TEL AVIV: Xpand, a retail technology startup developing autonomous, AI-powered stores, announced Monday it has raised $6 million in a funding round led by Ibex Investors and Emerge.
The company’s executive team, including Chairman and CEO Joel Bar-El, also participated, underscoring internal confidence in its strategic direction.
“Our mission is to power the next generation of retail — autonomous, scalable, and always on,” Bar-El said.
The funding will support Xpand’s next phase of growth, beginning with the launch of its first smart autonomous store in Vienna. The milestone marks a key step in the company’s plan to expand access to frictionless retail infrastructure globally.
“With this new investment, we are ready to move from vision to global execution,” Bar-El said. “The Vienna store is only the beginning. Our leadership team is deeply committed to bringing scalable, autonomous retail to life.”
Founded in 2021 under the name 1MRobotics, Xpand rebranded to reflect its shift from R&D to commercial deployment. The company’s modular “store-in-a-box” units integrate robotics, computer vision, and real-time inventory management, enabling 24/7 unmanned operations.
The new capital will accelerate store rollouts across Europe and North America and support expansion of Xpand’s sales, marketing, and technology teams.
Xpand’s leadership includes veterans from Trax Retail, SAP, Retalix, Bringg, and Magic Leap. Bar-El, who previously co-founded Trax Retail, said the company is excited to partner with global retailers to bring its autonomous model to life.