Sensei

Sensei is a Lisbon-based retail technology company that builds autonomous, checkout-free store systems using computer vision, sensors and AI algorithms. Shoppers enter without barriers, check-ins or app logins; the system builds a live virtual basket as items are taken, and at checkout the shopper sees a ready-to-pay list and can pay by card, cash, coupon or app. The company states its technology is GDPR-compliant and does not collect or store biometric data points, with monofocal ceiling cameras identifying products and tracking people anonymously, shelf weight sensors adapting to different shelves and packaging, and on-premise computational servers processing data.

The product line is organised into four formats: Store (a customisable flagship deployment that can retrofit existing establishments of various sizes), Pod (a fully autonomous 24/7 indoor or outdoor standalone store), Cabinet (a self-contained, plug-and-play autonomous cabinet) and Lane (a human-assisted express checkout lane embedded in existing stores). Sensei targets supermarkets, workplaces, mobility hubs, education, hospitality, leisure and health and wellness environments, including airports, service stations, offices and coworking spaces, universities, hotels, resorts, cinemas, event venues, gyms, clinics and hospitals.

Alongside checkout automation, Sensei positions its platform as a source of in-store operational data: real-time shelf inventory visibility for proactive replenishment, shrinkage reduction, foot traffic and customer behaviour analytics, and planogram and layout optimisation, with retailers able to monetise performance metrics with external stakeholders.

Founding story

Sensei was founded in 2017 by Vasco Portugal (CEO), Joana Rafael (COO), Nuno Moutinho (CTO) and Paulo Carreira (CSO). The founders met at the Technical University of Lisbon, where Carreira lectures in Computer Science Engineering and Portugal and Rafael were PhD candidates in the MIT Portugal programme; Moutinho holds a computer vision PhD and is an aerospace engineer. The company says it started after observing a retail industry lacking visibility, accepting inefficiencies and forcing retailers to trade off costs, friction and shrinkage, with semi-automated solutions failing shoppers.

Business model

Sensei sells autonomous retail technology to retailers and venue operators, deploying hardware (ceiling cameras, shelf weight sensors, on-premise servers) and proprietary AI software into new or existing commercial spaces across four formats (Store, Pod, Cabinet, Lane). The company says its technology fits into existing retail infrastructure and delivers automated retail workflows in weeks, and it partners with retailers on either full autonomous implementations or stepped rollouts.

Traction

As of the company website, Sensei reports more than 100 active points of sale, 4 offices, 5 geographies and 70+ employees, with 10% of staff holding PhDs and $25M raised. Press coverage in October 2024 cited a customer base across Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Brazil, four offices and more than 100 points of sale in five countries, plans to grow headcount 30% within six months, and an aim of roughly 1,000 new points of sale by 2026 alongside opening what was pitched as the world's largest autonomous store the following year.

Latest developments

In October 2024 Sensei announced a €15 million Series A led by BlueCrow Capital with Kamay Ventures, Lince Capital, Explorer Investments, Metro AG and Techstars Ventures, taking total funds raised to €21 million and funding expansion in Europe and Latin America, a 30% workforce increase over six months and the planned opening of what it described as the world's largest autonomous store. The company lists recent recognitions including the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Portugal (6th place, 2025), IGD Top 25 "Must-See Stores" (2025), a EuroCommerce digitalisation category award (2025), reta awards artificial intelligence category (2026), an RTIH AI & Physical Retail award (2026), and gold at the Retail Innovation Award 2026. It plans to attend Shoptalk Europe in Barcelona in June 2026.