Including Lula Commerce and Yaga: six retail technology funding rounds you need to know about

RTIH rounds up six retail technology ventures who have recently secured significant investments in their businesses, including companies offering an AI sales coaching platform, an online marketplace for secondhand fashion, and AI powered digital commerce technology for convenience retailers.

1. Yaga

Tallinn-based Yaga, an online marketplace for secondhand fashion, has raised €4 million in a pre-Series A funding round, bringing total funding to €7.2 million.

The round was led by Specialist VC, with support from H&M Group Ventures, Trind Ventures, Startup Wise Guys, and a group of angel investors.

In a LinkedIn post, Aune Aunapuu, Founder and CEO at Yaga, said: “I’m deeply grateful to everyone who sees the long-term value in what we’re building. I once thought a marketplace was “just a website.” It wasn’t. It’s been tough calls, ruthless prioritisation, and building an organisation. We’ve come a long way: 25-person team, €50 million+ GMV run-rate, profitable, and backed by an incredible community of supporters.”

She added: “This funding helps us explore expansion opportunities in Africa amd MENA and keep making circular fashion more accessible - and more fun.  Grateful to the Yaga team and our community for getting us here. Special shoutout to Karl Erik Kotkas - once again proving why building with a co-founder matters.”

“Secondhand isn’t an alternative or niche anymore; it’s the better choice: better for your wallet, the planet, and the community. Onward.”

2. Mondra

AI powered climate tech platform, Mondra, has announced the closure of its Series A funding round, raising £10 million from investors including AlbionVC, Planet A, Swisscom, PeakBridge, Ponderosa Ventures and Green Circle Foodtech Ventures.

Led by AlbionVC and Planet A Ventures, the fundraise will accelerate Mondra’s expansion into key European markets including the Netherlands, Germany, and France. It will also support the development of new product capabilities, extending beyond emissions management into supply chain disruption and climate risk management.

Mondra was developed in coalition with the British Retail Consortium (BRC), whose members include retailers Tesco, M&S, Co-op, Ocado Retail, Asda, Lidl, Aldi, Pets at Home, and Sainsbury’s; suppliers including Avara, Samworth Brothers, Greencore, Pilgrim’s, Dunbia, Cranswick, and Bakkavor; and brands such as Starbucks and Nando’s.

Together with NGOs and government partners, this coalition is working to establish a unified standard for measuring product level performance, with the aim of creating a level playing field that enables consistent and credible measurement across the food industry. 

3. Lula Commerce

Lula Commerce, a provider of AI powered digital commerce technology for convenience retailers, has bagged an $8 million Series A round led by SEMCAP AI, with participation from Rich Products Ventures, GO PA Fund, NZVC, UP.Partners, Green Circle Foodtech Ventures, and Outlander VC.

This brings its total capital raised to over $16 million.

Lula Commerce’s platform includes Lula Hub, which unifies third-party delivery services like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub into a single dashboard; Lula Direct, which powers branded web and mobile ordering; and Lula Operators, a suite of 30+ AI driven tools that automate refunds, reviews, uptime, and other critical operations.

In recent months, the company has scaled to serve the likes of Circle K (franchisees), United Pacific (Rocket/Alta Stores), Jacksons Food Stores, Par Mar Stores, Clipper Petroleum, and more than 50 regional convenience chains across the US, including thousands of franchisees operating within those groups.

4. Whatnot

Whatnot, a live shopping platform in the US, UK, and Europe, has secured $225 million in Series F funding, co-led by DST Global and CapitalG. New investors Sequoia Capital and Alkeon Capital joined the round, alongside returning backers Greycroft, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), avra, and BOND. 

The company has raised approximately $968 million since its founding in 2019.

The new financing values it at $11.5 billion, more than double its valuation at the start of 2025.

“The conversation around live shopping has changed. We’re no longer asking if it will catch on. Whatnot is proving that live shopping is retail’s new normal,” says Grant LaFontaine, Co-founder and CEO at Whatnot.

“This funding represents both investor conviction and consumer confidence in our vision for the future of live commerce. With this capital, we will create more opportunities to help sellers build profitable businesses from their passions to delight buyers around the globe.”

5. FrontlineIQ

FrontlineIQ, an AI sales coaching platform, has announced its public launch alongside a $3.3 million seed round.

AQC Capital led the round, which also included participation from investors across retail, automotive, and financial services.   ‍

The company's AI sales coaching is used by brands including Ashley HomeStore, Sleep Country, Dufresne Furniture & Appliances, Hyundai, and Porsche.

“AI has already revolutionised digital sales, but millions of people selling in-person or on showroom floors have been left behind,” says CEO Ben Rodier.

“We’re building the first AI coach for in-person sales teams; designed to scale coaching across millions of sellers and give every manager the support they need to succeed. This funding allows us to accelerate delivery and bring our solution to more industries where human to human sales still matter most.”

6. MoEngage

MoEngage, a customer engagement specialist that works with brands including Domino’s, Travelodge and FoodHub, has secured $100 million in funding, led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management and A91 Partners.

This brings total funding to date to $250 million.

In a LinkedIn post, Raviteja Dodda, Founder at MoEngage, said: “This milestone means a lot. It reflects the trust our customers place in us, the hard work our team puts in every day, and the progress we’ve made together.”

He added: “When Yashwanth Kumar and I started MoEngage 11 years ago, we had a simple goal: help brands truly understand and engage their customers. That mission still drives us. What’s changed is the scale - today, more than 1,350 brands across 75 countries use MoEngage to connect with their audiences in meaningful, timely, and personal ways.”

“Many of these brands have moved away from legacy marketing clouds to work with us, and we’re seeing strong adoption of our Merlin AI suite of agents, which are purpose-built for marketers.”

He concluded: “Global expansion hasn’t been easy, being a first-time SaaS founding team. I am proud to share that we have built a diverse global footprint, with a revenue mix across North America, Europe and the Middle East, India, and South East Asia regions, with North America now contributing the largest share. We’ve come a long way, and there’s so much more to build.”