CB Insights’ Retail Tech 100 2022: The Most Promising B2B Retail Tech Companies
NEW YORK, March 15, 2022 — CB Insights today named the Retail Tech 100 ranking, which showcases the 100 most promising B2B retail tech companies in the world. The 2022 Retail Tech 100 cohort highlights startups reimagining the retail experience across 13 categories. This year’s winning companies are working on hyper-personalized shopping, blockchain-powered commerce, autonomous delivery, virtual shopping, and more.
A Breakout Year for Retail Tech Innovation
“By almost any measure, this has been a breakout year for retail tech. We’ve seen skyrocketing funding across the industry, powering companies involved in every aspect of retail from instant grocery delivery to supply chain technology,” said Brian Lee, SVP of CB Insights’ Intelligence Unit. In 2021 alone, these 100 companies raised $13.1B in funding, an incredibly impressive feat, which is triple the amount they raised in 2020. As the retail landscape evolves, these companies continue to revolutionize how consumers shop.
Quick facts on the Retail Tech 100 2022
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Funding (2021) | $13.1B in equity funding across 109 deals |
| Unicorns | 36 of the 100 companies (36%) are valued at or above $1B |
| Global Reach | 19 countries represented; 40% based outside the US |
| Early & Mid-stage Firms | Nearly two-thirds (20 early-stage and 43 mid-stage companies) |
Leading Innovators: parcelLab, RevLifter, and Grovara
Several industry leaders have been recognized for their impact on the global retail landscape. parcelLab is the leading Operations Experience Management platform globally. “We are so excited to be included in CB Insights’ Retail Tech 100 list for the second time! It’s amazing to be acknowledged as one of the leading innovators shaping the retail world of tomorrow,” said parcelLab CEO, Tobias Buxhoidt. The company transforms operational complexity into opportunities to outperform for 500+ brands worldwide, including IKEA, Bose, Puma, Farfetch and Nespresso.
RevLifter has also fended off competition from a pool of over 7,000 companies worldwide to gain a place in the prestigious list. RevLifter is sitting proudly in the merchandise planning & inventory management field, which reflects its ability to use signals like real-time stock levels to help retailers drive sales in the right places. Simon Bird, Co-Founder and CEO of RevLifter, stated: “Our place is testament to the work performed by our team and the client partnerships we’ve evolved to become the market leader in real-time offer personalization.”
Additionally, CB Insights named Grovara, the easy global wholesale experience, to its ranking. Grovara’s industry-first, global B2B online marketplace for American CPG better-for-you brands exceeded gross marketplace volume (GMV) targets for seven consecutive months to close 2021. “We are changing global commerce, and this is only the beginning,” says Grovara Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer Peter Groverman.
Selection Methodology and Market Potential
Through an evidence-based approach, the CB Insights research team selected the Retail Tech 100 from a pool of over 7,000 companies, including applicants and nominees. Selection was based on factors including:
- Tech novelty and patent activity
- Business relations and investor profiles
- News sentiment analysis
- Proprietary Mosaic Scores, which measure the overall health and growth potential
- Market potential and competitive landscape
- Team strength
The Mosaic Score, based on CB Insights’ algorithm, helps predict a company’s momentum. This year, 19 countries are represented, including India, China, Mexico, Singapore, and the Netherlands. Salesforce Ventures is the most active investor in this year’s Retail Tech 100 companies, with investments in 10 companies across 19 deals since 2017.
