What Viscovery does

Viscovery is a Taipei, Taiwan-based vision artificial intelligence company founded in 2013 that builds computer vision and deep learning technology for barcode-less visual checkout in retail and foodservice environments. Its core technology identifies multiple products simultaneously by visual appearance, claiming recognition within one second, and is purpose-built to recognize unpackaged items such as bread, pastries, prepared meals, and small barcode-less products that traditional POS scanners cannot process. Per the company, the platform has handled over 7 million transactions and 38 million recognized items across 300+ stores.

The platform is structured as an integrated stack: Vision AI is the proprietary recognition engine; Visual Checkout is the headline product; VisAgent is the Android/Windows client application that calls the cloud and displays results; the Visual Content Management System (VCMS) handles catalog image administration; and the AI Recognition Cloud Service delivers the backend recognition. API-first distribution supports plug-and-play or programmatic integration with existing POS systems, enabling deployment with only a camera and tablet rather than dedicated scanning hardware. Deployed customers span bakeries, cafeterias, micromarkets, pâtisseries, stadiums, theaters, and healthcare food service, with named logos including Universal Studios Singapore, Hi Noodle (Haidilao) Singapore, OasisTime (Sendai, Japan), I Jy Sheng bakery (Taiwan), Tokyo Biscuit pâtisserie, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, and additional chains across Taiwan, Japan, Korea, France, and the United States.

Viscovery operates a SaaS subscription model with monthly license fees for the cloud-based recognition service, quote-based enterprise pricing, and technical support during Taiwan business hours. It targets enterprise and mid-market accounts via direct consultative sales, with active markets in Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, and Korea and multilingual websites published in English, Japanese, Chinese, and French. Disclosed funding totals approximately $15 million across rounds in 2014 (Pinehurst Advisors), 2015 (Series 2 of $5 million), and October 2016 ($10 million led by China Development Industrial Bank and GD1), with a subsequent 2019 non-dilutive award from Startup Island TAIWAN.

Name

Viscovery

Legal name

Viscovery, Inc.

Website

https://viscovery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Viscovery is a Taipei-based vision AI company that provides barcode-less visual checkout systems using computer vision and deep learning to identify unpackaged retail and foodservice products in under one second, deployed across more than 300 stores in Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Visual Checkout Software

akta.pro primary industry

Object Detection & Tracking (HDAAAEAB)

Keywords

• Visual checkout software
• Computer vision AI
• POS integration solutions
• Product image recognition
• Automated retail checkout

Headquarters

HQ city

Taipei

HQ country

Taiwan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Software Subscription: Viscovery provides AI image recognition services through paid software subscriptions. The EULA states users must pay for a software subscription to access Viscovery Services. Technical support is provided during working hours (9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday to Friday, Taiwan Time).
2. License Fees: Monthly license fees are charged for AI Recognition Cloud Service. Cloud service disruption guidelines specify deductions based on service downtime (fee deductions for failures lasting more than 12 consecutive hours).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Viscovery develops and sells an AI-powered visual checkout platform that uses proprietary computer vision and deep learning to identify products by appearance without barcodes. The system recognizes multiple items within one second and is offered with a cloud-based recognition backend, client applications for Android and Windows, a visual content management system for catalog maintenance, and API-based integration with customers' existing POS systems.

Product overview

Viscovery offers a unified AI-powered visual checkout platform comprising multiple integrated components: Vision AI serves as the core computer vision and deep learning technology foundation; Visual Checkout is the main product solution for retail checkout automation; VisAgent is the client application (available for Android and Windows) that provides the GUI for calling the cloud service and displaying recognition results; the Visual Content Management System (VCMS) is the web-based module for managing product image catalogs; and AI Recognition Cloud Service provides the backend recognition engine. The system integrates with existing POS systems via plug-and-play or API integration to enable barcode-free product identification across multiple retail and foodservice environments including bakeries, cafeterias, micromarkets, stadiums, and theaters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visual Checkout AI-powered visual checkout system that uses computer vision and deep learning to identify multiple products simultaneously by appearance without barcode scanning. Designed for bakeries, cafeterias, micromarkets, stadiums, and theaters to accelerate checkout in environments where items are unpackaged or barcode-less.
• VisAgent Client Application Client software application that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) to call Viscovery's cloud recognition server and display image recognition results. Runs on Android and Windows platforms and integrates with customers' existing POS systems.
• Visual Content Management System (VCMS) Web-based management system that allows retailers to provision, manage, and maintain the AI recognition system's product image data, including adding product lists and uploading corresponding images for catalog maintenance.
• AI Recognition Cloud Service Cloud-based backend service that provides real-time image recognition of products, accessed by the VisAgent client application or via API. Requires 10Mbps upload bandwidth and is sold under monthly license fees with uptime-based service guarantees.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces bread recognition time from 22 seconds to 1 second, improving checkout efficiency by over 95%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Amazon (Just Walk Out): Amazon's Just Walk Out technology powers cashierless checkout at Amazon Go and third-party retailers. Represents the largest well-capitalized competitor in computer vision checkout, with broader retail scope and infrastructure than Viscovery.

Direct peers

• Mashgin: AI-powered self-checkout system that uses computer vision to recognize multiple items simultaneously without barcodes. Highly comparable to Viscovery — both focus on rapid visual checkout at foodservice and retail locations, with Mashgin deployed in stadiums, airports, and convenience stores.
• MishiPay: Mobile self-checkout and scan-and-go platform using computer vision and mobile scanning for retail. Comparable to Viscovery in providing checkout automation, though with more emphasis on mobile scanning rather than pure camera-based recognition.
• Zippin: Checkout-free technology provider using AI, sensors, and cameras to enable grab-and-go retail. Comparable to Viscovery as a competitor in the frictionless checkout space with overlapping customer segments.
• AiFi: AI-powered autonomous store platform that provides cashierless checkout via camera-based computer vision. Closely aligned with Viscovery's technology stack and target verticals including convenience, sports venues, and retail.
• Sensei: Portugal-based autonomous checkout startup using AI and computer vision for cashierless retail (acquired by Huawei). Direct competitor in the AI checkout space with overlapping technology and customer use cases in grocery and convenience.
• Grabango: US-based computer vision checkout company that provides cashierless technology for grocery and convenience stores. Directly comparable to Viscovery as both use AI camera systems to identify products without barcodes for frictionless checkout.
• Standard Cognition: AI-powered autonomous checkout platform that uses ceiling-mounted cameras and computer vision to enable checkout-free retail. Closely aligned with Viscovery's vision AI checkout approach, primarily serving retail and grocery.
• Trigo: Israel-based AI computer vision company building frictionless checkout technology for grocery retailers. Directly comparable to Viscovery's visual checkout product, serving similar retail use cases with computer vision-based product recognition.

Emerging players

• Caper: AI-powered smart cart and checkout technology company (acquired by Instacart). Adjacent to Viscovery — uses computer vision at point of sale but via a different hardware form factor (smart cart) rather than counter cameras.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/viscovery
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/viscovery
• Facebookfacebook.com/viscoveryHQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/viscovery
• Instagraminstagram.com/viscovery_visualai

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors7 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 Viscovery