Handshake Secures $3.2M to Fix Retail's Broken Deals with AI

LONDON, UK – June 01, 2026 – London-based retail technology startup Handshake has announced a $3.2 million funding round to scale its AI-powered platform, which aims to digitize the complex and often archaic world of commercial agreements between retailers and their suppliers. The round was led by Triple Point Ventures, with significant participation from Future Back Ventures by Bain & Company and Octopus Ventures.

The investment signals a growing recognition of a massive, yet largely hidden, inefficiency within the $18.8 trillion global retail industry. While consumers see neatly stocked shelves, behind the scenes lies a web of deals governing everything from shelf space and promotional funding to rebates and marketing activations. Handshake is betting that artificial intelligence is the key to untangling it.

A Digital Fix for an Analog Problem

For decades, the commercial agreements underpinning retail have relied on a patchwork of spreadsheets, lengthy email chains, and informal 'handshake' deals. This fragmented approach creates significant operational friction and financial risk. According to Handshake, fewer than 50% of suppliers currently have formal written agreements with the retailers they supply, leaving both parties exposed to disputes, missed opportunities, and value leakage.

"Technology has transformed almost every corner of retail over the past decade, but retail buying still runs largely on spreadsheets, disconnected systems, and anecdotal memory," said Alex Lindsay, co-founder and CEO of Handshake, in a statement. "That creates enormous operational complexity in an industry where margins are tight and every commercial decision matters."

The problem is exacerbated by current economic headwinds. With inflation, cost volatility, and intense scrutiny on compliance, the lack of a centralized, transparent system for managing deals has become an acute pain point. Retailers and suppliers alike struggle to track performance, verify claims, and gain a clear picture of profitability, hindering their ability to build strong, collaborative partnerships.

The AI-Native Operating System

Handshake's solution is an AI-powered platform designed to serve as a single source of truth for all commercial agreements. By providing a unified system to make, track, and execute deals, it replaces fragmented manual processes with a data-driven, accountable framework. The company's 'AI-native' approach means that artificial intelligence is not just an add-on but is woven into the core of the platform's architecture.

This enables the system to automatically digitize and structure deal terms, monitor performance in real-time, and flag discrepancies that might otherwise go unnoticed. For retail teams, this means shifting from reactive problem-solving to proactive, strategic decision-making. The platform is already being used by major players, including the rapid delivery service Gopuff.

Victor Angline, Director of Merchandising Strategy and Supplier Relations at Gopuff, highlighted the platform's impact: "At Gopuff, our merchandising teams oversee hundreds of supplier partnerships across multiple categories, so it's important we have the right tools to manage all the details. We chose Handshake to empower our merchants with a platform that enables seamless management of contracts, agreements, and joint business plans."

Strategic Backing and Competitive Edge

The $3.2 million injection will be used to accelerate product development, expand Handshake's engineering and customer success teams, and deepen its partnerships. The composition of its investor group is particularly noteworthy. The participation of Future Back Ventures, Bain & Company's venture arm, provides not just capital but also a strategic endorsement and deep industry expertise.

"Handshake is transforming how retailers and suppliers work together, and its team combines the technical depth and category expertise this problem demands," commented Cameron Ramsay, Director at Future Back Ventures. "This is a category ripe for disruption in the age of AI... Its potential to unlock value across retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers is substantial."

While the market for Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) software is crowded with generalist platforms, Handshake aims to differentiate itself with its laser focus on the unique complexities of retail. Its platform is purpose-built to handle the specific nuances of trade promotions, supplier funding, and other commercial levers that generic CLM tools often fail to address adequately.

Empowering the People Behind the Products

Beyond the technology and financial metrics, Handshake's mission has a distinct human element. The platform is designed to support the commercial teams who are often caught in the middle of operational chaos, armed with inadequate tools to perform a high-stakes role.

"Retail buying is a brutally tough job, and the sector faces structural headwinds that show no signs of easing," noted Peter Welch, co-founder and CTO of Handshake. "The commercial teams at the heart of it deserve better tools, visibility, and outcomes, which is why we built Handshake."

By automating tedious administrative tasks and providing clear, actionable insights, the platform frees up buyers and merchandisers to focus on what they do best: building supplier relationships, developing innovative product assortments, and creating value for customers. This move from manual reconciliation to strategic management represents a fundamental shift in how retail commerce is conducted.

As Handshake scales, its success could redefine the standard for retailer-supplier collaboration. By fostering transparency and accountability, the technology promises not just to modernize an outdated process but to help the entire industry operate more efficiently and deliver better value to millions of consumers worldwide.