Retail isn’t choosing between online or offline anymore — it’s blending both.
From AI-driven inventory systems and cashierless checkouts to experiential stores that know your preferences before you walk in, the line between physical and digital retail is dissolving fast.
The startups below are shaping this hybrid era — connecting physical stores, digital channels, and payment ecosystems into one intelligent flow. They’re backed by smart capital, visionary founders, and bold ideas redefining how retail feels, not just how it sells.
1. Bolt (USA) — Seamless Checkout, Anywhere
What they do: Bolt built one-click checkout for retailers — a frictionless experience uniting in-store and online identity.
Founders: Ryan Breslow, Eric Feldman.
Funding / Investors: Raised over $1 billion from WestCap, General Atlantic, and BlackRock.
Why they stand out: They enable smaller merchants to match Amazon’s checkout speed without building from scratch.
Next moves: Expanding partnerships with POS systems and brick-and-mortar retailers to unify customer identity offline.
2. Fabric (USA) — Micro-Fulfillment at Scale
What they do: Automates last-mile fulfillment through modular robotic warehouses built close to urban centers.
Founders: Elram Goren, Shay Cohen, Ori Avraham.
Funding / Investors: Raised $336 million from Temasek, Koch Disruptive Technologies, and Playground Global.
Why they stand out: Enables retailers to compete with e-commerce giants on delivery times — within hours, not days.
Next moves: Scaling operations in Europe and Asia, deeper integrations with retail ERP and e-commerce systems.
3. Fynd (India) — Omnichannel Enablement for Modern Retail
What they do: Helps brands unify in-store inventory with online storefronts across marketplaces and direct-to-consumer channels.
Founders: Harsh Shah, Farooq Adam, Sreeraman M.
Funding / Investors: Backed by Google and Reliance Industries (acquired majority stake in 2019).
Why they stand out: India’s most successful offline-to-online bridge — 10,000+ stores powered by Fynd’s platform.
Next moves: Expanding SaaS offerings to Southeast Asia and global partnerships with enterprise retailers.
4. NewStore (USA / Germany) — The Mobile Store Platform
What they do: Combines POS, clienteling, order management, and inventory — all through a mobile-first retail OS.
Founder: Stephan Schambach (who also founded Demandware).
Funding / Investors: $250 million+ from General Catalyst and Activant Capital.
Why they stand out: Empowers associates to sell, fulfill, and engage customers anywhere in-store with a phone.
Next moves: Deeper Apple integrations and scaling enterprise retail footprints across Europe and the US.
5. Vue.ai (India / Global) — AI for Retail Experience & Merchandising
What they do: AI-driven retail automation platform — product tagging, visual search, personalization, and inventory insights.
Founders: Ashwini Asokan, Anand Chandrasekaran.
Funding / Investors: $35 million+ from Sequoia Capital and Falcon Edge.
Why they stand out: Brings AI-driven personalization to both e-commerce and in-store touchpoints.
Next moves: Expanding into physical retail analytics through computer vision integrations.
6. Trigo (Israel) — Checkout-Free Stores for Retail Chains
What they do: Builds computer-vision powered checkout-free systems for supermarkets, enabling “walk-in, walk-out” experiences.
Founders: Michael Gabay, Daniel Gabai.
Funding / Investors: $240 million+ from Red Dot Capital, Tesco, and Temasek.
Why they stand out: Works with existing retailers — not against them — to retrofit existing stores with smart tech.
Next moves: Expanding partnerships with Tesco, REWE, and major grocery retailers in Europe.
7. Zippin (USA) — Smart Stores, Smaller Footprint
What they do: AI-powered autonomous store platform for sports venues, airports, and retail locations.
Founders: Krishna Motukuri, Motu Tobias, and Jithendra Vepakomma.
Funding / Investors: Raised over $130 million from Evolution VC Partners and Maven Ventures.
Why they stand out: Builds small-format autonomous stores that scale profitably.
Next moves: Rolling out “Zippin Walk-Up” stores for high-traffic areas worldwide.
8. Hero (UK) — Connecting In-Store Associates with Online Shoppers
What they do: Live shopping platform connecting online customers to in-store staff through chat and video.
Founders: Adam Levene, Alistair Crawford.
Funding / Investors: Acquired by Klarna (2021) after raising $10 million from Octopus Ventures.
Why they stand out: Humanizes online shopping — giving retailers an immediate bridge between stores and screens.
Next moves: Scaling integrations across Klarna’s global retail partners.
9. NearSt (UK) — Turning Local Store Inventory into Online Discoverability
What they do: Makes real-time in-store inventory visible online through search and Google integrations.
Founders: Nick Brackenbury, Max Kellerman, Matt Lloyd.
Funding / Investors: Raised $4 million+ from True Global and Forward Partners.
Why they stand out: Helps brick-and-mortar stores compete with e-commerce through visibility and instant pickup.
Next moves: Expanding integrations with POS vendors and marketplaces globally.
10. Pismo (Brazil / Global) — Payments & Card Infrastructure for Retail
What they do: Cloud-native platform for banks and retailers to launch cards, accounts, and payment solutions.
Founders: Ricardo Josua, Daniela Binatti, Juliana Motta, Vagner Almeida.
Funding / Investors: Acquired by Visa in 2023 for $1 billion.
Why they stand out: Powers the backend of retail payments for both financial institutions and merchant ecosystems.
Next moves: Integrating Visa’s global merchant base into unified cloud-native infrastructure.
How These Startups Are Rewriting Retail
- Experience is the currency. The new battleground isn’t price or product — it’s ease and emotion.
- Data drives personalization. Retailers are unifying customer data across touchpoints to build memory — not just marketing.
- Speed is loyalty. Faster checkouts, quicker deliveries, and real-time availability drive repeat behavior.
- Hybrid is default. The future store is both warehouse and showroom. Every square foot counts.
- Partnership beats competition. Startups like Trigo and Hero aren’t replacing retailers — they’re upgrading them.
Final Thoughts
Offline and online retail are no longer two worlds — they’re one ecosystem. The startups in this list are the engineers of that bridge, creating experiences that merge data, design, and discovery into seamless retail journeys.
For teams scaling retail tech — from POS to personalization — this is the point where your story matters most. You’ve built the product; now it’s time to amplify it.
At McArrows, we help companies position products, design outreach, and craft market narratives that turn innovations into revenue — whether you’re entering a new geography or preparing for your next funding round.
Let’s turn your next product milestone into a market movement.
