/Companies

Focal Systems

YC W16

San Francisco, US · Founded 2016 · 170 employees · 6 known investors

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Focal Systems develops AI-powered solutions for retail store operations, including shelf-monitoring cameras and an automated task management operating system that provides real-time visibility into product availability and inventory status. The platform targets retailers seeking to optimize store efficiency, reduce stockouts, and improve employee productivity through data-driven insights.

Also known as Snap Cart, Inc.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareRetail TechDeep LearningGroceryComputer VisionUnited States of AmericaCanadaUnited KingdomAmerica / CanadaEuropePartly Remote

Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (W16)

Focal Systems was founded in 2016 by Michael Cantalino.

MCMichael Cantalino
Michael CantalinoCOOHe has involvement in the nonprofit sector and outdoor activities.
MJ
Michael John CantalinoFounder
AQ
Adriano QuirogaCTOformer
FC
Francois ChaubardCEO2016–2024

Investors · 6

Funding

SEC filings, press & company announcements

Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.

Related companies · 8

FocalFocal provides a digital asset management (DAM) platform for performance advertising teams, integrating AI tagging, performance analytics, and automated workflows to accelerate creative production and reduce approval cycles.
Kirana AIKirana AI develops an AI-based store management system that uses on-site cameras and sensors to monitor physical retail locations for loss prevention, workplace safety, and customer service optimization, with plans to expand into automated ordering, pricing, and inventory management.
NrfThe National Retail Federation is a trade association that represents the retail industry and its stakeholders. The page lists board leadership and directors from major retail and related companies.
CerrionCerrion develops AI solutions for the manufacturing industry to improve efficiency, safety, and resilience in production operations.
TracesTraces provides AI-powered video analytics software that extracts actionable data from CCTV cameras for threat detection, loss prevention, and retail analytics. The platform uses generative AI to enable text-prompt-based video search and real-time investigative capabilities for security and operational decision-making.
LeadIQLeadIQ offers a company search tool that provides B2B company profiles with data such as revenue, employee count, funding, and contact information to help sales teams find decision makers and build pipeline.
MashginMashgin develops automated checkout kiosks using computer vision and machine learning to instantly identify items without scanning or barcodes, serving retailers in stadiums, hospitality, hospitals, and foodservice venues.
ActiveloopActiveloop provides a data infrastructure platform that indexes, searches, and organizes multimodal data (documents, images, videos) for AI applications through its Deep Lake database and search capabilities. The platform serves enterprises and organizations building AI systems that require efficient access to large-scale unstructured data.

Companies working in the same space as Focal Systems.

Legal entities · 2

corporate structure
Focal Systems, Inc.
Snap Cart, Inc.

In the news

Frequently asked questions

What does Focal Systems do?
Focal Systems develops AI-powered solutions for retail store operations, including shelf-monitoring cameras and an automated task management operating system that provides real-time visibility into product availability and inventory status. The platform targets retailers seeking to optimize store efficiency, reduce stockouts, and improve employee productivity through data-driven insights.
Who founded Focal Systems?
Focal Systems was founded by Michael Cantalino in 2016.
Who are Focal Systems's investors?
Focal Systems's investors include Point72 Ventures, Seabed VC, Uncork Capital, Y Combinator, Costanoa Ventures, Zetta Venture Partners.
Where is Focal Systems headquartered?
Focal Systems is headquartered in San Francisco, US.