What CoolR Group does

CoolR Group Inc. is a Chantilly, Virginia-based AI and IoT company founded in 2017 that sells an automated retail execution platform to consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands and food and beverage manufacturers. The platform ingests daily images from retail coolers and freezers and converts them into structured availability, compliance, and execution insights, enabling brands to monitor SKU availability, detect out-of-stocks, and trigger automated replenishment orders. Deployed across 40+ markets globally, CoolR supports hundreds of thousands of refrigerated assets for enterprise customers including Heineken, Carlsberg, Freshpet, Magnum, Suntory, and Arla Foods.

The platform is built on three integrated layers: (1) the VistaZ camera family — proprietary IoT hardware available in battery-powered (with ambient light energy harvesting), externally powered (VistaZ Power for OEM integration), and companion (VistaZ Link) variants, alongside third-party/OEM camera support; (2) the Playbook analytics engine, which applies computer vision models trained for retail environments (achieving 96%+ image recognition accuracy, 98%+ with 4+ quality images) to generate sell-out estimations, merchandising compliance metrics, and automated order suggestions; and (3) the StoreBuddy mobile application, which delivers insight-driven task lists and execution reporting to field teams, with optional SFA/CRM integration. The full platform is exposed via enterprise APIs with customized Postman packages for third-party system integration.

CoolR monetizes primarily through annual enterprise SaaS subscriptions to the CoolrAI/Playbook platform, with pricing quoted based on portfolio size (number of coolers/freezers, markets deployed, feature requirements), supplemented by hardware revenue from the VistaZ camera line. The company employs 51–100 people and has raised approximately $10 million in disclosed funding, including a $10 million Series A in October 2022 led by First Analysis with participation from Moneta Ventures and Remarkable Ventures.

Name

CoolR Group

Legal name

CoolR Group Inc.

Website

https://coolrgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CoolR Group is an AI-powered IoT and SaaS platform that uses computer vision cameras and analytics to monitor retail cooler and freezer inventory in real time for CPG and food and beverage brands, deployed across 40+ markets globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chantilly

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. SaaS Platform Subscription: CoolR operates as an AI-powered SaaS platform with subscription-based pricing. The platform (Playbook) is the primary commercial intelligence layer, generating recurring revenue from CPG brands and retailers who pay for access to analytics, insights, and automated ordering capabilities. The company also generates revenue from IoT hardware (VistaZ cameras) which may be sold or provided as part of the solution deployment.
2. IoT Hardware (VistaZ Cameras): Sale or provision of VistaZ IoT camera hardware for deployment in retail coolers and freezers. Hardware enables the visual data capture that powers the SaaS platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CoolR Group sells an AI-powered SaaS platform (CoolrAI / Playbook) combined with proprietary IoT cameras (VistaZ) that capture daily images of retail coolers and freezers. Computer vision converts the images into SKU availability, out-of-stock, compliance, planogram, and sell-out insights, and triggers automated order suggestions for CPG brands, distributors, and retailers. The integrated system is sold as an annual subscription plus hardware deployment, targeting Food & Beverage brands across 40+ global markets.

Product overview

CoolR Group offers a unified platform combining IoT hardware and AI-powered SaaS software for automated retail execution in the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) industry. The core CoolrAI Platform integrates with the Playbook analytics engine to turn daily cooler and freezer images into commercial insight. Hardware offerings include the VistaZ Camera Family (VistaZ battery-powered, VistaZ Power wired, and VistaZ Link companion cameras) that provide image capture capabilities. The StoreBuddy App connects the insight layer with field execution teams, while the Portal enables back-office management. This integrated system delivers real-time SKU availability detection, merchandising compliance monitoring, automated order suggestions, and improved availability and ROI across global cold portfolios deployed in 40+ markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Playbook: The analytics engine that turns daily cooler and freezer images into clear, actionable commercial insight. It ingests images from cameras and converts them into structured availability, compliance, and execution insights for retail operations.
• VistaZ
• StoreBuddy

Products and services

• CoolrAI Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 20%+ sales increase among major brands using the platform
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Imagr: Imagr provides computer vision-enabled smart shopping carts and checkout technology. Emerging player in retail computer vision with partial overlap in store-level image recognition and inventory visibility.
• Standard AI: Standard AI applies computer vision to retail checkout and store operations. Emerging player in retail AI with some overlap in camera-based retail analytics, though primarily focused on autonomous checkout.

Direct peers

• Planorama: Planorama uses image recognition to deliver retail execution and merchandising analytics for CPG brands. Similar technology stack and target customer base as CoolR, focused on shelf visibility and merchandising compliance.
• Scandit: Scandit provides mobile computer vision and barcode scanning for retail execution and supply chain. Comparable technology foundation (computer vision for retail) and overlapping CPG customers, with a mobile-first rather than fixed-camera approach.
• Focal Systems: Focal Systems offers AI-driven shelf monitoring and inventory management using computer vision cameras deployed in retail stores. Closely comparable to CoolR in deploying IoT cameras plus analytics for retail inventory, availability, and replenishment.
• Pensa Systems: Pensa Systems provides automated shelf intelligence using computer vision and AI for CPG brands and retailers. Direct competitor in image-based shelf analytics, out-of-stock detection, and CPG execution visibility.
• Trax: Trax provides computer vision and AI-powered retail execution analytics for CPG brands and retailers. Direct overlap with CoolR in image recognition for shelf monitoring, planogram compliance, and CPG execution insights across global markets.

Broad incumbents

• Brain Corp: Brain Corp develops AI software for commercial robots and retail automation. Adjacent incumbent in retail AI/computer vision with potential overlap in shelf analytics through robotic platforms deployed in large retailers.
• RetailNext: RetailNext is an established retail analytics platform providing in-store traffic, shopper behavior, and operational analytics. Broader incumbent in retail data analytics with overlap in physical-store sensor-based visibility.
• VusionGroup: VusionGroup (formerly SES-imagotag) is a leading provider of electronic shelf labels and in-store retail IoT infrastructure. Broader incumbent in retail IoT and in-store digital infrastructure with overlap in physical-store data and analytics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CoolR Group