AI powered startup Handshake bags $3.2 million in funding from various retail technology investors
Handshake has announced a $3.2 million funding round led by Triple Point Ventures, with participation from Future Back Ventures by Bain & Company, Octopus Ventures, and other retail technology investors.
Handshake's AI powered platform gives retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers a single system to make, track, and execute commercial agreements, with the aim of replacing fragmented processes with a faster, more accountable, and data driven way to manage deals.
Victor Angline, Director of Merchandising Strategy and Supplier Relations at Gopuff, says: "Our merchandising teams oversee hundreds of supplier partnerships across multiple categories, so it's important we have the right tools to manage all the details. We chose Handshake to empower our merchants with a platform that enables seamless management of contracts, agreements, and joint business plans. They have been amazing partners, and we look forward to continued collaboration."
"Technology has transformed almost every corner of retail over the past decade, but retail buying still runs largely on spreadsheets, disconnected systems, and anecdotal memory," says Alex Lindsay, Co-founder and CEO at Handshake. "That creates enormous operational complexity in an industry where margins are tight and every commercial decision matters. We believe there's a huge opportunity to build the AI native operating system for retail buying, one that gives retailers and suppliers the visibility, structure, and accountability they need to work better together."
The cash will be used to accelerate Handshake's product development, expand its engineering and customer success teams, and support deeper partnerships with retailers and suppliers.
Peter Welch, Co-founder and CTO at Handshake, says: "Retail buying is a brutally tough job, and the sector faces structural headwinds that show no signs of easing. The commercial teams at the heart of it deserve better tools, visibility, and outcomes, which is why we built Handshake. Handshake is a fundamental reimagining of how retailers and suppliers work together, and there's never been a better moment to bring this to the sector. We believe this category is one of the largest untapped opportunities in retail."
"Handshake is transforming how retailers and suppliers work together, and its team combines the technical depth and category expertise this problem demands. This is a category ripe for disruption in the age of AI," says Cameron Ramsay, Director at Future Back Ventures by Bain & Company.
"Its platform offers a genuinely credible path forward on a problem the entire sector has wrestled with for years. And our Bain experience only reinforced our conviction in both the team and opportunity. Its potential to unlock value across retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers is substantial."
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
AI will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
