PopCom
PopCom builds AI-driven PopShop Kiosks and refrigerated PopBox machines that dispense physical and digital products, capturing customer demographics via computer vision. It serves retailers, e-commerce brands, regulated-product sellers, and small businesses via its PopShop Local franchise and Ooredoo enterprise deployment.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersColumbus, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What PopCom does
PopCom (legal entity Solutions Vending International, Inc.) is a Columbus, Ohio-based private company that builds AI-driven automated retail hardware and software. Its flagship product is the PopShop Kiosk — a robotic pop-up store that dispenses up to 500 physical or digital products (the latter including NFTs, QR codes, and tickets) while capturing anonymized demographic data via on-board computer vision and serving dynamic display advertising. In February 2022 the company extended into refrigerated retail with PopBox, targeting food and beverage SKUs, and in July 2020 it acquired Wyzerr to fold survey and lead-generation capability into its platform. A granted patent on the PopShop kiosk design underpins the hardware offering.
The company's revenue model is a bundled hardware-plus-software stack: PopShop machines lease for $2,500 per year on minimum 12-month terms, paired with a mandatory PopCom SaaS subscription at $350 per month per machine (billed annually). PopShop Local operates as a franchise-style channel where PopCom places machines in hotels, airports, malls, and convention centers (locations include Polaris Mall Columbus, John Glenn Columbus International Airport, AC Hotel, JW Marriott, Beverly Center LA, and Metreon SF) and local brands rent shelf space for a flat monthly fee, with PopCom handling lease paperwork, insurance, and inventory fulfillment. Software-only licensing is also offered for operators with their own hardware. Five named revenue streams span hardware sales, recurring SaaS, placement/transaction fees, advertising, and bespoke placement consulting services.
PopCom was founded by Dawn Dickson, a serial entrepreneur noted as the first Black woman to raise over $1M and subsequently over $2M in equity crowdfunding; total disclosed funding is approximately $7M raised across multiple StartEngine crowdfunding rounds and investors including Backstage Capital, NCT Capital, Black Star Angel Fund, and TechStars/Canopy Boulder alumni channels. The company's largest named enterprise customer is Qatar-based telecom Ooredoo, signed in October 2021 to deploy PopShop machines in its retail stores across 10+ markets serving 121 million customers, with initial launch in Qatar. The company operates with a lean team of approximately 11 staff and pursues a multi-channel go-to-market combining direct enterprise sales, the PopShop Local venue program, and software-only licensing.
PopCom firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PopCom
- Legal name
- Solutions Vending International, Inc.
- Website
- https://popcom.shop
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- PopCom builds AI-driven PopShop Kiosks and refrigerated PopBox machines that dispense physical and digital products, capturing customer demographics via computer vision. It serves retailers, e-commerce brands, regulated-product sellers, and small businesses via its PopShop Local franchise and Ooredoo enterprise deployment.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PopCom industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automated Retail Technology
- NAICS
- Convenience Retailers (445131)
- SIC
- Retail-Convenience Stores (5412)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Retail & Pop-up Experiences (In-store/Pop-ups) (MPAAAGAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Marketing Automation Platforms & Services (BPAFAFAC), Omnichannel Commerce & Click-and-Collect Platforms (BPAMAGAL)
Keywords
Where PopCom is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbus
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
PopCom business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- PopShop Hardware Lease/Purchase: Retailers lease or purchase PopShop machines for deployment at their locations. Lease pricing is $2,500 per year with minimum 12-month terms.
- SaaS Subscription (PopCom Software): Mandatory software subscription ($350/month per machine, billed annually) providing storefront backend, analytics suite, real-time dashboard access, inventory management, promotions, and sales metrics
- PopShop Local Placement Fees: Local brands pay flat monthly fee to rent space in PopShop Local machines; PopCom handles lease requirements, insurance, and inventory fulfillment
- Advertising Revenue: Retailers and third parties can purchase display advertising on machine screens; machine analytics enable targeted demographic-based ad delivery
- Placement Consulting Services: Bespoke consulting services for machine placement at malls, airports, convention centers and other venues for an extra fee
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | PopShop Hardware Lease - $2,500/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Software Subscription - $350/month per machine |
| Subscription | Annual | Software Only Option |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
PopCom product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PopCom builds AI-driven automated retail hardware (PopShop Kiosk and PopBox refrigerated machine) paired with a mandatory SaaS analytics dashboard that monitors inventory, sales, and customer demographics in real time. The platform uses computer vision, machine learning, and blockchain-based ID verification to dispense physical and digital products while capturing leads and serving targeted ads, targeting retailers, e-commerce brands, and venues seeking unmanned retail with e-commerce-grade data.
Product overview
PopCom offers a unified platform combining hardware (PopShop Kiosk and PopBox refrigerated machines) with a SaaS analytics platform. The PopShop Kiosk is the core AI-powered robotic retail node that dispenses products while collecting customer data via computer vision. The PopBox expands into refrigerated products. The PopCom SaaS serves as the unified dashboard/backend for inventory management, sales analytics, and customer insights across all networked machines. The PopShop Local Program provides placement services in high-traffic venues. The company also acquired Wyzerr to enhance survey and lead generation capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PopShop: AI-driven robotic pop-up store that dispenses physical and digital products while collecting real-time data, capturing leads, running dynamic display ads, and gathering customer feedback.
- PopShop Local
- PopBox
- PopCom SaaS
Products and services
- PopShop Kiosk AI-driven robotic pop-up store that dispenses physical and digital products while collecting real-time data, capturing leads, running dynamic display ads, and gathering customer feedback. Each unit holds up to 500 products depending on product size. Designed for retailers, enterprise lead capture, event activations, credit card sign-ups, e-commerce brands, and regulated product retailers (cannabis, alcohol). Lease at $2,500/year with mandatory SaaS subscription.
- PopBox Temperature-controlled refrigerated vending machine for food and beverage products. Part of PopCom's product expansion beyond ambient goods, enabling automated retail of perishable items.
- PopCom SaaS Platform Cloud-based storefront backend and analytics suite required with every PopShop machine. The dashboard delivers real-time inventory management, promotions, sales metrics, clickthrough/conversion tracking, crowd metrics (age, gender, emotional IQ, foot traffic), marketing tools for customer surveys and email/contact collection, and dynamic ad serving. Also offered as a software-only integration for third-party hardware.
- PopShop Local Placement Program Franchise-style placement program that placed PopShop machines in hotels, airports, convention centers, and malls so local brands could rent shelf space for a flat monthly fee. PopCom handled venue leases, insurance, and inventory fulfillment, while brands got physical distribution without managing a store. Note: per the company FAQ, PopShop Local was a 2021 program and is no longer accepting new retailers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 130% year-over-year revenue growth despite pandemic
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use PopCom
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
PopCom technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature6 records
PopCom partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Disrupt. ArtminorGlobal NFT marketplace collaborated with PopCom for first-ever physical and digital NFT dispensing at NFT.NYC event. Partnership focused on making NFTs accessible with real-world use cases for creators and collectors.
- Columbus Regional Airport Authority (CRAA)coreManages John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH); partnered with PopCom for first airport PopShop Local installation. CRAA commitment to diverse local businesses aligned with PopCom's mission.
- OoredoocoreQatar-based telecom giant Ooredoo (serving 121 million people across 10 markets) entered agreement to deploy PopShop autonomous retail machines in their retail stores, starting in Qatar. Launch expected December 2021. Represents PopCom's first major international enterprise customer in the Middle East.
- Knxtti (Christopher Green)minorArtist collaboration for NFT.NYC event; created The NYers collection featuring cartoonized portraits. Historic sale of physical and digital NFT artwork dispensed from PopCom machines within one hour.
- WyzerrcoreFemale-owned tech companies merger; PopCom announced acquisition of Wyzerr, a survey and data company. Combined capabilities enhanced PopCom's customer engagement and analytics features.
- Canopy BoulderminorCannabis industry accelerator program; PopCom accepted into Spring 2017 cohort for regulated retail technology development.
- TechStarsminorWell-known startup accelerator; PopCom alumnus of TechStars accelerator program.
- AC HotelminorHotel brand piloting PopShop Local as contactless gift shop for guests, receiving percentage of sales.
- JW MarriottminorHotel brand piloting PopShop Local program for guest retail experience.
- Virgin HotelminorHotel brand in process of securing pilot program for PopShop Local machines.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
PopCom competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AiFi: AiFi offers camera-vision-based autonomous retail and checkout-free store technology. Comparable to PopCom in using AI/computer vision to enable cashier-less retail experiences.
- 365 Retail Markets: 365 Retail Markets is a leading provider of unattended retail technology — micro markets, vending, and smart stores — for B2B clients. Direct comparable to PopCom's PopShop kiosk and PopBox vending lines.
- Standard Cognition: Standard Cognition builds AI/camera-based autonomous checkout systems for retailers. It overlaps with PopCom's computer vision and analytics layer for unattended retail.
- Zippin: Zippin provides AI-powered checkout-free autonomous retail technology for stores and kiosks. It is the closest direct competitor to PopCom's computer-vision-driven smart retail platform.
- Accel Robotics: Accel Robotics builds frictionless, AI-powered checkout technology for retail. Directly comparable to PopCom's autonomous, cashier-less retail platform.
Broad incumbents
- Cantaloupe Inc. Cantaloupe (formerly USA Technologies) provides cashless payment, telemetry, and software for the unattended retail/vending industry. Broader incumbent in the same operational space as PopCom.
- NCR Voyix: NCR Voyix is a large retail-technology company offering self-checkout kiosks, POS, and unattended retail solutions. Overlaps with PopCom in the unattended retail and kiosk segment.
- Bite (by Global Payments): Bite, part of Global Payments, provides self-service kiosk and mobile ordering technology for restaurants and retail. Comparable to PopCom in self-service kiosk deployment, though focused more on food service.
Emerging players
- Inokyo: Inokyo develops autonomous cashier-less store technology targeting smaller-format retail. Partial overlap with PopCom's unattended retail concept at a smaller scale.
- Caper: Caper (now part of Instacart) builds AI-powered smart carts and checkout technology for grocery and retail. Adjacent to PopCom in bringing AI and analytics to physical retail touchpoints.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PopCom social profiles
Digital presencePopCom compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
PopCom financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PopCom leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
PopCom subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
PopCom funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds11 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PopCom M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PopCom
What does PopCom do?
PopCom builds AI-driven automated retail hardware (PopShop Kiosk and PopBox refrigerated machine) paired with a mandatory SaaS analytics dashboard that monitors inventory, sales, and customer demographics in real time. The platform uses computer vision, machine learning, and blockchain-based ID verification to dispense physical and digital products while capturing leads and serving targeted ads, targeting retailers, e-commerce brands, and venues seeking unmanned retail with e-commerce-grade data.
Is PopCom a public or private company?
PopCom is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was PopCom founded?
PopCom was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is PopCom based?
PopCom is headquartered in Columbus, United States, in the North America region.
How does PopCom make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. PopShop Hardware Lease/Purchase is the primary driver. The others are saaS Subscription (PopCom Software), popShop Local Placement Fees, advertising Revenue and placement Consulting Services.
Who are PopCom's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AiFi, 365 Retail Markets, Standard Cognition, Zippin and Accel Robotics. Broad incumbents are Cantaloupe Inc., NCR Voyix and Bite (by Global Payments). Emerging players are Inokyo and Caper.
Does PopCom have an API?
No public API is recorded for PopCom.
What industry is PopCom in?
PopCom's product category is Automated Retail Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAGAG, Retail & Pop-up Experiences (In-store/Pop-ups), with a secondary code of BPAFAFAC, Marketing Automation Platforms & Services. Its NAICS code is 445131 and its SIC code is 5412.