RADAR Hits $1B Valuation to Bring AI-Powered Precision to Physical Retail

NEW YORK, NY – May 19, 2026 – In a landmark move signaling a profound shift in the retail landscape, AI-powered intelligence platform RADAR has secured $170 million in Series B funding, catapulting its valuation to $1 billion. The investment, co-led by Gideon Strategic Partners and Nimble Partners, marks a major bet on the fusion of artificial intelligence and physical commerce, a sector that accounts for 80 percent of global sales but has long lagged behind its e-commerce counterparts in data-driven precision.

For decades, brick-and-mortar retailers have operated with a significant handicap: a fundamental lack of real-time inventory knowledge. This “data blind spot,” as investors call it, leads to lost sales from stockouts, inefficient order fulfillment, and a frustrating customer experience. RADAR aims to solve this multi-billion-dollar problem by creating a digital-twin of the physical store, endowing it with the same level of granular insight that online retailers take for granted.

“In 2026, operating without real-time intelligence in physical retail means choosing to leave billions of dollars on the table. RADAR is changing that,” said Spencer Hewett, Founder and CEO of RADAR. “Today, we’re empowering retailers to run stores with the same precision as e-commerce.”

Bridging the Digital Divide with Overhead Intelligence

At the heart of RADAR’s platform is a vertically integrated system combining proprietary hardware and sophisticated software. Overhead sensors, mounted discreetly on store ceilings, use a patented blend of RFID and computer vision technology to continuously track every tagged item in the store. The system captures a complete inventory snapshot every eight seconds, achieving a staggering 99 percent item-level accuracy.

This constant stream of data—tracking an item’s precise location from the stockroom to the sales floor and even into the fitting room—is where the AI comes in. RADAR’s software layer translates these raw location signals into actionable intelligence, integrating directly into a retailer’s existing operational systems. The result is a store that can practically run itself: shelves are restocked automatically before they appear empty, online orders for in-store pickup are routed with near-perfect accuracy, and store associates can locate any item for a customer in seconds.

Major retailers are already reaping the benefits. The technology is deployed in over 1,400 stores, including fleets for industry giants like American Eagle Outfitters and Old Navy. Jay Schottenstein, CEO of American Eagle Outfitters, noted the transformative impact. “As the first retailer to implement RADAR technology fleet-wide, American Eagle has unlocked greater inventory visibility, empowered our associates and sharpened our insights,” he stated. “With inventory digitized in real-time, we have enabled our creative, operations and technology teams to place their focus on creating seamless, customer-first experiences.”

The Tangible ROI of Real-Time Data

The impact on a retailer’s bottom line is direct and measurable. By virtually eliminating guesswork, RADAR drastically improves omnichannel operations. Research shows retailers using the platform for online order fulfillment have seen cancellation rates—often due to items being out of stock despite showing as available online—plummet from an industry average of around 25% to as low as 3%. Furthermore, in pilot programs, the system’s ability to track items and detect unusual movements has led to a 60% reduction in shrink, the costly inventory loss from theft, damage, or error.

This level of precision is what has investors convinced of the platform's potential to become a foundational technology. “The physical world has long been a blind spot in an otherwise data-driven economy,” commented Erik Oros, Chief Investment Officer of Gideon Capital. “RADAR is closing that gap. Starting with retail, the company is delivering clear, measurable ROI today while building a proprietary data advantage that strengthens with every deployment.”

That proprietary data advantage is immense. By processing over 100 billion item-level events daily, RADAR is building an unprecedented dataset on how customers physically interact with products—information that was previously only available through online clicks and browsing history. This physical AI continuously learns, offering retailers the ability to forecast demand, optimize store layouts, and understand consumer behavior with unparalleled depth.

Strategic Scaling for Global Dominance

To guide its next phase of hyper-growth, RADAR has appointed Abi Viswanathan as its new Chief Financial Officer. Viswanathan brings a formidable track record from scaling some of Silicon Valley’s most disruptive companies, including autonomous vehicle pioneer Nuro, which he helped scale to an $8.6 billion valuation, and a foundational role on Uber’s strategic finance team during its explosive global expansion.

“Inventory is one of the largest and most critical assets for retailers, yet it is often managed with surprisingly low levels of accuracy,” said Viswanathan. “I’m excited to leverage my experience scaling high-growth technology companies to help RADAR build on its momentum and scale through this next chapter.”

His appointment underscores the company's ambitious strategy. The new capital will be used to accelerate deployments across more retail partners, advance the next generation of its sensor hardware, expand its AI analytics capabilities, and fuel international expansion into Canada, EMEA, and Latin America. A portion of the funds is also earmarked for accelerating the development of autonomous checkout, a technology that promises to eliminate checkout lines entirely by automatically tallying items as a customer shops.

As retailers face mounting pressure to match the efficiency and seamlessness of e-commerce, technologies that bridge the physical-digital divide are no longer a luxury but a necessity. With its billion-dollar valuation and a war chest to fuel its expansion, RADAR is not just participating in the modernization of retail—it is actively building the intelligent foundation for its future.