AiFi


AiFi, Inc. is a privately-held automated retail technology company with a computer vision and sensor-based shopping platform for self-service autonomous brick and mortar stores. AiFi works with retailers including Ahold Delhaize's Albert Heijn brand, Carrefour, and Żabka.
Founded in 2016 by former Apple and Google X researchers Steve Gu and Ying Zheng, AiFi is considered a competitor to Amazon Go in the autonomous shopping space by CNBC, Fortune, and others.

Product and Technology

The AiFi autonomous store platform for retailers named OASIS is an end-to-end platform that helps brick-and-mortar retailers build and operate autonomous stores. The OASIS platform uses senors, digital cameras and AI-powered software to recognize and record whatever merchandise shoppers take out of the store.

NanoStores

AiFi debuted its first NanoStore on January 14, 2019 at the National Retail Federation's Big Show and Expo, reported by AP News, Forbes, and Business Insider. A second NanoStore announced by Forbes opened to the public at Schipol Airport, Amsterdam, Netherlands on November 30, 2019 to provide convenience items for air travelers. On December 20, 2020 Fortune announced the first AiFi-powered gas station NanoStore by Loop Neighborhood in Silicon Valley, California at a Shell for grab-and-go groceries.
AiFi's automated NanoStore format is a portable walk-in store the size of a shipping container with shelves and refrigerators that retailers can customize for their own needs. Shoppers enter a NanoStore by swiping a method of payment such as a payment card or a mobile payment on their smartphones, pick up items they want to purchase, and then exit the store without going through any kind of checkout counter. A NanoStores can be placed inside or outside existing big box stores as a 24/7 service mini-store. They can also be placed in high-traffic areas such as public transit hubs.

Locations

AiFi has three publicly-announced live automated store locations as of April 2020, with many more going live this year. CNBC in November 2019 said a total of eight autonomous stores were being tested by AiFi.
#CityAnnouncement DateRetail PartnerType
1Schipol Airport, Amsterdam, NetherlandsNanoStore
2Campbell, CaliforniaNanoStore
3Shanghai, ChinaConvenience Store