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Contents
8 11 16 24 57
6
WHAT THE STATE OF RETAIL TECH Q1'21 REPORT COVERS
Clients can access the data used in this report in the Collections linked above. 7
Summary Of Findings
Overall retail tech trends
Retail tech investment is shifting toward a post- E-commerce companies continue to win the highest
pandemic world: Investment is flowing to omnichannel valuations: In Q1’21, 14 new retail tech unicorns were
priorities to enhance the store and connect inventories born, largely in the e-commerce sector. Three of the 5
across platforms. Retailers are looking to tech to digitize with the highest valuations – all above $1B – streamline
the store, create more personalized and engaging online online ordering and fulfillment via marketplace platforms
experiences, and speed up fulfillment. Sustainability is or faster delivery.
also top of mind following a year that bolstered the
Online delivery and marketplaces drove top mega-
importance of environmental resilience.
rounds and key M&A: Q1’21 had 73 mega-rounds (deals
Funding to retail tech is off to its fastest run rate in 5 worth $100M+), up from just 33 in Q4’20. Funding to
years: Overall, funding tripled in Q1’21 year-over-year online grocery platforms continued to accelerate; in
(YoY) to $28.9B. Deals were up 7% vs. the same period particular, grocery delivery in Asia garnered acquisition
last year. Funding continued its upward trend from the interest from big tech companies. Amazon third-party
second half of 2020, increasing 60% vs. Q4’20, while brand builders and headless commerce tech companies
deals declined by 2%. were also M&A targets.
Cashierless checkout and workforce management More transferable rewards will help retailers and brands
solutions will be in focus: Retailers will continue to look boost loyalty: Executives’ discussion of customer loyalty
for efficiencies across store operations. In-store tech hit an all-time high in Q1’21. Fostering shopper loyalty will
funding doubled quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) in Q1’21 to remain a top priority as consumers resume some
$2.2B, and nearly quadrupled vs. the same period in “normal” spending habits. Funding to loyalty & rewards
2020. Deals increased 6% vs. last quarter. tech companies increased in Q1’21 by 7% over Q4’20,
though deals declined 33%.
Look for retailers and brands to invest in more
personalized e-commerce experiences: Funding to e- E-commerce growth is prompting more interest in
commerce tech in Q1’21 jumped by 73% from the prior cybersecurity tech: Fraud protection and consumer data
quarter to $11.7B. Deals declined slightly, by 4%. To keep privacy will be increasingly important as a significant
up with online shoppers’ expectations, investment will portion of consumer spending lives online. While funding
flow to tech companies that personalize search results, to retail-focused cybersecurity tech in Q1’21 ($1.8B) was
enable virtual try-ons, and support livestream commerce. down 14% vs. Q4’20, it was still 37% higher than the
same period a year ago. Deals were also down from
Q4’20.
Retailers and brands remain focused on tech that will The dark convenience store model will propel ultra-fast
strengthen and streamline their supply chains: essentials delivery: The 11 deals in Q1’21 for dark c-
Financing is flowing to supply chain visibility tools, as stores – which promise anywhere from 10- to 30-minute
well as tech to make fulfillment faster and more efficient, delivery windows – surpassed total deals to the space in
like on-demand warehousing and micro-fulfillment. all of 2020. Overall, food and beverage delivery tech
Investment in supply chain & logistics tech, which hit financing was up nearly 120% in Q1’21 over Q4’20, hitting
$8.6B in Q1’21, was about flat vs. Q4’20, but nearly $8.6B. Deals rose by 31%. Group grocery buying
doubled on a YoY basis. platforms remain hot in China, where consumers in
second-tier cities are using the models to get lower
Merchants will look for tech to enable even faster
prices on groceries and fresh produce.
delivery: On-demand delivery funding increased 50% in
Q1’21 from the previous quarter, to $6.1B. Deals were up
9%. Platforms that connect brands and retailers to local
delivery carriers will be in focus as consumers continue
to expect fast order fulfillment.
10
Q1’21
Retail Tech
Market
Drivers
11
Q1'21 RETAIL TECH MARKET DRIVERS
Michael Fiddelke
Source: CB Insights 12
Q1'21 RETAIL TECH MARKET DRIVERS
This year onwards, it's going to be We're going to add a lot more We are investing in content, retail
about unlocking the future of personalization and services this research, and innovation specifically
shopping for our customers, meeting year that remove friction through that for e-commerce.
them in their shopping journey in a [e-commerce] channel, making it easy
highly personalized omni-fashion. In to shop, see best sellers, more types Lawrence Kurzius
fact, we want to start serving our of payments and personalization to
customers right when they start really reach [the shopper]. CEO, McCormick & Company
consuming content. Earnings Call (3/30/2021)
Bruce Thorn
Suresh Kumar
CEO, Big Lots
EVP, Global Chief Technology Officer Earnings Call (3/11/2021)
& Chief Development Officer, Walmart
Earnings Call (2/18/2021)
Source: CB Insights 13
Q1'21 RETAIL TECH MARKET DRIVERS
Source: CB Insights 14
Q1'21 RETAIL TECH MARKET DRIVERS
Source: CB Insights 15
Q1’21 Retail
Tech
Investment
Trends
16
RETAIL TECH INVESTMENT TRENDS
$20,000 400
$10,000 200
$12,543 $12,417 $12,110 $14,294 $17,149 $11,379 $11,047 $7,527 $9,317 $8,722 $12,148 $18,072 $28,861
$0 0
Q1'18 Q2'18 Q3'18 Q4'18 Q1'19 Q2'19 Q3'19 Q4'19 Q1'20 Q2'20 Q3'20 Q4'20 Q1'21
Funding ($M) Deal count
Source: CB Insights 17
RETAIL TECH INVESTMENT TRENDS
100% Australia
Africa
17% 18% 15% 16% 21% 17%
South America
18% 20% 21% 23% 20% 20%
23% Europe
75%
25%
41% 40% 39% 40% 40% 37% 37% 37% 37% 35% 39% North America
34% 34%
0%
Q1'18 Q2'18 Q3'18 Q4'18 Q1'19 Q2'19 Q3'19 Q4'19 Q1'20 Q2'20 Q3'20 Q4'20 Q1'21
Source: CB Insights 18
RETAIL TECH INVESTMENT TRENDS
3/16/2021 // $315 $411 XVC Venture Capital, DST Global Weee! is an online grocery platform specializing in Asian and
Hispanic foods. It’s available in 13 states and Washington D.C.
Valuation: $2.8B
3/26/2021 // $300 $468 Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global Getir, based in Turkey, promises 10-minute delivery for
Management convenience-store essentials. It operates a dark-store model.
Valuation: $2.6B
3/16/2021 // $200 $253 Casa Verde Capital, Gron Ventures, Dutchie is an online marketplace for local marijuana
Thrive Capital dispensaries. It is available in 24 cities in the US and Canada.
Valuation: $1.7B
3/18/2021 // $230 $406 Bessemer Venture Partners, Yotpo’s platform lets brands source and promote user reviews
Vintage Investment Partners, and content, like photos and videos. The company also offers
Hanaco Venture Capital tools to build text marketing and loyalty programs.
Valuation: $1.4B
3/30/2021 // $120 $583 Soros Fund Management, JS Tokyo-based Paidy is a buy now, pay later service for e-
Capital Management, Tybourne commerce purchases.
Capital Management
Valuation: $1.3B
Source: CB Insights 19
RETAIL TECH INVESTMENT TRENDS
2/19/2021 // $4,470 KKR, Tencent Holdings, Sequoia Xingsheng Selected, based in Hunan, China, is a group-buying
$3,000 Capital China e-commerce platform for fresh groceries.
1/26/2021// $1,500 VMS Group, IDG Capital, Yunfeng Didi Cargo is the newly launched freight division of Beijing-
$1,500 Capital based mobility tech giant Didi Chuxing. Along with delivering
cargo between cities, it is piloting home delivery of essential
items.
1/26/2021 // $2,475 Hillhouse Capital Management Hong Kong-based Lalamove is an on-demand last-mile delivery
$1,500 service that instantly matches orders with professional drivers
across Asia and in select cities in North America.
3/23/2021 // $2,397 SoftBank Group, Luxor Capital GoPuff promises delivery of 30 minutes or less on a variety of
$1,150 Group, D1 Capital Partners consumables essentials, sourced from micro-fulfillment
centers. It is in more than 500 cities in the US.
3/1/2021 // $1,000 $2,833 Undisclosed investors, Wallenstam Klarna offers point-of-sale, buy now, pay later payment
solutions for e-commerce.
Note: Mega-rounds are deals worth $100M+. “Select investors” includes participants in the specific mega-round listed. 20
RETAIL TECH INVESTMENT TRENDS
Retail tech company Warung Jungle Scout, which buys Headless commerce tech company
Pintar, which focuses on small and grows third-party Arfa acquired business
businesses in Indonesia, Amazon brands, bought intelligence platform Yaguara and
acquired online B2B Amazon advertising tech renamed the combined company
marketplace Bizzy for $45M. specialist Downstream. Chord.
Source: CB Insights 21
RETAIL TECH INVESTMENT TRENDS
• Selz (2/16/2021): Australia-based e-commerce platform provider • Deliveroo (1/17/2021): UK-based food delivery company.
for small businesses. The acquisition could help Amazon reach
small businesses and compete with Shopify. • Rivian (1/19/2021): Electric vehicle company making a fleet of
electric delivery vans for Amazon.
• Perpule (3/30/2021): Helps stores in India get online. The
acquisition funnels into Amazon’s broader efforts to digitize • MyGlamm (3/18/2021): On-demand beauty and spa services
retail in India. platform.
• Cameo (3/30/2021): Celebrity video platform, with investment
from Amazon’s Alexa Fund.
Source: CB Insights 22
RETAIL TECH INVESTMENT TRENDS
• Seeshion Tech (1/25/2021): Video production for platforms like • In January, Alibaba and Unilever announced a “Waste-Free
TikTok and Taobao. World” initiative to cut plastic use and promote recycling. The
companies developed recycling machines that use AI to identify
• Zowee Soft (1/28/2021): Makes custom home improvement different types of plastic, which are then sorted and sent to
products including cabinets, windows, doors, and more. recycling centers. The machines are in 20 locations in Shanghai
• Caihuasuan (2/26/2021): Fresh food supply chain and logistics. and Huangzhou.
• Leyan Tech (3/15/2021): Application of natural language • In March, Japan-based resale marketplace Mercari announced
processing in e-commerce and other industries. that it would list its products on Alibaba’s Taobao and Xianyu
marketplaces.
• Nice Tuan (3/31/2021): Group buying online grocery platform.
Source: CB Insights 23
Q1’21
Retail Tech
Sector
Highlights
24
WHAT THE STATE OF RETAIL TECH Q1'21 REPORT COVERS
Clients can access the data used in this report in the Collections linked above. 25
IN-STORE RETAIL TECH DEALS AND FUNDING
$1,000 30
20
$500
10
$363 $944 $632 $435 $611 $749 $1,527 $874 $610 $475 $1,964 $1,003 $2,201
$0 0
Q1'18 Q2'18 Q3'18 Q4'18 Q1'19 Q2'19 Q3'19 Q4'19 Q1'20 Q2'20 Q3'20 Q4'20 Q1'21
Funding ($M) Deal count
Source: CB Insights 26
HIGHLIGHT #1: WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT TOOLS
Latest Round: Series A (2/17/2021) Amount: $3M Latest Round: Series B (3/2/2021) Amount: $30M
About: Quebec-based Foko Retail makes a mobile About: Retail Zipline’s platform enables connection
platform for retailers to communicate with their between retailers and their stores. Retailers can
store employees and monitor operations, audit manage tasks, offer trainings, and assess
merchandising, and more at the store. Among its performance via the tools. Among its clients are LL
clients are Whole Foods Market, Nike, Five Below, Bean, Hy-Vee, and Speedway.
and Hermes.
Source: CB Insights 27
HIGHLIGHT #2: CASHIERLESS CHECKOUT
Source: CB Insights 28
WHAT THE STATE OF RETAIL TECH Q1'21 REPORT COVERS
Clients can access the data used in this report in the Collections linked above. 29
E-COMMERCE DEALS AND FUNDING
$6,000
$4,000 100
$2,000
$3,966 $5,455 $5,350 $5,778 $5,138 $4,271 $5,078 $4,249 $2,785 $3,495 $6,446 $6,738 $11,670
$0 0
Q1'18 Q2'18 Q3'18 Q4'18 Q1'19 Q2'19 Q3'19 Q4'19 Q1'20 Q2'20 Q3'20 Q4'20 Q1'21
Funding ($M) Deal count
Source: CB Insights 30
HIGHLIGHT #1: ONLINE CONTENT MANAGEMENT
Latest Round: Series D (1/26/2021) Amount: $150M Latest Round: Seed (2/8/2021) Amount: $1.5M
About: Bloomreach personalizes online search, About: Compat.io’s tech automates online product
merchandising, and product recommendations recommendations, bundles, and solutions for high-
across platforms using AI. consideration items like electronics and outdoor
sports equipment.
Source: CB Insights 31
HIGHLIGHT #2: VIRTUAL TRY-ON TECH
Latest Round: Series C (1/6/2021) Latest Round: Series A (3/16/2021) In March, Snap acquired Berlin-based Fit
Analytics, which makes an online sizing tool
Amount: $50M Amount: $6.5M that uses shopper input and machine
learning to make size and product
About: Perfect Corp’s virtual try-on About: 3DLook’s mobile body recommendations. Snap plans to use the
tech powers retailers’ and scanning tech YourFit gives acquisition to help increase shopping on its
brands’ online and in-store shoppers instant size and fit platform.
tools, as well as its own recommendations matched
consumer app YouCam to brands’ products.
Makeup.
Source: CB Insights 32
HIGHLIGHT #3: LIVESTREAM COMMERCE
Latest Round: IPO (2/5/2021) In March, Nordstrom introduced a Walmart launched its second livestream
shoppable livestream platform called shopping event on TikTok in March. This
Amount: N/A Nordstrom Live, with the aim of prompting time, the event highlighted beauty
discovery and driving personalization. products. TikTok creators shared beauty
About: Kuaishou, a popular Experts will style clothes, showcase tutorials and shoppers were able to order
livestreaming platform in beauty products, and interact with products directly from the channel.
China, recently added e- shoppers through livestreams.
commerce capabilities that
allow users to buy directly
from Kuaishou influencers.
Source: CB Insights 33
HIGHLIGHT #4: DECENTRALIZED COMMERCE
Source: CB Insights 34
WHAT THE STATE OF RETAIL TECH Q1'21 REPORT COVERS
Clients can access the data used in this report in the Collections linked above. 35
LOYALTY & REWARDS TECH DEALS AND FUNDING
$100 5
$49 $141 $63 $290 $44 $117 $253 $107 $410 $33 $103 $243 $260
$0 0
Q1'18 Q2'18 Q3'18 Q4'18 Q1'19 Q2'19 Q3'19 Q4'19 Q1'20 Q2'20 Q3'20 Q4'20 Q1'21
Funding ($M) Deal count
Source: CB Insights 36
HIGHLIGHT #1: LOYALTY A TOP FOCUS
Brian Hannasch
Source: CB Insights 37
HIGHLIGHT #2: FUNGIBLE LOYALTY POINTS AND REWARDS
Latest Round: IPO – Reverse Merger Latest Round: Seed (2/24/2021) Latest Round: Angel (3/25/2021)
(1/11/2021)
Amount: N/A Amount: $5M Amount: $480k
About: Bakkt allows consumers to About: Lolli is a bitcoin rewards About: London-based Swapi
convert participating application that lets allows users to swap
rewards programs and people earn and own their loyalty rewards,
loyalty points into cash, bitcoin when they shop cashback, and gift cards
crypto, or other types of online. between brands.
rewards and loyalty points.
Source: CB Insights 38
WHAT THE STATE OF RETAIL TECH Q1'21 REPORT COVERS
Clients can access the data used in this report in the Collections linked above. 39
CYBERSECURITY TECH IN RETAIL DEALS AND FUNDING
Source: CB Insights 40
HIGHLIGHT #1: E-COMMERCE FRAUD PROTECTION
Latest Round: Acquired (1/8/2021) Latest Round: Series C (2/4/2021) Latest Round: Series E - II (3/1/2021)
About: In January, credit reporting About: Arkose Labs tracks and About: Riskified uses AI to recognize
agency Equifax acquired challenges fraudulent legitimate customers in e-
Kount, which uses AI to behavior in retail, commerce to help retailers
track fraudulent payments, gaming, travel, drive conversion and sell
transactions in retail and and other businesses. internationally.
other businesses.
Source: CB Insights 41
HIGHLIGHT #2: CONSUMER DATA PRIVACY
Latest Round: Series B Amount: $20M Latest Round: Series B Amount: $30M
About: Wirewheel’s data privacy management platform About: DataGrail’s privacy platform helps companies
helps retailers and brands automate compliance comply with data privacy regulations via
with global laws and meet consumer preferences automation. It promises to help businesses build
for privacy. privacy and data protection into their broader apps
and operations.
Source: CB Insights 42
WHAT THE STATE OF RETAIL TECH Q1'21 REPORT COVERS
Clients can access the data used in this report in the Collections linked above. 43
SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS TECH DEALS AND FUNDING
$4,000
50
$2,000
$6,542 $4,733 $5,406 $5,377 $10,284 $5,324 $3,631 $2,178 $4,335 $3,298 $2,376 $8,562 $8,554
$0 0
Q1'18 Q2'18 Q3'18 Q4'18 Q1'19 Q2'19 Q3'19 Q4'19 Q1'20 Q2'20 Q3'20 Q4'20 Q1'21
Funding ($M) Deal count
Source: CB Insights 44
HIGHLIGHT #1: SUPPLY CHAIN VISIBILITY
Latest Round: Series B - IV (2/11/2021) Latest Round: Series C (1/14/2021) Latest Round: Series D (3/24/2021)
About: Roambee's sensor logistics About: Shippeo allows customers About: FourKites is a logistics
platform uses IoT sensors to track road and sea technology platform that
to collect data and AI to shipments via GPS as they utilizes Machine-2-
deliver insights. move across the globe. Machine (M2M)
technologies.
45
HIGHLIGHT #2: LAST-MILE EFFICIENCY
Latest Round: Series B (3/16/2021) Latest Round: Series D (3/3/2021) Latest Round: Series E (2/17/2021)
About: Flowspace is a logistics About: Deliverr provides About: Locus Robotics designs
company that provides on- fulfillment centers. It and builds autonomous
demand warehousing and uses machine learning to mobile robots for use in
services to businesses of determine which of its warehouses.
all sizes. warehouses to use when
storing clients’ goods.
46
HIGHLIGHT #3: AUTOMATED FULFILLMENT
*Micro-fulfillment center. 47
WHAT THE STATE OF RETAIL TECH Q1'21 REPORT COVERS
Clients can access the data used in this report in the Collections linked above. 48
ON-DEMAND DEALS AND FUNDING
37
$4,000 40
$2,000 20
$5,297 $2,825 $5,002 $5,622 $5,057 $4,490 $2,635 $1,374 $3,404 $2,155 $1,616 $4,042 $6,054
$0 0
Q1'18 Q2'18 Q3'18 Q4'18 Q1'19 Q2'19 Q3'19 Q4'19 Q1'20 Q2'20 Q3'20 Q4'20 Q1'21
Funding ($M) Deal count
Source: CB Insights 49
HIGHLIGHT #1: SAME-DAY DELIVERY
Latest Round: Incubator/Accelerator Amount: N/A Latest Round: Series A (3/16/2021) Amount: N/A
(3/4/2021)
About: Ohi enables same-day delivery for direct-to- About: Amsterdam-based Bringly enables same-day
consumer brands by bringing inventory closer to delivery from stores in 40 cities in the Netherlands
customers. The company helps brands set up and Belgium. Its couriers use road bikes, cargo
micro-fulfillment centers in cities by targeting bikes, and electric vehicles to deliver orders.
empty offices or retail space, then connects with
local carriers to optimize delivery.
Source: CB Insights 50
HIGHLIGHT #2: FAST B2B DELIVERY
Latest Round: Series A (1/21/2021) Amount: $6M Latest Round: Angel (2/8/2021) Amount: $1.1M
About: Curri offers an on-demand courier service between About: Australia-based Getter is a marketplace and
contractors and construction suppliers. Its express delivery service for trade materials for
vehicles, such as trucks or flatbeds, are construction sites. Its fleet delivers in metro
specialized to materials and construction Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
deliveries.
Source: CB Insights 51
WHAT THE STATE OF RETAIL TECH Q1'21 REPORT COVERS
Clients can access the data used in this report in the Collections linked above. 52
MEAL AND GROCERY DELIVERY DEALS AND FUNDING
$4,000
30
$2,000
$4,546 $1,781 $3,760 $4,638 $3,994 $4,106 $2,348 $969 $2,797 $1,945 $3,092 $3,938 $8,601
$0 0
Q1'18 Q2'18 Q3'18 Q4'18 Q1'19 Q2'19 Q3'19 Q4'19 Q1'20 Q2'20 Q3'20 Q4'20 Q1'21
Funding ($M) Deal count
Source: CB Insights 53
HIGHLIGHT #1: DARK CONVENIENCE STORES
$2,000
8
$1,500
5
$1,000
3 4
2 2 2 2
$500
1 1
0
$0 0
$0
0 $0 $750 $40 0
$0 $3 $453 $2,035
$169 $167 $2.9
$0 $134 $114 0
Q1'18 Q2'18 Q3'18 Q4'18 Q1'19 Q2'19 Q3'19 Q4'19 Q1'20 Q2'20 Q3'20 Q4'20 Q1'21
Funding ($M) Deal count
Source: CB Insights 54
HIGHLIGHT #1: DARK CONVENIENCE STORES
Weezy Cajoo
Where: London Where: Paris and Lille, France
Latest round: $20M Latest round: $7.2M
Series A (1/13/2021) Seed VC (2/4/2021)
Delivery estimate: 15 minutes Delivery estimate: 15 minutes
Latest Round: Series D (2/19/2021) Amount: $3B Latest Round: Series D (3/31/2021) Amount: $750M
About: Xingsheng Selected is a group grocery and fresh About: Nice Tuan allows shoppers to band together to buy
produce buying platform. Group leaders distribute groceries and fresh produce in bulk and save on
the orders to the rest of the buyers and cut out the products and on fulfillment. The company
delivery costs. generates 15M orders per day.
JD.com and Tencent Holdings are among the Alibaba was among the investors in Nice Tuan’s
company’s investors. Series D round.
Source: CB Insights 56
Appendix
57
Methodology
CB Insights encourages you to review the methodology and definitions employed to better understand the numbers
presented in this report. If you have any questions about the definitions or methodological principles used, we encourage
you to reach out to CB Insights directly. Additionally, if you feel your firm has been under-represented, please send an
email to info@cbinsights.com and we can work together to ensure your firm’s investment data is up to date.
58
IN-STORE RETAIL TECH CYBERSECURITY
Get All The COLLECTION COLLECTION
Data Used In
This Report E-COMMERCE SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS
COLLECTION TECH COLLECTION
59