August Capital is an early stage venture capital fund focused on investing in companies differentiated by technical innovation and entrepreneurial excellence. Today, August Capital's six active investment professionals -- David Hornik, Eric Carlborg, Howard Hartenbaum, Tripp Jones, Villi Iltchev, and Lisa Marrone -- have more than a century of combined venture and operational experience. Together they manage $2.5 billion and have invested in hundreds of companies across the technology spectrum. From its inception, August Capital has funded an extraordinary group of entrepreneurs who have built significant, long-term value across the full range of information technologies. The companies that August Capital's partners have backed represent an aggregate market capitalization of well over $250 billion, generate in excess of $75 billion in annual revenue and employ a quarter of a million people around the world. This success is a testament to the entrepreneurs themselves, as well as the fundamental technologies they have created. They are proud to have supported these entrepreneurs and their companies as they have grown and prospered.

August Capital

Activant is a global investment firm that partners with high-growth companies that are transforming commerce. The firm was founded in 2015 by Steve Sarracino and has offices in Greenwich, Connecticut and Berlin, Germany.

Activant Capital

Qualcomm Ventures is the investment arm of Qualcomm Incorporated. Founded in 2000, Qualcomm Ventures is a corporate venture capital fund with over 150 active portfolio companies and more than 20 exits over a billion dollars, including 99 Taxis, Cruise Automation, Fitbit, Invensense, NQ Mobile, Waze, and more. As a global investor, Qualcomm Ventures helps connect entrepreneurs to the resources, relationships, and deep industry expertise they need to succeed in the mobile technology ecosystem.

Qualcomm Ventures

StarVest Partners is a New York City-based growth equity firm with nearly two decades of experience investing in outstanding technology-enabled, business-to-business services companies, with a sector focus on Software-as-a-Service, Data & Analytics, E-Commerce Infrastructure, and Digital Marketing Services. While the firm has its roots investing at the expansion-stage, today its portfolio is primarily growth equity/late stage.

StarVest Partners

NGP Capital is a global thesis-driven, early-stage VC with a vision to unleash the magic of technology.  With an AUM of 1.6B, NGP invests in B2B companies from Series A onwards in Europe and the US in enterprise software, industrial tech, cybersecurity, and infrastructure. For nearly two decades, NGP Capital has invested in more than 100 companies of which 18 are unicorns and 11 went on to IPO.

NGP Capital

American Express Ventures is American Express's strategic investment group. They invest in innovative startups in order to enhance American Express’s core capabilities and accelerate the company’s efforts in consumer commerce and B2B services.

American Express Ventures

Pereg Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in early stage U.S. and Israeli startups, focused on B2B data solutions that accelerate consumer-driven enterprises. Our deep domain expertise and global network of trusted relationships (Nielsen [NYSE: NLSN] and Tata Group among others) opens doors and new possibilities for the startups we work with.

Pereg Ventures

Siguler Guff & Company is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm which, together with its affiliates, has over $10.0 billion of assets under management. Founded in 1991 within PaineWebber, Siguler Guff became an independent firm in 1995. Its clients include corporate and public employee benefit plans, endowments, foundations, government agencies, financial institutions, family offices and high net worth individuals.  Siguler Guff manages and co-manages several direct investment private equity funds and multi-manager funds, each targeted at carefully defined areas of market inefficiency. The Firm also provides discretionary private equity advisory services through Siguler Guff Advisers, a federally registered investment advisor.

Siguler Guff & Company

At Commerce Ventures, they are building a new and different type of venture capital firm. Their investors are a unique and strategic blend of leading entrepreneurs, senior executives, and corporates from their focus sectors (mobile, retail/e-commerce, payments, fin-tech, insurance). In addition to providing capital, they are committed to helping their portfolio companies succeed in scaling their commerce-related innovations.

Commerce Ventures

JCI Ventures (formerly Tyco Ventures) is the corporate venture arm of Johnson Controls International PLC, the resulting entity of the merger between Legacy Johnson Controls and Tyco International. JCI is the $30B global leader in building, physical security, and energy solutions. We provide access to a global network of resources and customer installed base and partner with and invests in startups in AI and Machine Learning, Blockchain, Unmanned Machines, IoT, Security, and Smart Buildings technologies and solutions relevant to our core markets. JCI Ventures is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

JCI Ventures

Tyco Retail Solutions is the leading global provider of retail performance and security solutions, deployed at over 80 percent of the world’s top 200 retailers ranging from single-store boutiques to global retail enterprises. We are committed to providing you with actionable intelligence that affects mission critical areas of your retail enterprise. Operating in more than 70 countries worldwide, we provide real-time visibility to inventory and assets to improve retail operations and optimize profitability. Our solutions portfolio is backed by deep industry expertise, market leadership, global resources and a worldwide network of value-added partners.   Our legacy began over four decades ago with the need for one single Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) system addressing many of the loss prevention (LP) challenges affecting a variety of retail markets. The business-impacting challenge of providing a safe shopping environment while reducing theft required the skill of an innovative leader. With the development of our genuine Sensormatic acousto-magnetic (AM) anti-theft technology, retailers worldwide embraced its benefits in helping to deter and detect theft, allowing customers to browse openly displayed merchandise, and protecting the store’s bottom line. In fact, today over 80 percent of the world's top 200 retailers that use EAS rely on Sensormatic brand solutions offered direct and through Tyco authorized business partners.

Tyco Retail Solutions

RetailNext

RetailNext engages in Applied Big Data for physical retail, delivering real-time analytics that enables retailers, shopping centers, and manufacturers to collect, analyze, and visualize in-store data. The patented solution uses best-in-class video analytics, Wi-Fi detection, Bluetooth, on-shelf sensors, beacons, and data from point-of-sale systems and other sources to automatically inform retailers about how people engage with their stores. The highly scalable RetailNext platform easily integrates with promotional calendars, staffing systems, and even weather services to analyze how internal and external factors impact customer shopping patterns – providing retailers the ability to identify opportunities for growth, execute changes, and measure success. RetailNext tracks more than one billion shoppers per year by collecting data from more than 65,000 sensors in retail stores and analyzing trillions of data points annually. Headquartered in San Jose, California, RetailNext is a growing global brand operating in over 50 countries.

RetailNext provides in-store analytics for retailers using a variety of sensor sources, combined with data from video cameras, PoS systems, staff systems, weather, Bluetooth devices, promotional calendars, etc. to provide insights on ways to improve shopper experience in real-time.&nbsp;

Speeding up sales, cutting costs, and preparing for the future of retail—whether brick-and-mortar or online.

Retail Industry Robots

[Trends ] People Counting System Market Growth Drivers | ShopperTrak, RetailNext, FLIR Systems

RetailNext provides in-store analytics for retailers using a variety of sensor sources, combined with data from video cameras, PoS systems, staff systems, weather, Bluetooth devices, promotional calendars, etc. to provide insights on ways to improve shopper experience in real-time.&nbsp;The company also offers an “Optimization Dashboard” that allows retailers to optimize staff against footfall by analyzing and predicting customer traffic. The company’s tools include 1) Aurora, a patented all-in-one sensor which, reportedly, is the first to integrate HD video, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth into a single sensor, and 2) Traffic 2.0, a store foot traffic monitoring software that utilizes information gathered using Aurora to generate real-time customer foot traffic insights, reports, and dashboards. RetailNext’s API can be integrated with other end-user applications such as virtual queuing apps, digital signage, and task management tools..&nbsp;In November 2022, RetailNext acquired UK-based people-counting and footfall solutions company <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14663?industryIds=17">Ipsos</a> to expand presence in the UK and European markets.Key customers and partnershipsAs of January 2024, RetailNext’s services were in use by 450 brands in over 90 countries. RetailNext’s customer partnerships include companies such as UAE-based Sharaf DG (June 2023), UK-based UNTUCKit (July 2023), and US-based Daniel’s Jewelers (January 2024).In April 2021, RetailNext partnered with Raydiant (an experience management platform) to automate occupancy tracking for retailers. In May 2023, RetailNext partnered with pass_by, an AI-powered geospatial insights platform to integrate Aurora sensors with ass_by’s advanced predictive software.&nbsp;

RADAR provides an integrated hardware and software solution powered by RFID with computer vision technology for automated inventory monitoring and autonomous checkout for retailers. The company’s technology was developed in-house, using proprietary signal processing technology and location algorithms.RADAR’s inventory monitoring solution provides real-time inventory insights and can reportedly track inventory location with slight movements. It enables retailers to track customer interactions with inventory, down to item levels.&nbsp;RADAR’s software also uses computer vision and RFID to monitor customer-product interactions within the stores and maintains a virtual cart of items picked up by customers, facilitating automated checkouts.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Key customers and partnershipsAs of August 2023, the company had implemented its platform across over 1,000 stores.

RADAR

Based in France, Exotec develops an automated order picking system named “Skypod” for retailers, which is capable of prioritizing orders for optimum responsiveness by automating the movement of goods from bin storage to workstation.The company’s Deepsky software uses mathematical models to control its fleet of bin-carrying robots to ensure continuous activity. Deepsky software can be integrated with Exotec’s software and third-party automation equipment. It can also collect data for improved performance visibility. The Skypod system can be integrated with the rest of the warehouse logistics chain or used as a standalone fulfillment system.Key customers and partnershipsExotec’s retail customer partnerships include retailers such as Carrefour, Ariat, Supplyweb, Cdiscount, and Monoprix. As of April 2023, Exotec had deployed 5,000 Skypod robots.Exotec partnered with Advanced Handling Systems (AHS), a system integrator and provider of material handling and storage systems, to deploy Exotec’s solution in North America. AHS has deployed Exotec’s solutions for Ariat International, Comoto Holdings, and Gymshark.

Exotec 

Chile-based Zippedi provides autonomous mobile robots for inventory fulfillment and store management via its robot Bruno. The robot is 70 centimeters tall, weighs 30 kilos, and uses&nbsp; AI to detect insufficient inventory, incorrect price labels, and misplaced items. Bruno is equipped with high-resolution cameras and various sensors for generating real-time information.&nbsp;In July 2020, the company introduced more features to help retailers better manage their inventory by adding a mapping feature for third-party platforms enabling them to identify the specific aisle to pick up items using their app. Zippedi also allows integration with third-party platforms. In January 2023, Zippedi launched Bruno App to enable retail employees to manage Bruno using their mobile devices.Key customers and partnershipsAs of January 2023, Zippedi’s Robots were available in 200 stores across North and South America, with plans to expand deployment to Australia and Germany. Bruno was initially deployed in five supermarkets in Chile in October 2019, including Cencosud,&nbsp; Tottus, Home Center, and Walmart.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/29105">April 2024</a>, Zippedi teamed up with supermarket chain SMU to deploy autonomous mobile robots (AMR) at Unimarc supermarkets. Zippedi planned to roll out the technology in six Unimarc stores across Chile.

Zippedi

BrainCorp is a software development company that specializes in AI systems for the autonomous robotic industry. The company develops specialized operating systems for autonomous robots, integrated with advanced machine learning and computer vision systems. The company’s pre-product work was doing R&amp;D for Qualcomm Inc. and the US Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA).&nbsp;&nbsp;Brain Corp’s key product offerings solutions include autonomous inventory management, which utilizes computer vision and RFID technology to monitor shelf inventory and generate inventory insights; “BrainOS Inventory Insights,” the company’s proprietary in-store inventory analytics solution; and inventory scanning robots to generate actionable inventory insights such as shelf-restock alerting, price tag compliance alerting, planogram compliance, and task management automation. The comapny’s solution utilizes Google Cloud's Vertex AI Vision models. In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26301">January 2024</a>, Brain Corp announced the launch of its “BrainOS InventoryAI Suite,” a suite of AI-powered inventory analytics solutions that enables retailers to integrate inventory intelligence into their operations.Brain Corp’s Floor Care solutions utilize advanced cameras and LiDAR sensors to manage fleets of floor cleaning autonomous mobile robots. Brain Corp’s technology also powers Inventory Scan, a floor-scrubber robot integrated with shelf analytics technology developed in partnership with Tennant. In January 2022, the company introduced BrainOS Mobile, which directly connects operators and managers with their BrainOS-powered robotic fleets. In September 2023, it launched <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21622">Site Maps,</a> a feature that provides visual representations of a facility's environment and insights into site operations.Key customers and partnershipsAs of March 2024, BrainCorp had over 32,000 robots subscribed to the company’s BrainOS platform across autonomous floor scrubbing, autonomous vacuuming, and autonomous inventory scanning segments. In October 2022, Sam’s Club deployed floor-scrubber robots integrated with Brain Corp’s inventory scanner technology across 600 stores.&nbsp;BrainCorp’s operating systems power 1) Whiz, an autonomous vacuum cleaner sold by Softbank robotics and ICE Robotics, 2) Inventory Scan, and 3) <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26301">Dane AIR</a>; an autonomous inventory scanning robot developed by Dane Technologies.&nbsp;It also announced the adoption of <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/10838?industryIds=17">Google Cloud</a> in May 2022 as the core technical infrastructure to manage its autonomous mobile robot (AMR) fleets to offer data integration and reporting capabilities to users.

Brain Corp

Cosmose offers a customer analytics platform that helps in analyzing and predicting customer off-line shopping behavior. The company keeps track of the offline shopping behavior of over 1 billion people, using artificial neural networks to predict who is likely to visit a store. The platform provides insights on customers that did not make a purchase, window shoppers, and the customers that went into the fitting room (in fashion retail) but did not buy anything. Users can also connect with competitors’ customers as well to analyze their behavior. In order to protect the privacy of consumers, the company uses alphanumeric IDs named OMNIcookies which do not collect personal information. The company has offices in Europe and Asia.Key customers and partnershipsThe majority of the company’s customers are from China and Japan which includes Walmart, Marriott, Samsung, LVMH, and Shu Uemura. As of April 2023, Cosmose’s technology was used in over 20 million venues in Asia.In April 2023, Cosmose announced plans to apply Web3 principles to advance the company’s retail ecosystem as part of a strategic partnership with NEAR Foundation, a Web3 technology company.

Cosmose

Companies developing robots that offer directions, assist with queries, and provide in-store entertainment to customers while providing insights on customer behavior. 

Companies that develop autonomous cleaning and sanitation robots for use in retail floors. 

Companies developing stock counting, price tagging, and consumer data aggregation robots mainly targeted for use in supermarkets and department stores.  

Companies developing robotic technology for automated online order preparation solutions and micro-warehousing centers designed to assist SME retailers with order fulfillment.

Companies in "customer analytics" and "inventory management" often makes use of technologies such as IoT

Compared with 4G, 5G is better suited for heavy density of professional service robots

Almost all companies operating in micro fulfillment and floor cleaning segments use robotics

Companies in “customer analytics” and “inventory management” often use technologies such as AI and ML

RetailNext

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