics and data intelligence company, has closed an $80 million Series B funding round.

This was led by DTCP, with participation from Latitude Ventures, Wave-X and Bootstrap Europe, along with existing investors Atomico, Lakestar, Capnamic and several angels from the logistics industry. As part of this investment, DTCP’s Michael Rager joins Dexory’s board of directors.

The new funding, made up of a mix of equity and growth debt, will support an expansion of the firm’s AI powered features across the DexoryView platform, grow its global team and accelerate the deployment of its autonomous robots with customers like GXO, Maersk, and DB Schenker.

A significant focus continues to be on expanding across the US market, where Dexory is already live with customers in seven states. The Series B will also enhance development and production facilities at its UK headquarters.

Dexory has now raised $120 million over the past three years.

3. Vizit

Vizit, a specialist in visual AI software for brands and retailers, reports a $25 million Series B round led by Industry Ventures.

“We see a lot of AI companies, but Vizit stands out as a unique AI native company with significant traction, a blue chip customer list, a massive data moat, and patented Visual AI technology. They are leading the creation of an entirely new category, Visual AI Intelligence, and have a massive total addressable market (TAM),” says Brian Langner, Managing Director at Industry Ventures.

“Vizit’s growth trajectory and leadership in transforming how brands analyse, measure, and optimise visual content make them an exciting partner for us. We’re confident in Vizit’s ability to not only reshape the future of e-commerce but to revolutionise the way business is done through AI driven visual intelligence.”

“We’ve moved beyond content compliance to content that delivers performance,” says Oliver Lee, Global Creative Insights Manager at Mars. “In today’s digital first environment, it’s no longer sufficient to simply have content in place – we need the right content.”

“Our visual content must be precisely optimised to stand out and convert consumers at every touchpoint. Vizit’s Visual AI Platform is now a critical component of our tech stack, enabling us to predict and deliver high-impact, personalised content that drives results. Without it, we’d be missing a crucial advantage in creating and syndicating category leading digital experiences at the speed and scale our global market demands.”

4. Fixtuur

UK-based visual commerce platform provider Fixtuur has secured an undisclosed (said to be multi-million-pound) investment round led by Maven Capital Partners.

It has also appointed Steve Klin as its Chairman and Charlie Sharland, as a Non-Executive to the board.

David Thomson, CEO at Fixtuur, says: “We are thrilled to receive this backing from Maven Capital Partners. Their continued support validates our significant progress in scaling Fixtuur and demonstrates their trust in our vision for the future.”

“Having Steve Klin and Charlie Sharland onboard adds unparalleled expertise to our leadership team. Their knowledge and experience will be invaluable as we continue to scale globally and enhance the impact of our platform.”

5. Ameba

Ameba, an AI driven platform helping companies manage and unlock growth from their complex supply chains, has closed a $7.1 million seed round led by Hedosophia. European early-stage investor Visionaries Club reinvested, having led Ameba’s pre-seed round, and Anamcara also participated.

Ameba’s team of supply chain, AI, quant and deep-tech specialists is led by founders Cedrik Hoffmann, former Supply Chain Director and Co-founder at e-commerce firm VALOREO, and Craig Massie, a former Palantir engineer who built the S&P 500 firm’s data privacy tool. 

The firm’s platform uses AI on top of existing software to give brands real-time, bespoke insights into their global supply chains. It automates the extraction of data in multiple languages from sprawling sources – emails, WhatsApps, PDFs, Excel and more – and brings it into a single “source of truth” platform.

With insights into the source and status of every product on a chain, brands can predict disruptions; react to bottlenecks; and get enhanced visibility into their sustainability efforts.

"Brands today face intense pressure to meet rapid shifts in consumer trends while delivering on expectations for fast, low-cost, and sustainable supply chains,” says Hoffmann.

“Many of the biggest names in fashion still manage their supply chain data on Excel and communicate with suppliers via email or WhatsApp. We want to transform customers’ operations while meeting them where they are today. With Ameba, we’re turning supply chains from bottlenecks into engines of growth.”

6. Augmodo

Augmodo, a real-time inventory and task tracker using wearable SmartBadges to create live 3D store maps, has raised $5.3 million in seed funding. The round was led by Lerer Hippeau, with participation from Dunnhumby Ventures, NewFare Partners and Simple Food Ventures.

Seattle-based Augmodo’s proprietary SmartBadges are powered by a Spatial AI assistant for store associates, which recommends actions and tasks to increase efficiencies, including restocking shelves, placing orders and improving compliance, saving stores time and money and improving retailer, associate, brand and shopper experiences.

“Artificial intelligence is already changing retail, and new advances in AR and spatial computing are about to completely transform the physical world of shopping as we know it,” says Ross Finman, Founder and CEO at Augmodo.

“We’re deploying our technology across the world’s most innovative retailers to provide their associates with Spatial AI assistants, empowering their workforces to drive revenue and improve shopping experiences for all parties, making store associates even more valuable to their employers.”

7. HIVED

HIVED, an electric delivery company, has announced a new partnership and investment from Japanese firm Yamato.

The agreement will see both companies collaborate to leverage their respective expertise and knowledge, with the aim of advancing sustainable and tech driven logistics across both in the UK and Japan. As part of this, Yamato will invest £2 million in HIVED.

Founded in 2021 by Co-CEOs Murvah Iqbal and Mathias Krieger, HIVED counts as customers the likes of Nespresso, Zara, John Lewis and Uniqlo. 

Yamato commands 47% of Japan’s logistics market and handles over 2.3 billion parcels annually.

Iqbal says: “This partnership represents a game changing moment for HIVED. As a world-leader in logistics, Yamato brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will accelerate our growth and improve our operations. We are excited about what the future holds as, together, we seek to push the boundaries of what modern delivery services can offer.” 

8. Wayvee Analytics

Wayvee Analytics has emerged from stealth with $5 million in pre-seed funding led by Tetrad.vc.

By uniting radio frequency (RF) waves with proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, Wayvee’s technology anonymously analyses emotional responses based on physiological signals in real-time, evaluating customer satisfaction score (C-SAT) and key performance metrics for retailers.

After leading product development and launching several augmented reality (AR) campaigns for Shazam’s Eastern European division, CEO and founder Alex Ovcharov leveraged his neuroscience background in collaboration with developers and former CERN physicists to engineer an algorithm capable of detecting breathing rate and micro-movements using a standard WiFi router, ultimately leading to the development of a proprietary 4D radar device.

Wayvee not only measures C-SAT and other key engagement metrics instantly, it also identifies sources of dissatisfaction and offers actionable recommendations for improvement.

The technology analyses emotional responses based on physiological signals such as breathing, heart rate, and micro-movements, and directly correlates this data with customer satisfaction.

9. Auger

Former Amazon executive Dave Clark unveiled his new company, Auger, this month and announced that he’s raised a $100 million seed round led by VC firm Oak HC/FT.

Auger is developing an AI powered tool for supply chain dependent businesses that integrates with existing inventory management platforms to deliver real-time insights.

“Throughout my career, I’ve seen firsthand how broken supply chains don’t just impact companies, but in fact millions of people: delays that prevent products from reaching shelves, miscommunications that force employees into overtime, higher consumer prices, and inefficiencies that contribute to a growing carbon footprint,” Clark told TechCrunch.

“These aren’t just business problems - they’re human problems. And it’s time we fix them.”

Oak HC/FT said that Auger “will change the way companies think about inventory management, forecasting, and planning. We are humbled to be a part of this next chapter in Dave’s journey.”

10. Autone

Autone, an AI powered platform helping retailers with inventory management, has raised a $17 million Series A funding round led by General Catalyst.

All existing investors from its seed round also reinvested in the Series A. This includes Speedinvest, YCombinator, Seedcamp, 2100VC, Motier, Financière Saint James, and business angels from LVMH, Sephora and Moncler.

The funding will be used to accelerate product development and continue Autone's expansion and hiring across the US and Europe.

CEO Adil Bouhdadi and CTO Harry Glucksmann-Cheslaw met at Alexander McQueen in 2016 where they created a data driven inventory decision platform..

Founded in 2021,  Autone is used by more than 50 global brands like Courreges,  Roberto Cavalli,  Stussy, and Zadig & Voltaire to help them accurately forecast demand, accelerate sales, while minimising waste and cutting time spent on manual tasks.

The latest funding round takes the total raised by the company to more than $20 million and comes less than a year after the company’s seed round.

11. Ocula

UK-based AI driven e-commerce solution provider, Ocula Technologies, has closed a £4 million Series A funding round.

The includes investments from NYO Capital and Jose Luis Gomes, and follows a £3.25 million led by Praetura Ventures in August.

Gomes brings a wealth of experience from his role leading Google Cloud’s North American Retail & Consumer division. He also holds positions on numerous advisory boards, including that of CapitalG, Alphabet’s independent growth fund.

Prior to Google, he worked at dunnhumby, leading its North American operations.

And the investment marks NYO Capital’s first venture into the European market. The firm says that it is committed to bolstering Ocula’s expansion in the US market, enhancing its visibility and reach in the North American e-commerce landscape.

12. Sensei

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.

13. Simbe

Store intelligence solutions specialist Simbe has closed a $50 million Series C equity financing round led by Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, with participation from Eclipse and Valo Ventures and other existing investors.

Since raising its Series B in July 2023, Simbe has achieved milestones such as introducing multiple capabilities and securing numerous new and expanded partnerships across various retail sectors.

The new capital, which brings the total amount raised to over $100 million, will be used to meet demand across retail verticals, expand into new product areas, and continue scaling its solutions to retailers and brands around the world.

14. Hue

Hue, which specialises in UGC solutions for beauty and fashion brands, has landed a $4.5 million funding seed round led by Fika Ventures and Underscore VC.

“This isn’t just a milestone for us - it’s a strong vote of confidence in our mission and vision to turn real customers into brands’ most powerful marketing channel,” says Janvi Shah, Co-Founder and CEO at Hue.

15. Checkmate

Checkmate, a provider of unified ordering solutions for enterprise restaurants, has bagged $10 million in Series B funding, led by Tiger Global.

The cash will enable the company to accelerate the adoption of its voice AI and kiosk technologies across the industry.

“With this investment, we’re doubling down on our development of the technologies that are helping restaurants scale their operations, grow digital revenue, and improve efficiency,” says Vishal Agarwal, Founder and CEO at Checkmate.

“We are at the forefront of bringing voice AI to the restaurant space, given our existing network of customers and PoS integrations. With Tiger Global’s support, we will continue leading the charge in transforming the restaurant experience.”