Citybox
Citybox is a China-based smart vending machine operator founded in 2015 and headquartered in Xuhui, Shanghai. It deploys AI-branded unattended retail hardware to serve urban Chinese consumers and has raised roughly $40M from ClearVue, SIG, GGV, and other investors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersXuhui, China
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Citybox firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Citybox
- Website
- https://icitybox.cn
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Citybox is a China-based smart vending machine operator founded in 2015 and headquartered in Xuhui, Shanghai. It deploys AI-branded unattended retail hardware to serve urban Chinese consumers and has raised roughly $40M from ClearVue, SIG, GGV, and other investors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Citybox is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Xuhui
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Markets served
Citybox business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure
Citybox product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Citybox operates a network of AI-enabled smart vending machines in China that allow consumers to purchase snacks, beverages, and convenience items without a cashier. The company deploys, stocks, and manages its own fleet of machines, using computer vision and sensor technology to enable grab-and-go checkout.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Smart vending machine retail service Self-operated, AI- and sensor-enabled vending machines deployed across Chinese cities that allow consumers to buy snacks, beverages, and other convenience items without a cashier via grab-and-go checkout.
Companies that use Citybox
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
Citybox technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Citybox competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Missfresh (每日优鲜): China's on-demand grocery and smart-retail player that operated smart cabinets and front warehouses. Comparable to Citybox as a tech-enabled retail format competing for last-mile convenience.
- Xingbianli (猩便利): China's smart convenience and micro-market startup that deployed AI-enabled cabinets before restructuring. Overlaps with Citybox on smart-retail cabinet concept and target office locations.
Direct peers
- Haoyiku (好呀趣柜 / Smartgo): China-based smart vending / micro-market operator focused on office and residential locations. Comparable to Citybox as a sub-scale challenger deploying AI-enabled unattended retail cabinets.
- U-Box (友宝在线): China's largest smart vending machine operator, with tens of thousands of machines across office buildings, transit hubs, and universities. Directly competes with Citybox on unattended retail footprint and ad-supported vending economics.
Others
- Meituan Instashopping (美团闪购): Meituan's instant retail delivery arm covering convenience goods and snacks. Adjacent competitor for impulse-purchase occasions, potentially substituting vending machine transactions in dense urban areas.
- JD Daojia (京东到家): JD.com's on-demand local retail delivery platform aggregating supermarkets, convenience stores, and pharmacies. An adjacent instant-retail ecosystem that competes for the same grab-and-go consumer occasions.
- DeepBlue Technology (深兰科技): China-based AI retail technology company that has deployed smart vending and unattended-store solutions. Provides enabling technology and is a potential competitor/partner to Citybox in the smart-cabinet category.
Broad incumbents
- Bianlifeng (便利蜂): Technology-driven convenience store chain in China with mobile-first ordering and AI-augmented operations. A broader smart-retail incumbent that competes for the same urban convenience demand Citybox targets.
- 7-Eleven China: Established convenience-store operator in China with dense urban footprint. Competes with Citybox for the same convenience and snack occasions, though via staffed retail locations rather than vending.
- FamilyMart China: Major convenience-store chain in China offering ready-to-eat meals, beverages, and snacks. Overlaps with Citybox on convenience-product assortment and urban density strategy.
Market position
Customer concentration
Citybox financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Citybox leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Citybox funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Citybox M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Citybox
What does Citybox do?
Citybox operates a network of AI-enabled smart vending machines in China that allow consumers to purchase snacks, beverages, and convenience items without a cashier. The company deploys, stocks, and manages its own fleet of machines, using computer vision and sensor technology to enable grab-and-go checkout.
When was Citybox founded?
Citybox was founded in 2015. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Citybox based?
Citybox is headquartered in Xuhui, China, in the Asia region.
Who are Citybox's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Missfresh (每日优鲜) and Xingbianli (猩便利). Direct peers are Haoyiku (好呀趣柜 / Smartgo) and U-Box (友宝在线). Others are Meituan Instashopping (美团闪购), JD Daojia (京东到家) and DeepBlue Technology (深兰科技). Broad incumbents are Bianlifeng (便利蜂), 7-Eleven China and FamilyMart China.
Does Citybox have an API?
No public API is recorded for Citybox.