🚀 Funding for Expansion
Portuguese startup Sensei has raised $16.2M in a Series A round led by BlueCrow Capital. Other investors include Lince Capital, Explorer Investments, and Kamay Ventures. Existing backers Metro AG and Techstars Ventures also joined. This funding aims to accelerate the startup’s European expansion, focusing on central and northern regions.
🛍️ Contactless Store Technology
Sensei’s system relies on computer vision and AI-powered sensors, making shopping seamless. Customers enter stores, grab items, and their carts are automatically updated. When ready, they see a final list for payment. “It’s about the automation of stores,” said Vasco Portugal, CEO of Sensei.
📈 Growing Market & Competition
The competition in the contactless store space is intense. Amazon Go set the trend, but others like 7-Eleven, Walmart, and startups like Standard Cognition, AiFi, and Grabango have followed. Sensei competes with well-funded rivals like Standard Cognition ($239.4M) and Trigo ($199M).
🌍 Expanding Reach
Sensei plans to reach 1,000 autonomous points of sale by 2026. With current operations in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Brazil, the startup is expanding into central and northern Europe. This follows an initial $6.5M seed round in 2021, led by Seaya Ventures and Iberis Capital.
Can Sensei outpace rivals like Amazon Go in Europe?
