Israeli Startup Xpand Raises $6M to Expand Autonomous Retail Stores Globally

TEL AVIV, Israel – Xpand, a Tel Aviv-based retail technology startup developing autonomous, AI-powered retail stores, has announced the successful closure of a $6 million funding round led by Ibex Investors and Emerge. The company’s executive leadership, including Chairman and CEO Joel Bar-El, also contributed to the round, underscoring strong internal confidence in Xpand’s vision and growth strategy. The capital will fuel Xpand’s next stage of expansion, beginning with the launch of its first smart autonomous retail stores. These stores leverage advanced computer vision, artificial intelligence, and real-time analytics to enable fully automated shopping experiences—allowing customers to enter, browse, select items, and exit without interacting with staff or traditional checkout systems. Xpand’s technology is designed to reduce operational costs for retailers, minimize shrinkage, and enhance the shopping experience through seamless, frictionless transactions. The company is targeting global markets, with initial deployments expected in key urban centers across Europe and North America. The investment comes at a pivotal moment as retailers worldwide seek innovative solutions to address labor shortages, rising overhead, and evolving consumer expectations. Xpand’s platform is positioned to serve a wide range of retail formats, from convenience stores and kiosks to larger format automated outlets. With this funding, Xpand plans to scale its engineering and operations teams, expand its technology infrastructure, and accelerate commercial partnerships with retailers and real estate developers. The company also aims to refine its AI models to improve product recognition, customer behavior analysis, and inventory management. Joel Bar-El emphasized the significance of the milestone, stating, “This funding marks a critical step in our mission to redefine retail through intelligent automation. We’re not just building stores—we’re building the future of commerce.” As the global demand for contactless, efficient, and data-driven retail experiences grows, Xpand is positioning itself at the forefront of the autonomous retail revolution.