Startup Stories: Just Around The Corner Co-founder Miguel Murta Cardoso talks autonomous convenience stores

Portugal-based Just Around The Corner is a startup co-founded by former Sensei executive Miguel Murta Cardoso that delivers autonomous convenience stores to corporate and residential environments.

RTIH: Walk us through the recent launch of Just Around The Corner

MMC: Just Around The Corner is a network of autonomous convenience stores in corporate offices and residential buildings in Portugal (for now). My background includes strategic consulting, retail supply chain management, and retail technology, where I developed a keen eye for making operations smarter and the customer experience more relevant.

My co-founder, José Pedro Granate, brings a highly complementary profile: he holds an MBA from INSEAD and has worked in both strategic consulting and at Amazon, where he led strategic and operational projects.

Together, we founded Corner, a new retail format that transforms underused indoor spaces into modern, self-service stores with a curated product range, daily maintenance, and a seamless user experience. We believe proximity retail can be both tech enabled and deeply human.

RTIH: Where did the idea come from?

MMC: The idea for Corner started long time ago, when I lived in Brazil where autonomous micromarkets were already a mature and widely adopted concept.

These stores combine automation with curated product selections, and they’re seamlessly integrated into both office and residential environments. Seeing how far ahead this model was compared to Europe, and how naturally it fit into people’s daily routines, was a big inspiration.

Upon my return to Portugal, I noticed a clear gap: most buildings still relied on outdated vending machines with poor variety, low nutritional value, and a disconnected user experience. At the same time, we are all becoming more conscious of how we spend our time. Whether at home or at work, the idea of going out just to grab a snack or basic grocery item feels increasingly inefficient.

Corner was created to fill that gap. We want to bring the convenience of modern retail directly into the spaces where people already live and work, offering a better, smarter, and more human alternative to vending machines.

RTIH: How has the startup journey been thus far?

MMC: The response has been extremely positive. Since we openly communicated the project launch, we’ve seen a surge in demand, especially from companies eager to enhance their workplace experience without investing in traditional foodservice infrastructure.

Our format is quick to install, easy to maintain, and delivers immediate value. In residential buildings, Corner is seen as a practical and differentiating amenity. We’ve also been approached by players from the retail, vending, and facility management sectors, exploring either partnerships or operational synergies.

We expect a significant increase in the number of stores over the coming months, and we’re scaling up our team and operations to match that momentum and our plans.

RTIH: What has been your biggest challenge to date?

MMC: Operational consistency has been our biggest challenge. Each location requires a tailored approach, as consumption patterns vary significantly between offices and residential buildings.

To tackle that and improve efficiency, we’ve developed forecasting tools and more standardised routines. We’re constantly refining our model so it’s robust enough to scale, but flexible enough to feel local and relevant.

RTIH: Is your model more of a retail business or a tech enabled service?

MMC: It’s both, however we do not rely on highly expensive technology. We operate physical retail spaces with the support of traditional (but affordable) technology which we are evolving to match our business needs.

As time goes by, we expect artificial intelligence for such a business to become more affordable, and then for Corner to become an even more tech powered proximity retail operator.

RTIH: What are the biggest challenges facing physical retailers right now?

MMC: Remaining relevant. Today’s consumers expect maximum convenience, competitive pricing, and product variety. All at once. Delivering on these three fronts is extremely challenging, especially with rising operational costs and unpredictable traffic flows.

In office and residential retail, that challenge is even sharper: people want instant access to fresh, healthy products without queues, opening hours, or logistical friction. Many traditional formats struggle to meet these expectations.

At Corner, we’re tackling this by combining automation, human led operations, and location specific assortments, offering a flexible, leaner retail model that’s better adapted to today’s habits.

RTIH: What can we expect to see from Just Around The Corner over the coming months?

MMC: Despite the interest displayed from companies in other locations in Portugal (Porto, Algarve) and abroad (Switzerland, Cape Verde), our short-term strategy is to focus exclusively on Lisbon.

We want to validate and adjust the business model before scaling, test it across different building types, and ensure we’re delivering the right product mix for each setting. This will allow us to refine our technology, improve operational efficiency, and build a playbook for future growth.

In the coming months, we’ll expand our presence in Lisbon and prepare to scale the business, while keeping our core promise: proximity retail that’s convenient, curated, and human.