What SmartRetail does

SmartRetail is a privately held, Hong Kong-headquartered AI company that builds computer-vision audience analytics and retail media technology for retailers, advertisers, and brands across Asia. Founded in 2009 and led by Founder and CEO Adam So, the company operates through regional entities in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan, with newer footprints in Vietnam and Indonesia, reaching nearly 20,000 digital touchpoints across high-traffic retail and transportation locations.

The company's product stack is anchored by Perceptron, an AI-powered computer vision platform that analyzes camera feeds to deliver footfall counts, demographic profiling (age, gender), dwell time, gaze count, engagement time, and zoning comparisons without retaining images or personally identifiable information. Ai:Dentify, an anonymous face-ID sub-system built on Perceptron, enables unique consumer journey and engagement analysis. Above the measurement layer, SmartRetail offers Audience Triggered Advertising (real-time dynamic creative adaptation in DOOH), the Three-Win Retail Media Solution (a retailer-advertiser-consumer monetization model), and the Reward Engagement Out-of-Home (EOOH) Platform, which issues instant coupons via messaging apps. The platform is IAB-standards compliant, and AI audience measurement performance was independently validated by Ipsos in 2025 (4.5-year Mean Absolute Error in age estimation).

SmartRetail monetizes through a mix of subscription/recurring audience measurement services, advertising spend on its DOOH and EOOH network, and marketplace-style commissions on retail media transactions, sold via consultative enterprise sales ("Request A Demo" / "Discuss Your Trial") to retailers, advertisers, and brand partners. Named enterprise customers include MINISTOP (1,400 stores in Japan), Akachan Honpo, 7-11, AEON, Swire Coca-Cola, FWD MAX, MTR Advertising, and JCDecaux Transport. The company received a strategic investment in February 2024 from Malaysian government VC Kumpulan Modal Perdana (KMP), alongside LMI Group and MCP Group, to fund Malaysia and global expansion.

Name

SmartRetail

Legal name

SmartRetail Group Ltd.

Website

https://smartretail.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SmartRetail builds AI computer-vision audience analytics and retail media technology for retailers, advertisers, and brands across Asia, operating nearly 20,000 digital touchpoints in five-plus markets and monetizing through subscription measurement, DOOH advertising, and retail media commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Analytics Software

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185), Media Buying Agencies (541830)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

AI/Analytics Video Surveillance (Detection, LPR, People Counting) (HSAHACAF)

Keywords

• Audience measurement analytics
• Computer vision retail
• Digital out-of-home advertising
• Retail media platform
• AI audience profiling

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Audience Measurement Solutions: AI-powered audience measurement and analytics services sold to retailers, advertisers, and brands to measure footfall, demographics, engagement, and campaign effectiveness. Provides data-driven insights for strategic marketing decisions.
2. DOOH Advertising Platform: Digital out-of-home advertising platform enabling targeted advertising campaigns with real-time audience-triggered content. Revenue from advertisers paying for targeted ad placements across the network of digital screens.
3. Three-Win Retail Media Solution: Retail media platform connecting consumers, retailers, and advertisers in a mutually beneficial ecosystem. Retailers earn revenue from ad placements while providing personalized offers to shoppers, with revenue shared or monetized through advertising fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SmartRetail provides AI-powered audience measurement and computer vision profiling for retailers, advertisers, and brands through its proprietary Perceptron platform, Ai:Dentify anonymous face ID, and Audience Triggered Advertising technology. It also operates a Retail Media ecosystem (including the Three-Win Retail Media Solution and Reward Engagement Out-of-Home Platform) that delivers targeted DOOH advertising, real-time personalized content, and reward-based consumer engagement across a network of nearly 20,000 digital touchpoints in Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Product overview

SmartRetail operates as a B2B2C Consumer Engagement Platform offering a portfolio of AI-driven products centered on audience measurement and retail media. The core technology is Perceptron, an AI-powered computer vision solution for audience profiling and measurement. Built on Perceptron are Ai:Dentify (anonymous face ID for consumer journey analysis) and Audience Triggered Advertising (real-time personalized DOOH). The platform extends to Retail Media encompassing the Three-Win Retail Media Solution and Reward Engagement Out-of-Home Platform, creating a unified ecosystem reaching nearly 20,000 touchpoints across Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Perceptron: AI-powered audience measurement platform delivering accurate audience profiling and measurement for data-driven strategies.
• Ai:Dentify

Products and services

• Perceptron AI-powered computer vision audience measurement platform that captures and analyzes real-time data from cameras to deliver footfall counts, age/gender demographics, dwell time, gaze count, engagement time, and zoning comparison. Used by enterprise retailers, advertisers, and brands for data-driven decisions on physical and digital touchpoints.
• Ai:Dentify Proprietary anonymous face ID solution providing unique consumer counting, unique consumer journey analysis, and unique consumer engagement time measurement, built on top of the Perceptron platform with a privacy-first approach (no PII or image retention).
• Audience Triggered Advertising AI-powered digital out-of-home advertising solution that delivers real-time personalized advertising content based on detected audience demographics and behavior. Enables dynamic, context-aware advertising in-store and on DOOH screens for brands and retailers.
• Retail Media Retail media platform connecting brands with shoppers through personalized, data-driven advertising across digital and in-store touchpoints to maximize engagement and ROI. Includes the Three-Win Retail Media Solution and the Reward Engagement Out-of-Home (EOOH) Platform as sub-offerings.
• Three-Win Retail Media Solution A retail media ecosystem delivering personalized offers, driving store traffic, and boosting ad revenue through targeted campaigns and actionable incentives that create value for consumers, retailers, and advertisers simultaneously.
• Reward Engagement Out-of-Home (EOOH) Platform Platform engaging customers with personalized rewards in out-of-home settings through a network of digital screens and touchpoints in high-traffic locations, with instant coupon issuance and verification via messaging apps (OTP). Powers reward-based engagement campaigns deployed within partner retail chains.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.5 years Mean Absolute Error in age estimation (validated by Ipsos)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JCDecaux TransportcoreTechnology or Integration · 19 December 2025JCDecaux Transport deployed SmartRetail's AI computer vision technology for a pioneering AI audience measurement pilot at MTR Tsim Sha Tsui Station in Hong Kong, marking the first deployment of AI-driven audience measurement in Asia's metro advertising industry. The pilot was independently audited by Ipsos.
• MTR AdvertisingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2025MTR Advertising partnered with JCDecaux Transport and SmartRetail for the AI audience measurement pilot at Tsim Sha Tsui Station, using SmartRetail's technology to measure footfall, demographics, movement direction, and screen engagement for metro advertising optimization.
• IpsoscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2025Global research firm Ipsos independently audited and validated the AI audience measurement pilot methodology, confirming effective directional analysis, reliable demographic classification, and age estimation accuracy with mean absolute error of approximately 4.5 years.
• MINISTOPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2024SmartRetail deployed its Engagement Out-of-Home (EOOH) platform across all MINISTOP stores in Japan, spanning 4,500+ touchpoints including 3,400+ screens in 1,400 stores and 1,150+ office kiosks. The partnership creates a three-win ecosystem for MINISTOP, advertisers, and consumers.
• Swire Coca-ColacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner with whom SmartRetail collaborated on the Hong Kong Coca-Cola Museum opening. Partnership reflects shared dedication to innovation in retail and customer experience enhancement.
• 7-11minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner for retail technology solutions across Asia, collaborating with SmartRetail on AI-powered audience measurement and retail media initiatives.
• AEONminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor retail chain partner collaborating with SmartRetail on retail technology and audience measurement solutions across Asian markets.
• HKSTP (Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmartRetail is a member company of HKSTP and participates in organized events like AFF2025 to showcase innovative retail technology solutions.
• HKTDC (Hong Kong Trade Development Council)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHKTDC organized the 'Think Business, Think Hong Kong' event where SmartRetail showcased AI-powered retail solutions, providing platform for connecting with industry leaders, investors, and potential collaborators.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Aisle Labs: Retail analytics vendor offering computer-vision-based shopper insights and audience measurement for grocers and retailers — comparable niche overlap with SmartRetail's Perceptron but at smaller scale.
• Trax: Computer-vision retail platform focused on in-store execution, shelf analytics, and shopper insights with Asia-Pacific roots — comparable on the underlying AI-vision-for-retail technology stack.

Direct peers

• Broadsign: DOOH ad platform powering digital signage networks globally with audience measurement and campaign management; overlaps SmartRetail's network-of-screens operating layer.
• Quotient Technology (Neptune Retail Solutions): Retail media network provider connecting brands and retailers via digital coupons, audience targeting, and media monetisation — comparable to SmartRetail's Three-Win Retail Media Solution.
• Place Exchange: Programmatic marketplace for DOOH advertising with audience targeting and measurement; competes for the same retailer/DOOH inventory monetisation that SmartRetail sells to advertisers.
• Cooler Screens: Digital in-store media and retail media platform deploying smart screens and audience-triggered advertising inside convenience and grocery retailers — directly analogous to SmartRetail's EOOH screens at MINISTOP and Akachan Honpo.
• RetailNext: Retail in-store analytics platform using computer vision and sensors for footfall, dwell, and demographic measurement — directly comparable to SmartRetail's Perceptron-based audience profiling for retailers.
• Vistar Media: Programmatic DOOH ad server and marketplace with audience-based buying capabilities; competes head-to-head with SmartRetail's audience-triggered advertising and retailer-side inventory monetisation.
• Hivestack (Perion Network): Global programmatic DOOH ad platform with strong Asian presence, offering audience targeting and campaign measurement across digital screens — closely mirroring SmartRetail's DOOH + audience measurement stack.

Broad incumbents

• The Trade Desk: Global adtech incumbent with its KoNECT DOOH and Solimar retail-media offerings; competes with SmartRetail at the advertiser-side buying layer but operates across much broader channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors3 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 SmartRetail