What Smartech does

Smartech Retail Group, founded around 2016 in London, operates a physical retail platform that places immersive technology showrooms inside some of Europe's most prestigious luxury department stores. The company currently runs branded retail spaces at Selfridges London, KaDeWe Berlin, Rinascente Rome, Printemps Paris, and an event-based presence at De Bijenkorf Amsterdam, alongside concept formats such as 'Playhouse' (multi-category immersive tech retail) and 'Bike Shop' (cycling and e-mobility). Its underlying proposition is a curated, multi-sensory physical environment in which technology brands can demonstrate and sell products experientially rather than via conventional shelf-based merchandising.

Smartech serves two primary customer segments: large established technology companies (TCL, P&G, Sony, Microsoft, Snapchat, Canon) seeking premium retail visibility among affluent European consumers, and high-growth technology startups (Nothing, Remarkable, XREAL, Fliteboard) seeking credible access to luxury retail channels they could not build independently. The company monetizes through a retail-partnership and transaction-fee model with brand partners; specific pricing and contract terms are not publicly disclosed. Distribution is entirely through embedded retail showrooms within department-store partners, supplemented by events, social-media presence on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn, and earned media in outlets including the Financial Times, Evening Standard, Hypebeast, and Mirror.

The company is privately held with no disclosed external institutional investors, funding rounds, or acquisitions in the input data. Headcount, revenue, and detailed financial metrics are not disclosed. Recent strategic signals include the hire of a US General Manager (Jon Li), which suggests early preparation for North American expansion, alongside continued European showroom openings and brand-partner onboarding.

Name

Smartech

Website

https://smartechwrld.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Smartech Retail Group operates immersive physical retail showrooms for technology brands inside European luxury department stores such as Selfridges, KaDeWe, Rinascente, and Printemps, serving both large enterprises and high-growth startups seeking premium retail access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experiential Retail Services

NAICS

Electronics and Appliance Retailers (4492)

SIC

Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Home & Lifestyle Department Stores (CRAGADAG)

Keywords

• Experiential retail platform
• Luxury department store retail
• Tech brand retail partnerships
• Immersive product showrooms
• Retail concept stores

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Partnership Model: Smartech provides retail space within luxury department stores where technology brands can showcase and sell their products. Revenue appears to come from partnerships with brands seeking premium retail presence in iconic department stores worldwide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Smartech operates physical retail showrooms inside luxury department stores (Selfridges London, KaDeWe Berlin, Rinascente Rome, Printemps Paris, De Bijenkorf Amsterdam) and recruits technology brands—from billion-dollar enterprises to high-growth startups—to showcase and sell their products through immersive, multi-sensory retail experiences. Its branded concepts (Playhouse, Bike Shop) function as curated environments that allow consumers to engage directly with products rather than viewing them on traditional shelves.

Product overview

Smartech Retail Group operates a physical retail platform consisting of multiple branded store concepts (Playhouse, Bike Shop) and location-specific Smartech stores embedded within luxury department stores worldwide. The platform provides technology brands—including billion-dollar companies like TCL, P&G, Sony, Snapchat, and Microsoft, as well as high-growth startups like Remarkable, Nothing, and Fliteboard—with immersive retail spaces to showcase and sell their products. The product portfolio includes: Playhouse (a flagship multi-category tech retail concept), Bike Shop (a cycling and e-mobility focused concept), and location-specific stores at Selfridges London, KaDeWe Berlin, Rinascente Rome, and Printemps Paris. The platform differentiates through experiential retail, hosting events and live performances, and creating what media outlets describe as 'the store of the future' with multi-sensory, cutting-edge experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Playhouse: Smartech's concept store featuring playhouse experiences.
• Bike Shop

Products and services

• Playhouse

Quantifiable outcome

• Positive media coverage from Financial Times, Evening Standard, Hypebeast, Mirror

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• SelfridgesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagship retail partnership with London's premier luxury department store. Smartech operates immersive product showrooms within Selfridges, enabling tech brands to reach affluent consumers through experiential retail.
• KaDeWecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with Berlin's iconic KaDeWe department store. Smartech operates retail spaces showcasing innovative tech products to European consumers.
• RinascentecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Rome's premier Rinascente department store, providing Smartech with prime Italian retail presence for brand partners.
• PrintempscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Paris's prestigious Printemps department store, expanding Smartech's European luxury retail footprint.
• De BijenkorfminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent-based partnership with Dutch luxury department store De Bijenkorf, hosting experiential events and live performances.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Best Buy: Best Buy is the largest specialty consumer electronics retailer in North America, offering broad assortments of tech products in physical stores. Relevant as a broad incumbent in consumer electronics retail, though positioned in mass-market rather than luxury experiential segments.
• Microsoft Store: Microsoft operates physical retail locations showcasing its consumer hardware and software products in hands-on environments. Comparable to Smartech's experiential tech retail approach, though Microsoft focuses only on its own ecosystem while Smartech hosts a curated mix of brands.
• Tesla Showrooms: Tesla showrooms are premium experiential retail spaces in high-foot-traffic locations where customers explore and configure vehicles. Comparable as a benchmark for premium experiential retail that pairs high-end consumer technology with immersive in-person brand experiences, though Tesla is a single brand.
• Samsung Experience Stores: Samsung Experience Stores showcase Samsung's full consumer electronics lineup through immersive, hands-on retail environments in flagship locations. Comparable as a broad incumbent in premium consumer tech retail experiences, though Samsung is one of Smartech's brand partners rather than a competitor.
• Google Store: Google operates physical retail stores that showcase Pixel devices, Nest smart home products, and other Google hardware in experiential formats. Relevant as a broader incumbent in premium consumer tech retail that competes for similar affluent consumer attention as Smartech's showrooms.
• Apple Store: Apple Stores set the benchmark for experiential consumer electronics retail, with hands-on product demos, premium store design, and high-touch service. They are a broader incumbent reference point for how premium tech brands can use physical retail to drive brand affinity, though Apple sells only its own products unlike Smartech's multi-brand model.

Direct peers

• Sonos Stores: Sonos operates dedicated experiential retail stores in major cities where customers can listen to premium audio products in immersive environments. Comparable to Smartech as a premium consumer tech brand using physical retail as a discovery and demonstration channel, though Sonos uses its own brand while Smartech hosts many.
• b8ta: b8ta pioneered retail-as-a-service for tech brands in physical showrooms, enabling brands to launch and test products in dedicated spaces. It is the closest direct comparable to Smartech's model of hosting multiple brands in curated retail environments, though b8ta operated owned venues while Smartech partners with luxury department stores.
• Dyson Demo Stores: Dyson operates experiential retail stores that let consumers test premium home technology products hands-on. The model of premium-priced tech products demonstrated via immersive in-store experiences is directly comparable to the types of brands Smartech curates within its showrooms.

Emerging players

• Nothing: Nothing is a high-growth consumer electronics startup (one of Smartech's brand partners) that has also launched its own physical retail stores. Comparable as an emerging consumer tech brand pursuing premium experiential retail, sometimes through Smartech's platform and sometimes competing via DTC stores.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SmartechYT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smartech-retail-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/smartechwrld
• TikToktiktok.com/@smartechwrld_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Smartech