Your Grocery Run, Reimagined

Imagine making a quick hop to the neighborhood supermarket and not having to wait in line, or seeing the price of a certain product decrease before your eyes to account for short expiration period. Even better, imagine putting all of your eggs into one basket, and having it delivered to your house by a drone.

Below are seven Israel-linked startups making the way we buy our everyday goods a little easier.

Trigo

Founded: 2017

Based in: Tel Aviv

Funding: $34 million

Shopping automation startup Trigo Vision Ltd. uses in-store ceiling-mounted cameras to identify items picked up by customers, automatically charging people as they leave the store to create a no-checkout shopping experience. In October 2019, Trigo announced that London-listed British supermarket chain Tesco PLC will integrate Trigo’s technology into its app, so customers will be able to purchase products without having to use the check-out counter, as their payment will be processed automatically. In November 2018, the company announced Tel Aviv-listed Shufersal Ltd., Israel's biggest supermarket chain, would be implementing its technology in 272 stores over the next five years.

Wasteless

Founded: 2016

Based in: Tel Aviv and Amsterdam

Funding: $2.55 million

Wasteless Ltd. offers consumers differentiated pricing for food products according to their expiration date. The company’s pricing algorithm makes use of electronic shelf labels to monitor inventory and sales and adjusts a product’s price accordingly.

WiseShelf

Founded: 2016

Based in: Caesarea

Funding: $240,000

WiseShelf Ltd. develops technology that integrates light sensors and cameras that continually monitor what is happening on the shelf, providing retailers with information in real-time concerning the organization and the availability of certain products. In January, the company announced Israel-based drugstore chain Super-Pharm has implemented shelf organization technologies developed by the company in 14 of its stores.

Trax

Founded: 2010

Based in: Singapore

Funding: $350 million

Trax Image Recognition, incorporated as Trax Technology Solutions Pte. Ltd., offers retailers image recognition, big data, and computer vision analytics tools to keep track of their stock and inventory. By using a system of sensors placed throughout a store, Trax can collect and digitize data in real-time. The company is working on an AR-based store navigation tool and a special-offer locator, CEO Yoel Bar-El said at a Calcalist conference in September. The company was founded by Israeli entrepreneurs Bar-El and Dror Feldheim and is headquartered in Singapore with offices in Israel, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Americas.

Flytrex

Year founded: 2013

Based in: Tel Aviv

Funding to date: $10.5 million

Flytrex Aviation Ltd. develops a cellular data communication module that allows operators to remotely control any drone using a mobile app in order to deliver food and goods. Flytrex’s drones are capable of delivering packages to the ground without landing using a detachable wire. The company received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin food deliveries by drone in the town of Holly Springs, North Carolina, and intends to expand its services to deliver groceries.

PriceZ

Founded: 2011

Based in: Yokne'am Illit

Funding: undisclosed

PriceZ develops an online service and app that enable users to compare product prices in supermarkets. Customers can pick out the exact grocery items they wish to purchase, and PriceZ compares the prices offered by different local supermarkets.

IntraPosition

Founded: 2015

Based in: Binyamina-Giv'at Ada, a town in northern Israel

Funding: $1.5 million

IntraPosition Ltd. offers in-store geolocation services for grocery stores that include line management tools, insights on shopping routes and customer activity within the store, personalized messaging, and a management tool for workers preparing online orders. The service is based on a device installed on shopping carts and baskets and a dedicated mobile app. The company’s technology provides accurate navigation to a distance of up to about 30 centimeters from the desired product, according to company statements.