December 8, 2025

10 Fastest Growing Retail Tech Companies and Startups

Discover the 10 fastest-growing retail tech companies transforming shopping through AI-powered checkout, live commerce, customer data platforms, and logistics innovation, with funding ranging from $30M to $225M.
  • Button with overlapping square icons and text 'Copy link'.
Table of Contents

Major Takeaways

Which retail tech companies achieved the highest valuations in 2024-2025?
Whatnot leads with an $11.5 billion valuation after raising $225 million in Series F funding, more than doubling since early 2025. ShopMy and Hightouch also achieved unicorn status at $1.5 billion and $1.2 billion respectively, while Standard AI reached $1 billion.
What role does AI play in retail technology innovation?
All ten companies leverage AI and machine learning to solve critical retail challenges, from autonomous checkout systems and personalized loyalty programs to inventory optimization and last-mile delivery routing. AI enables these startups to deliver personalization at scale while improving operational efficiency and profitability.
How are live and social commerce reshaping retail?
Whatnot's $6 billion in gross merchandise value and ShopMy's $1 billion in annual sales demonstrate that curator-driven, authentic commerce is becoming mainstream. These platforms prove that interactive, trust-based shopping experiences can generate massive scale while offering alternatives to traditional advertising and algorithmic recommendations.

The retail technology sector is experiencing unprecedented growth, with companies raising billions in funding to transform how consumers shop and how businesses operate. From AI-powered checkout systems to conversational commerce platforms, these innovations are reshaping retail's future. For B2B companies selling into the retail tech space, understanding these trends and identifying the right prospects is critical. Platforms like Landbase enable go-to-market teams to find and qualify their ideal retail tech customers using natural-language targeting and AI qualification, making it easier to connect with these high-growth companies.

Key Takeaways

  • Record funding in retail tech – The sector saw massive investment rounds in 2024-2025, with Whatnot securing $225M Series F funding, demonstrating strong investor confidence in retail innovation.
  • AI dominates retail innovation – All 10 companies leverage AI/ML in some capacity, focusing on customer data and personalization solutions that require sophisticated audience intelligence.
  • Unicorn status achieved by multiple players – Five companies have reached unicorn status or beyond, including Whatnot ($11.5B), Hightouch ($1.2B), and ShopMy ($1.5B), validating the market opportunity.
  • First-party data is the new competitive moat – Companies like Hightouch are solving the critical challenge of first-party data collection and activation in a privacy-first world.
  • Live and social commerce is going mainstream – Whatnot's $6 billion GMV and ShopMy's $1B+ annual sales prove that authentic, curator-driven commerce is gaining traction.
  • AI-powered GTM is essential for B2B success – For companies targeting these retail tech innovators, platforms with natural-language targeting are critical for precise audience discovery.

1. Whatnot — Live Shopping Platform Leader

What They Do:

Whatnot operates a live shopping platform that enables real-time commerce through video streaming, combining social interaction with instant purchasing. The platform creates an interactive marketplace for collectibles, fashion, and consumer goods, allowing sellers to showcase products in real-time while buyers can purchase instantly.

Why They're Growing Fast:

  • Closed a $225 million Series F
  • Valuation more than doubled to $11.5B since start of 2025
  • $6 billion+ worth of items have been sold on its platform

Industry Importance:

Whatnot validates the "retailtainment" model in Western markets, proving that live shopping—dominant in Asia—can succeed globally. Their platform bridges the gap between social media engagement and e-commerce conversion, creating a more authentic and interactive shopping experience that drives higher retention and GMV than traditional e-commerce platforms.

Leadership:

  • CEO: Grant LaFontaine  – Pioneering live commerce in Western markets
  • Key Background: Serial entrepreneur with deep expertise in marketplace dynamics and consumer behavior

Valuation: $11.5B | Founded: 2019 

Recent Funding: $225M Series F (October 2025)

2. Standard AI — Autonomous Checkout Pioneer

What They Do:

Standard AI provides autonomous checkout technology that can be installed into retailers' existing stores, enabling customers to shop and pay without traditional checkout lines. Their computer vision and AI system automatically detects products as customers shop, eliminating the need for scanning or cashier assistance.

Why They're Growing Fast:

  • Achieved $1 billion valuation with proven technology deployments
  • Retrofit capability allows implementation in existing stores without complete rebuilds
  • Backed by tier-1 investors including Y Combinator, SoftBank Vision Fund, and CRV

Industry Importance:

Standard AI is democratizing Amazon Go-style checkout for mainstream retailers. By making autonomous retail accessible without massive infrastructure overhaul, they're enabling mid-market retailers to compete with tech giants on customer experience while reducing labor costs and improving throughput—a critical capability as labor shortages persist in retail.

Leadership:

  • CEO: Angie Westbrock – Leading autonomous retail transformation
  • Key Background: Technology executive with expertise in computer vision and retail operations

Valuation: $1B | Founded: 2017

Recent Funding: $150M Series C (February 2021)

3. Talon.One — Enterprise Loyalty & Promotions Platform

What They Do:

Talon.One offers an enterprise platform enabling personalized, scalable promotions and loyalty programs that drive customer engagement while protecting margins through AI-driven optimization. Their solution helps retailers create sophisticated campaigns that balance customer acquisition with profitability.

Why They're Growing Fast:

  • $138 million total funding in 3 rounds
  • Serves 270+ global brands including H&M, Adidas, Sephora, and Nordstrom
  • Global expansion across US, UK, Europe, and APAC markets

Industry Importance:

Talon.One solves the critical retail challenge of rising customer acquisition costs versus lifetime value. By enabling sophisticated, AI-driven loyalty and promotion programs, they help retailers compete with Amazon's personalization capabilities while maintaining profitability—essential as acquisition costs continue to climb in competitive retail markets.

Leadership:

  • CEO: Christoph Gerber – Building enterprise loyalty infrastructure
  • Key Background: Entrepreneur with deep expertise in marketing technology and enterprise SaaS

Recent Funding: $135M Series B (July 2025)

4. Hightouch — Composable CDP & AI Decisioning Platform

What They Do:

Hightouch provides an AI-powered customer data platform and decisioning infrastructure enabling retail marketers to deliver 1:1 personalized experiences at scale through automated, real-time customer data activation. Their composable architecture allows flexible data activation across marketing channels.

Why They're Growing Fast:

  • Achieved $1.2 billion valuation with $80 million Series C funding
  • AI Decisioning automates personalization decisions in real-time
  • Backed by Sapphire Ventures, NVC, Amplify Ventures, and ICONIQ Growth

Industry Importance:

Hightouch addresses retail's shift from mass marketing to micro-personalization. As retailers drown in customer data but struggle to activate it in real-time, Hightouch's infrastructure enables the "mass to micro" transformation that's critical for 2025 retail success, helping brands deliver relevant experiences that drive conversion and loyalty.

Leadership:

  • CEO: Kashish Gupta (Co-founder) – Revolutionizing customer data activation
  • Key Background: Former Segment engineer with deep expertise in data infrastructure and marketing technology

Valuation: $1.2B | Founded: 2019

Recent Funding: $80M Series C (February 2025)

5. Boulevard — Client Experience Platform for Service Retail

What They Do:

Boulevard offers an AI-driven platform for salons, spas, and medspas that streamlines scheduling, messaging, marketing, and payments. Their Precision Scheduling feature leverages AI to optimize appointment booking based on availability and client patterns, maximizing revenue per time slot.

Why They're Growing Fast:

  • $80M Series D funding indicates proven business model and scalability
  • Serves more than 5,000 businesses
  • AI-powered Precision Scheduling optimizes booking patterns and revenue

Industry Importance:

Boulevard addresses the appointment-based retail sector (salons, spas, medspas) which has historically been underserved by technology. By bringing enterprise-grade AI and automation to small service businesses, they're enabling local retailers to deliver Amazon-level customer experience and operational efficiency, transforming how service retail operates.

Leadership:

  • CEO: Matt Danna – Modernizing service retail technology
  • Key Background: Technology entrepreneur focused on empowering local service businesses with enterprise tools

Recent Funding: $80M Series D (July 2025)

6. ShopMy — Curated Commerce Infrastructure

What They Do:

ShopMy operates a curated commerce platform connecting premium brands with trusted curators (influencers/tastemakers) and consumers. The platform functions as an integrated marketing system emphasizing authenticity over algorithmic recommendations, creating a more trustworthy shopping experience.

Why They're Growing Fast:

  • Rare profitable unicorn with $1.5B valuation and profitability since 2024
  • $1B+ annual sales demonstrates massive scale
  • 185,000+ creator network provides authentic discovery vs. paid ads

Industry Importance:

ShopMy represents the evolution beyond traditional influencer marketing to authentic, curated commerce. As consumers increasingly distrust ads and algorithms, curator-driven discovery offers brands a path to customer acquisition that feels organic while remaining measurable—solving the trust crisis in digital retail and providing sustainable alternatives to performance marketing.

Leadership:

  • CEO: Harry Rein – Scaling authentic commerce infrastructure
  • Key Background: Commerce entrepreneur building the next generation of influencer-driven retail

Valuation: $1.5B | Founded: 2020

Recent Funding: $70M (October 2025)

7. Ripplr — Full-Stack Distribution Platform

What They Do:

Ripplr provides an integrated full-stack distribution platform combining logistics, field operations, inventory intelligence, retailer relationship management, and order processing for consumer brands. Their solution consolidates the entire distribution value chain into a single platform.

Why They're Growing Fast:

  • $45M Series C demonstrates proven scalability in emerging markets
  • Full-stack approach eliminates need for multiple vendor solutions
  • Addresses critical Indian retail distribution challenges with comprehensive solution

Industry Importance:

Ripplr tackles the fragmented distribution challenge in emerging markets where consumer brands struggle with last-mile delivery, inventory visibility, and retailer relationships. Their platform consolidates the entire distribution value chain, critical for brands scaling in markets with complex, multi-tier distribution networks where traditional logistics solutions fall short.

Leadership:

  • CEO: Abhishek Nehru – Building distribution infrastructure for emerging markets 
  • Key Background: Co‑founder of Ripplr, experienced in supply chain and retail distribution technology

Valuation: ~$225M (₹1,900 crore) | Founded: 2019 

Recent Funding: $45M Series C (November 2025)

8. Swap — E-commerce Operations Platform

What They Do:

Swap offers an e-commerce operations platform consolidating inventory, logistics, returns, and cross-border management under a single platform. Their newly launched Swap Inventory provides AI-powered demand forecasting and smart restocking recommendations to optimize inventory levels.

Why They're Growing Fast:

  • $40M Series B validates strong product-market fit
  • AI-powered inventory intelligence for demand forecasting addresses critical pain point
  • Rapid geographic expansion across US, EU, Australia, and Canada markets

Industry Importance:

Swap addresses the operational complexity choking DTC brands as they scale. Most e-commerce companies juggle 10-15 different tools for inventory, shipping, returns, and cross-border. Swap's unified platform with AI inventory optimization enables brands to scale globally without operational chaos—critical as international expansion becomes a growth imperative for retail brands.

Leadership:

  • CEO: Sam Atkinson – Simplifying e-commerce operations
  • Key Background: E-commerce entrepreneur focused on unifying operational infrastructure for DTC brands

Recent Funding: $40M Series B (March 2025)

9. Relay — AI-Driven Logistics Platform

What They Do:

Relay is rebuilding e-commerce logistics with an AI-driven, hyperlocal delivery model that dynamically assigns parcels and optimizes routes, reducing reliance on traditional hub-and-spoke networks. Their platform serves major players including TikTok, Temu, and Vinted.

Why They're Growing Fast:

  • $35M Series A with tier-1 clients demonstrates rapid scaling
  • $48.8M total funding in 4 rounds
  • Blue-chip clients (TikTok, Temu, Vinted) validate scalability and performance

Industry Importance:

Last-mile delivery costs represent 53% of total shipping costs for retailers. Relay's AI-driven hyperlocal model fundamentally restructures logistics economics, making same-day and next-day delivery profitable. This is critical as consumer expectations for speed increase while margins compress, enabling retailers to meet delivery promises without sacrificing profitability.

Leadership:

  • CEO: Jonathan Jenssen – Transforming last-mile logistics with AI
  • Key Background: Logistics entrepreneur leveraging AI to solve delivery economics

Valuation: £31.4M | Founded: 2022

Recent Funding: $35M Series A (February 2025)

10. Phia — AI Shopping Assistant

What They Do:

Phia operates an AI-powered shopping search engine that streamlines online shopping by helping users find products, compare prices, and uncover deals across retailers through intelligent aggregation and recommendations. Available as both an app and browser extension, it addresses online shopping inefficiency.

Why They're Growing Fast:

  • Half a million downloads in under 6 months
  • Fastest funding velocity with $8M to $30M in just 3 months
  • Celebrity founder (Phoebe Gates) and backer network provides built-in distribution

Industry Importance:

Phia tackles the paradox of online shopping: infinite choice but poor discoverability. As retailers spend billions on SEO and ads, Phia positions itself as the AI layer between consumer intent and product discovery—potentially disrupting Google Shopping and Amazon's dominance in product search by providing a more efficient, user-centric shopping experience.

Leadership:

  • Co-founders: Phoebe Gates & Sophia Kianni – Next-generation commerce leaders
  • Key Background: Young entrepreneurs bringing fresh perspective to AI-powered shopping discovery

Valuation: $180M | Founded: 2024

Recent Funding: $30M (December 2025)

How These Retail Tech Innovators Are Reshaping Go-to-Market Strategies

These 10 fastest-growing retail tech companies demonstrate how AI and automation are transforming every aspect of retail—from customer discovery and checkout to logistics and returns. For B2B companies selling solutions to this sector, understanding these trends is just the first step. The real challenge lies in identifying and qualifying the right prospects within these high-growth companies.

This is where AI-powered audience discovery platforms become essential. Retail tech companies like Hightouch and Talon.One are solving complex data and personalization challenges that require sophisticated targeting capabilities. B2B sellers need access to comprehensive signals spanning firmographic, technographic, intent, hiring, and funding data to identify the right decision-makers at the right time.

Landbase's VibeGTM feature enables go-to-market teams to use natural-language targeting to find prospects like "Product leaders at AI/ML startups hiring their first RevOps leader" or "Marketing Directors at healthcare technology firms scaling digital teams." This approach eliminates the complexity of traditional database queries and delivers AI-qualified audiences ready for immediate activation.

Why AI-Powered Audience Discovery Matters for Retail Tech GTM

The retail tech companies featured in this list share common characteristics that make them attractive prospects for B2B solutions:

  • High growth trajectories – Most have raised significant funding in 2024-2025, indicating expansion plans and budget availability
  • AI-first mentalities – These companies embrace AI and automation, making them receptive to innovative B2B solutions
  • Complex buying committees – Retail tech companies often have sophisticated buying processes requiring multi-threaded outreach
  • Specific technical requirements – These companies need solutions that integrate with their existing tech stacks and workflows

For B2B companies targeting this sector, the ability to identify prospects based on specific criteria—such as recent funding rounds, hiring patterns, technology stack changes, or growth signals—is critical. Landbase's company data intelligence provides the growth signals, Trust Score, and total addressable market insights needed to prioritize outreach and maximize conversion rates.

How We Selected These 10 Retail Tech Companies

This list highlights the fastest-growing retail tech companies based on a rigorous evaluation process that considered:

  • Funding amount and recency – All companies raised significant funding in 2024-2025, with amounts ranging from $30M to $225M
  • Valuation and market traction – Five companies achieved unicorn status or beyond, while others demonstrated strong user adoption metrics
  • Innovation impact – Each company solves a critical retail challenge through AI, automation, or novel business models
  • Geographic and solution diversity – The list includes companies from the US, UK, EU, and India, addressing various retail pain points from checkout to logistics to customer data
  • Leadership pedigree – Many companies are led by proven entrepreneurs with successful exits or deep industry experience

Frequently Asked Questions

What defines a 'fastest growing' retail tech company?

A fastest-growing retail tech company is defined by significant funding rounds in 2024-2025 (ranging from $30M to $225M) and strong market traction metrics like $6 billion GMV or 750,000 downloads in eight months. These companies demonstrate innovation that solves critical retail challenges through AI and automation, attracting tier-1 investors like Sequoia Capital, ICONIQ Growth, and SoftBank Vision Fund. The combination of substantial funding velocity, proven customer adoption, and transformative technology validates their rapid growth trajectory in the competitive retail technology landscape.

How does artificial intelligence impact the growth of retail technology?

AI is the foundation of retail tech innovation, with 100% of the companies in this list leveraging AI/ML in some capacity. AI enables autonomous checkout systems that reduce labor costs, personalization engines that drive customer engagement, and logistics optimization that cuts travel distances by 95%. Workflow automation powered by AI reduces manual work by up to 40%, while AI decisioning platforms enable real-time personalization at scale. This widespread AI adoption allows retail tech companies to solve previously intractable problems around customer experience, operational efficiency, and profitability—driving both investor confidence and customer adoption.

What role does funding play in the expansion of retail tech startups?

Funding validates market demand and enables rapid scaling in competitive retail markets. The massive rounds secured by these companies—such as Whatnot's $225M Series F and Hightouch's $80M Series C—demonstrate strong investor confidence in their business models and market opportunities. This capital provides the resources needed for product development, geographic expansion, customer acquisition, and talent recruitment. For retail tech startups facing entrenched competitors, substantial funding enables them to achieve critical mass quickly, build defensible moats through technology investments, and capture market share before competitors can respond.

Which sectors within retail technology are attracting the most investment?

Customer data and personalization solutions are attracting the most investment. This includes CDP platforms like Hightouch, loyalty solutions like Talon.One, and curated commerce platforms like ShopMy that address first-party data collection and activation challenges. AI-driven automation for retail operations and logistics is the second most funded category, with a company like Swap addressing critical efficiency challenges. The investment concentration reflects retail's urgent need to compete on personalization while improving operational efficiency as margins compress and customer acquisition costs rise.

How can B2B companies effectively target these high-growth retail tech companies?

B2B companies can effectively target these retail tech innovators by leveraging AI-powered audience discovery platforms that provide access to comprehensive signals including funding rounds, hiring patterns, technology stack changes, and growth indicators. Natural-language targeting through platforms like Landbase enables precise audience building without complex database queries, while AI qualification ensures prospects are ready for engagement based on real-time signals. Understanding each company's specific challenges—whether data activation, logistics optimization, or customer engagement—allows B2B sellers to tailor their outreach and demonstrate clear value aligned with the prospect's growth priorities and technology roadmap.

  • Button with overlapping square icons and text 'Copy link'.

Stop managing tools. 
Start driving results.

See Agentic GTM in action.
Get started
Our blog

Lastest blog posts

Tool and strategies modern teams need to help their companies grow.

Discover the 10 fastest-growing retail tech companies transforming shopping through AI-powered checkout, live commerce, customer data platforms, and logistics innovation, with funding ranging from $30M to $225M.

Daniel Saks
Chief Executive Officer

Discover the top 10 fastest-growing food tech companies of 2025 that are revolutionizing the industry through AI-driven supply chains, functional health beverages, and sustainable alternative proteins.

Daniel Saks
Chief Executive Officer

Discover the 10 fastest-growing AgTech companies revolutionizing agriculture through AI, robotics, biotechnology, and data analytics, backed by $5.7 billion in 2024 venture capital investment.

Daniel Saks
Chief Executive Officer

Stop managing tools.
Start driving results.

See Agentic GTM in action.