Keychain announces move into UK market following Stateside success and £7.5 million funding round

Keychain, an AI powered manufacturing platform for the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, has announced its entrance into the United Kingdom, marking the next phase of its European growth.

Currently used by eight of ten of the largest retailers in the US (including 7-Eleven and Whole Foods), the move comes alongside £7.5 million in new funding from investors including London registered W23 Global, a fund backed by five of the world’s leading grocery retailers - Tesco, Ahold Delhaize, Woolworths Group, Empire Company Limited and Shoprite Group.

W23 Global’s investment follows Keychain’s August 2025 Series B funding round (led by Wellington Management and BoxGroup).

Keychain’s expansion into the UK - led by GM Europe Alan Metcalfe, formerly of Red Bull and FULFIL - aims to help brands and manufacturers bring products to market faster, smarter, and more sustainably, supporting innovation across this market.

The company’s UK platform features more than 2,000 local manufacturers and has analysed and indexed over 500,000 British products, and has a running list of 1,000+ brands and retailers waiting to use the product before its official debut.

Keychain Founder and CEO Oisin Hanrahan, says: “Following our success in the USA, where brands and retailers post over $1 billion in projects per month, expanding into the UK felt like a natural next step. The UK is home to some of the most innovative CPG brands in the world, and we’re excited to help them scale efficiently, sustainably, and globally.”

W23 Global CEO and CIO Ingrid Maes says: “Keychain’s AI powered platform streamlines private label sourcing, and enables retailers to bring quality private label products to customers faster and more efficiently."

"As consumer expectations around health, sustainability, and value continue to rise, Keychain's solution helps retailers respond to these expectations effectively while ensuring compliance and product quality.”

Since launching in 2024, Keychain has raised $78 million in venture capital.

RTIH AI in Retail Awards

RTIH proudly presents the first edition of its AI in Retail Awards, sponsored by 3D Cloud and EdTech Innovation Hub.

This is now open for entries. Deadline for submissions is Friday, 5th December. It’s free to enter and you can do so across multiple categories.

Check out categories and entry forms here.

As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers' businesses.

With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.

Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work - resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.

Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Thursday, 29th January. This will kick off with a drinks reception in the stunning Conservatory, followed by a three course meal, and awards ceremony in the Garden Room.