Including OneStock, Pixevia and Zippin: check out our biggest retail technology articles on LinkedIn this week
We’re big fans of LinkedIn and are busy building an amazing community of retail tech enthusiasts on the social media platform. As we head towards the 20,000 followers mark, these are the articles that are currently on their radars, including Europe’s first checkout-free store in a theme park, a pasta, pizza and payments partnership, and an initiative focused on the tracing and recycling of single-use plastic packaging in the UK.
Autonomous retail technology startup Pixevia raises €1.5 million and eyes DACH expansion
AI retail technology company, Pixevia, has raised €1.5 million in new funding. This saw new investors Coinvest Capital, Omni Commerce Ventures and Rita Sakus join primary investor Iron Wolf Capital in the round.
Other prominent existing backers Open Circle Capital, Vladas Lašas, and Renaldas Zioma made significant contributions.
The cash will be directed towards planned expansions throughout the US and Europe, especially within the DACH region. Included in these plans are the integration of new venues such as sports arenas, university campuses, and airports.
Pixevia has raised €4.1 million to date. Some of that was from EU research grants and mostly from equity investment.
Including Pixevia, OneStock, and Haz: Five retail technology funding rounds you need to know about
This includes ventures focused on autonomous stores, order management systems, and social commerce apps.
OMS specialist OneStock scores $72 million investment for international expansion with particular focus on US market
OneStock, a provider of order management systems (OMS), has announced a $72 million investment from Summit Partners.
OneStock was founded in 2015 by CEO, Romulus Grigoras, and CTO, Benoit Baccot, to help retailers and brands navigate the increasing complexity of the omnichannel landscape and enhance overall customer experience.
The company’s cloud native solution provides a centralised platform designed to manage end-to-end order fulfilment and visibility and enable retailers to offer a ‘buy anywhere, deliver anywhere, return anywhere’ experience to customers.
"Since the beginning, we have been dedicated to creating smarter and more sustainable shopping experiences, and our partnership with Summit marks a thrilling new chapter in our journey, reaffirming our long-term commitment to innovation and growth in the retail technology space,” comments Grigoras.
“With Summit's support and the benefit of their deep experience in the retail technology sector, we're poised to accelerate our growth even further. Our clear ambition is to emerge as the number one global leader in the OMS category.”
LEGOLAND Windsor Resort launches Europe’s first theme park checkout-free store powered by Zippin
Zippin and Aramark UK have partnered with LEGOLAND Windsor Resort to launch Europe’s first checkout-free store in a theme park. The store, which recently opened for the 2024 season, lets resort guests grab items without having to join a queue.
DUPLO Coffee Co, located in DUPLO Valley, sells a variety of sandwiches, snacks, coffee, and other drinks.
It was converted into a Zippin powered store where guests can enter with a credit card or mobile wallet, take what they want, and exit.
There are no checkout lines and no stopping to scan purchases. Guests are automatically billed for what they take as they exit.
US startup Laws of Motion scores $5 million in seed funding for AI FitTech licensing for brands and retailers
Laws of Motion, a specialist in AI sizing technology for e-commerce brands and retailers, has raised $5 million in seed funding from Corazon Capital, with participation from The Scout Program at Sequoia Capital, Leadout Capital, and serial entrepreneurs in the consumer tech and fashion industry, including Raine Group Senior Consumer Advisor Eva Jeanbart-Lorenzotti and John Howard, Co-Managing Partner of Irving Place Capital and a board member of Good American, Skims, and Frame.
This funding will enable the company to expand beyond its direct-to-consumer business with the launch of an AI sizing technology licensing solution.
It will also support its expansion into new markets, as well as the growth of its engineering, R&D, and licensing operations teams.
FinTech giant Adyen announces pasta, pizza and payments partnership with Italian restaurant group Vapiano
Adyen has announced a partnership with Italian restaurant group Vapiano.
Adyen’s technology is enabling guests to customise their checkout experiences, and making it possible for them to order food on their phone using digital wallet payments for the first time.
The announcement follows a pilot in one of the group’s London branches, in which data analysis found that
80% of orders were made via a mobile ordering platform on customers’ phones.
While the pilot revealed a demand for faster and more seamless ordering services, it highlighted the limited choice of payment options for customers.
UK retailer Mountain Warehouse extends partnership with e-commerce delivery technology specialist Metapack
UK outdoor clothing company, Mountain Warehouse, has extended its relationship with Metapack.
Already using Metapack Delivery Manager, Mountain Warehouse has added the Delivery Options and Intelligence solutions to its operations as it invests in its shipping infrastructure with the aim of providing customers with exceptional e-commerce experiences across the UK and Canada.
Using Metapack’s Delivery Manager, Mountain Warehouse says that it has optimised its fulfilment operations by simplifying integrations with last mile carriers, automating how parcels are allocated and streamlining operations processes to reduce barriers and increase efficiencies.
Now, leveraging the Delivery Options solution, it can provide customers with accurate and convenient shipping choices. This will also enable it to offer consumers with more out-of-home delivery options and reduce cost-to-serve.
Polytag announces single-use plastic packaging recycling scheme with high street giant Marks and Spencer as founding partner
Polytag has announced M&S as a founding member of its Ecotrace Programme, an initiative focused on the tracing and recycling of single-use plastic packaging in the UK.
This will deploy a network of Polytag’s Invisible UV Tag detection equipment in strategically chosen recycling centres that handle high volumes of waste.
FMCG brands, retailers, and waste management businesses are invited to get involved in the programme to unlock granular data on over 50% of the UK’s household waste recycling stream.
As a founding member of the programme, M&S, will gain real-time insights into where, when, and how much of its single-use plastic packaging is collected and sorted at recycling centres across the UK.
This data – at barcode level – will provide a verified benchmark for understanding recycling rates of its used plastic packaging.
Social commerce startup Haz bags $1.4m in pre-seed funding to connect people through the things that they own
London-based startup Haz, an AI social commerce app that connects friends through the things they own, has landed $1.4 million in pre-seed funding led by Speedinvest with participation from the scout programmes of A16Z (co-founder Reface, Dima Shvets), Atomico (Sameer Singh), Concept Ventures (Oliver Kicks), and individuals from Lapse, Lendable, Lottie & Ecoigo.
The cash will be used to develop its proprietary AI technology and launch the platform in the UK before expanding across Europe.
“82% of Gen Z now think about the resale value of an item before they even buy it, yet 47% of items fit for resale remain unsold,” says Haz Co-founder Ronan Harvey-Kelly.
“It takes a lot of time to resell something and consumers still lack the data they need to make informed resale decisions. That’s where Haz comes in.”
Emperia Founder and CEO Olga Dogadkina talks challenges and rewards as virtual stores firm turns five
Olga Dogadkina, Founder and CEO at Emperia, has taken to social media to discuss her company turning five years old.
Emperia has developed an immersive commerce platform at the intersection of Web2 and Web3, enabling brands and retailers to boost their online channels through virtual stores.
It was shortlisted at the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards.
In a LinkedIn post, which included photos taken over the last few years, Dogadkina said: “I’m finding it hard to believe that Emperia is turning five today.”
“In these five years, we’ve seen (and contributed to) the world going from ‘VR is never going to work’, ‘what’s the point of 3D’, and ‘it’s going to take you 15 years to get anywhere with this idea’ to spatial computing, immersive commerce and 3D strategy being on the radar and planning of just about every corporate. And we’re just getting started.”
Being a founder is by far the most challenging and rewarding career journey, she noted.
It’s a a journey of ups and downs, of breaking down walls, putting out fires only to start new ones, and learning something new every single day.
Dogadkina concluded: “I am incredibly grateful to my team, driving the change together. Our investors and customers, who are sharing our vision. And most of all, thankful to Simonas Holcmann (Emperia Co-founder and CTO) for sharing this crazy ride with me.”
Walmart Realm leverages Emperia technology for industry first influencer led virtual stores in immersive worlds
Walmart Realm has gone live, pitched as a first of its kind immersive commerce marketplace featuring influencer driven virtual shops.
This leverages technology from Emperia and gamifies the shopping journey, transporting customers into fantastical realms where they can interact with products and play nostalgic online games.
In a LinkedIn post, Justin Breton, Director of Brand Experiences & Strategic Partnerships, said: “Introducing Walmart Realm, the first ever immersive commerce experience curated by creators and inspired by social trends. Trust me when I say… You’ve never experienced online shopping like this before.”
“Walmart Realm embraces the limitless possibilities of virtual technologies, creating stunning shoppable environments to inspire our customers. Said differently, it’s not just a replica of a store or structure.”
“We’re continuing to shorten the distance between inspiration and commerce, highlighting the best fashion, beauty, and home products as selected by our creator partners, in each virtual shop.”
US-based Ordergroove brings its subscription technology platform for brands and retailers to the UK
Ordergroove, a subscription technology platform for brands and retailers, has announced its expansion into the United Kingdom.
UK brands including Halfords, Hotel Chocolat and Lily’s Kitchen have been long-standing Ordergroove customers.
In recent months, the company says it has seen an influx in interest from British retailers looking to revamp their subscriber experiences, driving the technology provider to officially expand into the UK.
The likes of Molton Brown, Untamed, Philip Kingsley, YuMove, Augustinus Bader and FlowerBX are now set to launch new and improved subscriber experiences.
Ordergroove supports numerous such experiences including subscribe save, bundles, rotating clubs, prepaid and membership.
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