10+ Top Retail Companies and Startups to Watch in 2026

Executive Summary: Which are the Top 10 Retail Startups to Watch?

1. CornerBox Retail Tech (Netherlands) – delivers 24/7 AI-powered smart containers that autonomously manage inventory and pricing.
2. Libera Global AI (USA) – combines AI and blockchain to structure retail transaction data in emerging markets.
3. IMERZO (India) – enables immersive shoppable ads that incorporate chatbots, store locators, and personalized offers.
4. Posable.ai (Malaysia) – transforms POS data into real-time intelligence.
5. Goni (Israel) – builds AI-based virtual try-on tools for web, mobile, and in-store use.
6. Enloq (USA) – offers AI vision agents for retail surveillance.
7. EPOS Cubed (UK) – provides modular, ethical EPOS software.
8. ForSURE (Netherlands) – simplifies Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance.
9. Unify (France) – offers integrated OMS and POS systems. It unifies online and offline retail logistics with QR checkout, clienteling tools, and real-time AI-based inventory tracking.
10. Wayvee Analytics (USA) – measures in-store customer engagement using RF sensors.

Global Startup Heat Map highlights Emerging Retail Startups to Watch

Through the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering over 7M+ startups, 20K+ technology trends plus 150M+ patents, news articles & market reports, we identified 1800+ companies.

The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights emerging retail startups you should watch in 2026 as well as the geo-distribution of 1800+ startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research.

According to our data, we observe high startup activity in the United States and Western Europe, followed by India. The top 5 Startup Hubs for retail are London, New York City, Bangalore, San Francisco, and Dubai.

Meet Emerging Retail Startups to Watch in 2026

We hand-picked startups to showcase in this report by filtering for their technology, founding year, location, funding, and other metrics. These emerging retail management solutions range from immersive AI vision tools and virtual try-ons to blockchain-powered retail systems and ethical checkout platforms.

1. CornerBox Retail Tech

• Founding Year: 2024
• Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands
• Use For: 24/7 AI Smart Containers
• Funding: Secured USD 1 million

Dutch startup CornerBox Retail Tech offers AI smart containers that distribute essential goods through automated, unmanned retail locations. The containers manage supply, pricing, and inventory in real time by fusing AI, robots, IoT, and data analytics.

It uses modular containers, 10, 20, or 40 feet, that are outfitted with sensors, solar energy, and sustainable materials to enable environmentally friendly, scalable deployments. The system dynamically adjusts prices and monitors stock levels, while robotics manages item dispensing and restocking.

It facilitates round-the-clock access to commodities in B2B and B2C scenarios in workplaces, campuses, housing complexes, medical facilities, and transportation hubs.

2. Libera Global AI

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: Austin, Texas, USA
• Use For: AI and Blockchain-Enabled Connected Retail

US-based startup Libera Global AI benefits brands and micro-retailers with blockchain-enabled connected retail solutions. It digitizes and structures point-of-sale data from small stores in emerging markets. It offers AI-driven analytics, Libera Large Vision Model, Display AI, Receipt AI, and a decentralized Knowledge Graph API.

The platform records shelf visibility and in-store transactions. It uses blockchain to confirm data integrity and then runs this data through AI algorithms to provide real-time insights. Besides, it offers crowdsourced receipt scanning, an AI assistant for natural language queries, and tokens to reward participation.

It aids retailers in making better pricing and supply management choices while allowing brands to track campaign performance and distribution.

3. IMERZO

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: Pune, India
• Use For: Immersive Interactive Shoppable Ads

Indian startup IMERZO offers AI-powered immersive interactive shoppable ads. It embeds product demos within dynamic ad creatives across programmatic media processes using a proprietary AI-driven media player and interface.

It records real-time user interactions in the system, which also incorporates features like store locators, chatbot connections, call-to-action links, and natural language questions.

Besides, it allows users to maintain wishlists, examine product details, access reviews, explore various brands, and receive customised offers all within the ad unit. Additionally, the platform has a privacy-safe architecture and integrates real-time fraud detection.

It also offers comprehensive analytics to assist companies in monitoring user activity, improving advertising tactics, and maximizing engagement.

4. Posable.ai

• Founding Year: 2024
• Location: Subang Jaya, Malaysia
• Use For: Data-Driven Retail Transaction Processing

Malaysian startup Posable.ai converts point-of-sale data into understandable, actionable intelligence using the data-driven retail transaction processing technology. Its sensAble AI agent gathers direct transaction records from retail point-of-sale systems and feeds them into an analytics engine driven by AI.

The technology provides real-time purchase trends and operational inefficiencies by automating data extraction, purification, and trend recognition. It offers dashboard customization, anomaly detection alerts, and interaction with loyalty and inventory systems for workflow alignment.

Additionally, it facilitates enterprise-scale implementation, lowering technical overhead while allowing consistent data processing across several shop locations. It also uses advanced business intelligence tools like predictAble AI to generate reliable, data-supported performance reporting.

Its trackAble BI simplifies retail systems by consolidating all data sources into a single cloud warehouse. It automates reporting and delivers near real-time dashboards. Further, its retail app shopAble converts all transactions into a loyalty and customer-care opportunity.

5. Goni

• Founding Year: 2024
• Location: Yizra’el, Israel
• Use For: Virtual Try-on AI Software

Israeli startup Goni’s virtual try-on AI software suite turns operational inventory into an interactive try-on experience in physical and virtual retail settings. It overlays clothing on users in real time using computer vision and augmented reality. It utilises its in-house mirror gadget and integration into pre-existing platforms like websites and mobile apps to offer virtual try-on solutions.

The system synchronizes with inventory and checkout systems, records user gestures, and supports barcode and RFID scanning for uninterrupted transactions. It provides accessibility capabilities, language interfaces, and plug-and-play installation to ensure widespread use in public and retail environments.

Its product suite includes the Goni Fashion Mall Mirror for public and open spaces, retailers, and malls. Further, Goni Fashion Store Mirror is for in-store and fitting room mirrors, and Goni Online is for every website and mobile app.

It also integrates AI-based styling tips and permits social sharing of try-on sessions to improve customer engagement.

Want to Explore 1800+ Retail Startups & Scaleups?

6. Enloq

• Founding Year: 2024
• Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
• Use For: AI Vision Agents

US-based startup Enloq provides AI vision agents that automate video surveillance, anomaly identification, and incident reporting. It increases retail security, safety, and operational effectiveness. The system uses computer vision models to handle both live and recorded video streams, and connects to the existing infrastructure for IP cameras.

It identifies theft, dangerous behavior, and other irregularities by examining movement patterns, spatial context, and activity duration. Each AI vision agent functions as a task-specific module. It enables merchants to customize surveillance objectives to certain shop layouts and risk scenarios using natural language prompts.

The software creates comprehensive incident reports, timestamps pertinent video, and generates real-time warnings to support loss prevention and auditing. It also provides a smooth deployment procedure with low technological overhead and protects customer privacy by analyzing behavior rather than identifying specific users.

7. EPOS Cubed

• Founding Year: 2024
• Location: London, United Kingdom
• Use For: Integrated and Ethical EPOS Software Solution

UK-based startup EPOS Cubed offers a comprehensive and ethical EPOS software solution. It operates through a cloud-based EPOS platform that integrates with other systems, including accounting tools, analytics, inventory, and loyalty programs.

The software centrally stores real-time financial indicators, client interactions, stock levels, and sales data. It also includes customer communication modules, margin tracking, automated stock reordering triggers, and user-friendly dashboards for data-driven decision-making. Additionally, it scales with corporate expansion while maintaining low technological complexity and provides flexibility through modular connectors.

It also embeds social and environmental responsibility by encouraging ethical supply chain choices, encouraging fair employment practices, and reducing waste with accurate inventory management.

8. ForSURE

• Founding Year: 2024
• Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
• Use For: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulations Confidently Platform

Dutch startup ForSURE’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance platform simplifies regulatory reporting for packaging, batteries, textiles, WEEE, and other regulated products. It compiles data on the product lifetime and generates submission-ready reports that are adaptable to EPR frameworks.

The software offers rule-based data validation, user-friendly dashboards, and hybrid workflows that combine expert supervision with AI-driven processing. It also incorporates sustainability advising and carbon tracking to offer compliance data and insights into environmental impact.

The technology minimizes manual input and lowers regulatory risk, which makes it suitable for both SMEs and large organizations.

9. Unify

• Founding Year: 2024
• Location: Paris, France
• Use For: OMS and POS solution

French startup Unify provides merchants with integrated order management and in-store sales solutions through its OMS and POS systems. It simplifies inventory control, fulfillment, and returns in real time by combining orders from offline and internet channels into a single OMS.

It allows sales representatives to receive real-time inventory information, customer profiles, and customised recommendations while interacting with customers. The platform’s integration with its AI-powered Store App includes clienteling and POS modules.

It also offers capabilities like QR-code checkout and payment-by-link functionality. This enables omnichannel fulfillment options like ship-from-store and click-and-collect, and is plug-and-play compatible with retail tech ecosystems.

Additionally, the solution provides AI-driven insights for tracking conversions and optimizing inventories, which improves customer engagement and operational efficiency.

10. Wayvee Analytics

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: New York City, New York, USA
• Use For: Customer Satisfaction (C-SAT) and Engagement Monitoring
• Funding: Secured USD 5 million

US-based startup Wayvee Analytics provides AI-driven customer satisfaction (C-SAT) and engagement monitoring using RF-based smart-shelf sensors for physical retail settings. It identifies physiological indicators, including heart rate variability, breathing patterns, and micromovements, utilizing Wayvee Sensors, which release low-power radio frequency waves.

These signals are sent into internal AI algorithms that monitor important parameters. This includes dwell time, bypass frequency, and engagement levels, and computes real-time C-SAT scores. The system records all in-store customer contacts while operating without cameras or surveys, ensuring complete adherence to privacy laws.

It provides store personnel instant alerts and practical suggestions when it detects friction spots like product unavailability, unclear pricing, or uncomfortable surroundings. Its integrated dashboards offer data analysis and performance benchmarking across sites.

Discover All Emerging Retail Startups

The 10+ retail startups showcased in this report are only a small sample of all startups we identified through our data-driven startup scouting approach. Download our free Industry Innovation Reports for a broad overview of the industry or get in touch for quick & exhaustive research on the latest technologies & emerging solutions that will impact your company in 2026!