buybye
buybye is a Brazilian autonomous-retail startup that operates 24/7 unmanned convenience stores via IoT, facial recognition, and self-checkout, selling franchise units and licensing its proprietary technology stack to retailers across condominiums, offices, gyms, universities, and hotels in Brazil.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersBrazil, Brazil
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What buybye does
buybye (BUYBYE SMART STORE LTDA) is a Brazilian autonomous retail startup founded in 2020 and headquartered in Campinas, Brazil. The company deploys 24/7 unmanned convenience stores equipped with IoT sensors, facial recognition, self-checkout, and a Scan&Go mobile application, managed through a proprietary ERP and IoT control-tower platform. Its primary go-to-market is a franchise model targeting condominiums, corporate offices, gyms, universities, and hotels, with three packaged offerings — Light, Smart, and Premium — priced from R$50,000 to over R$300,000 plus ongoing royalties. buybye also monetizes its technology stack via B2B licensing agreements with retailers such as Sapore Varejo and Trimais, and has assembled an assortment partnership ecosystem with brands including Cacau Show, Chilli Beans, Cobasi, and Havaianas.
The company scaled primarily through the 2023 acquisition of Zaitt, the first autonomous store network in Latin America, and in 2024 added Brazilian singer Lucas Lucco as an investor and strategic partner. Operationally, buybye runs on a lean team of 18 employees, supporting a network of franchise and licensed autonomous-store locations across Brazil. The AI-driven inventory management layer is positioned as a unit-economics driver for franchisees, with reported payback periods of 12 to 16 months at 15–20% operating margins.
Revenue mechanics span upfront franchise fees, recurring royalties on franchisee sales, and B2B technology licensing fees. Public information does not disclose revenue, ARR, GMV, or external funding rounds, which limits quantitative triangulation of scale. The competitive moat is anchored on the regional first-mover position reinforced by the Zaitt acquisition and on a franchise-driven distribution model, while the depth of proprietary AI versus competing autonomous-store platforms remains a key open question.
buybye firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- buybye
- Legal name
- BUYBYE SMART STORE LTDA
- Website
- https://buybye.com.br
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- buybye is a Brazilian autonomous-retail startup that operates 24/7 unmanned convenience stores via IoT, facial recognition, and self-checkout, selling franchise units and licensing its proprietary technology stack to retailers across condominiums, offices, gyms, universities, and hotels in Brazil.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
buybye industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Autonomous Retail Franchise
- SIC
- Retail-Convenience Stores (5412)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Automated/Unattended Convenience Stores (Smart/Checkout-Free) (CRAHABAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Omnichannel Commerce & Click-and-Collect Platforms (BPAMAGAL)
Keywords
Where buybye is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brazil
- HQ country
- Brazil
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
buybye business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Franchise Fees and Licensing: Revenue generated from selling franchise licenses to entrepreneurs. Franchise investment options range from R$100-150k to over R$300k depending on store format and space requirements.
- Store Operations Royalties: Ongoing royalties from franchisee store operations, typically 15-20% net margin on store revenue.
- Technology Licensing to Enterprises: B2B licensing of proprietary autonomous retail technology and know-how to other companies for customized implementations.
- Product Sales: Revenue from product sales through franchise network of autonomous convenience stores operating 24/7.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Franchise investment starting from R$50 thousand |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Store Option 1 - Minimal space requirement |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Store Option 2 - 18m² format |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Store Option 3 - Custom build |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
buybye product offering
Product offeringCore offering
buybye operates and franchises a network of 24/7 autonomous, unmanned convenience stores installed in residential condominiums, corporate environments, gyms, universities, and hotels. The stores are powered by a proprietary technology stack that includes facial recognition, IoT sensors, AI-driven inventory management, self-checkout, a proprietary ERP, a centralized control tower, and the buybye Smart mobile super app. The company sells franchise licenses to entrepreneurs (R$50,000 to R$300,000+ investment tiers) and separately licenses its autonomous retail technology and know-how to enterprises such as Sapore Varejo and Trimais.
Product overview
buybye is a unified autonomous retail platform offering 24/7 self-service stores without employees. The core offering consists of the buybye Smart Store, supported by an integrated technology stack including Self Checkout, Facial Recognition (Reconhecimento Facial), IoT Dashboard (Painel IoT), Control Tower (Torre de Controle), Proprietary ERP (ERP Proprietário), and Scan&Go mobile shopping. Customers interact through the Super App (available on iOS and Android). In 2023, buybye acquired Zaitt, the first autonomous store network in Latin America, expanding its market leadership. The company also offers franchise opportunities with investments starting at R$50,000.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- buybye Smart Store 24/7 autonomous, unmanned convenience store operated without employees, using proprietary technology for self-checkout, facial recognition, IoT monitoring, and AI inventory management. Available in three franchise formats (minimal space, 18m² with prefabricated walls, or custom-built). Installed in condominiums, corporate offices, gyms, universities, and hotels for end consumers and residents.
- buybye Smart App (Super App) Consumer-facing mobile application available on iOS and Android enabling in-store product scanning, mobile payment, account management, and a personalized 24/7 shopping experience at buybye autonomous stores.
- buybye Franchise Program Franchise opportunity for autonomous retail stores targeting entrepreneurs with investment capacity of R$50,000 to R$300,000+. Includes complete technology stack, operational support, training, and site selection assistance. Promises payback of 12-16 months and net margins of 15-20%.
- Autonomous Retail Technology Licensing B2B licensing of buybye's proprietary autonomous retail technology stack and operational know-how to enterprises such as Sapore Varejo and Trimais, enabling them to deploy customized unmanned retail operations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Payback period of 12-16 months on franchise investment
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use buybye
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
buybye technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature8 records
buybye partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- ZaittcoreAcquired Zaitt, the first autonomous store network in Latin America, in 2023. This acquisition formed a unified intelligent retail ecosystem and significantly strengthened buybye's position as the leader in autonomous markets in Latin America.
- Sapore VarejomajorEnterprise client using buybye's proprietary autonomous retail technology and know-how for customized implementation in their retail operations. Part of buybye's B2B technology licensing model.
- TrimaismajorEnterprise client using buybye's proprietary autonomous retail technology and know-how for customized implementation. Part of buybye's B2B technology licensing model helping companies expand, optimize, and innovate their retail operations.
- FiservmajorThird-party payment processing platform responsible for online payment services. All data collected during service contracting is shared with Fiserv for unified control purposes.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
buybye competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- TOTVS: Brazil's largest enterprise software company offering ERP, retail management, and POS solutions. Comparable as a broad incumbent Brazilian technology provider serving the same retail and convenience-store customers buybye addresses.
- Stone Co. Brazilian payments and retail-technology company serving SMB retailers with POS, software, and financial services. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing tech infrastructure to the same convenience/SMB retail segment in Brazil.
- Amazon (Amazon Go / Just Walk Out): Amazon's Just Walk Out technology powers Amazon Go autonomous stores and is licensed to third-party retailers. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering autonomous-store technology at global scale, vastly larger capital base than buybye.
Direct peers
- Zippin: US-based checkout-free retail technology provider offering AI-powered autonomous store software to global retailers. Comparable to buybye in technology, deployment model, and target verticals.
- Grabango: US-based provider of checkout-free technology for existing grocery and convenience stores. Comparable to buybye in applying computer vision to unattended retail and licensing to enterprise operators.
- Trigo: Israel-based computer-vision platform that enables autonomous, checkout-free grocery and convenience retail for global chains. Highly comparable to buybye on core technology (vision-based checkout) and target use cases (24/7 autonomous stores).
- Sensei: Portugal-based autonomous retail technology provider enabling checkout-free stores for European retailers. Comparable to buybye in core offering, technology approach, and emerging-market focus outside the US.
- AiFi: US-based autonomous retail platform providing checkout-free store technology to retailers worldwide via a SaaS model. Comparable to buybye's tech-licensing motion and 24/7 unmanned store format.
- Standard Cognition: US-based computer-vision platform powering cashierless autonomous stores for global retailers. Directly comparable to buybye on technology stack, business model, and target customer segment (convenience and grocery).
Emerging players
- MiniBox (Brazil): Brazilian autonomous micro-convenience store operator focused on unattended retail in offices, condominiums, and universities. Directly comparable regional emerging player competing with buybye in the same autonomous-store niche in Brazil.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
buybye social profiles
Digital presencebuybye financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
buybye leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
buybye subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
buybye funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
buybye 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 buybye
What does buybye do?
buybye operates and franchises a network of 24/7 autonomous, unmanned convenience stores installed in residential condominiums, corporate environments, gyms, universities, and hotels. The stores are powered by a proprietary technology stack that includes facial recognition, IoT sensors, AI-driven inventory management, self-checkout, a proprietary ERP, a centralized control tower, and the buybye Smart mobile super app. The company sells franchise licenses to entrepreneurs (R$50,000 to R$300,000+ investment tiers) and separately licenses its autonomous retail technology and know-how to enterprises such as Sapore Varejo and Trimais.
Is buybye a public or private company?
buybye is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was buybye founded?
buybye was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is buybye based?
buybye is headquartered in Brazil, Brazil, in the Latin America region.
How does buybye make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Franchise Fees and Licensing is the primary driver. The others are store Operations Royalties, technology Licensing to Enterprises and product Sales.
Who are buybye's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are TOTVS, Stone Co. and Amazon (Amazon Go / Just Walk Out). Direct peers are Zippin, Grabango, Trigo, Sensei, AiFi and Standard Cognition. MiniBox (Brazil) is listed as an emerging player.
Does buybye have an API?
No public API is recorded for buybye.
What industry is buybye in?
buybye's product category is Autonomous Retail Franchise. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHABAK, Automated/Unattended Convenience Stores (Smart/Checkout-Free), with a secondary code of BPAMAGAL, Omnichannel Commerce & Click-and-Collect Platforms. Its SIC code is 5412.