Lula Commerce, the leading provider of AI-powered digital commerce technology for convenience retailers, announced it has raised an $8 million Series A round led by SEMCAP AI, with participation from Rich Products Ventures, GO PA Fund, NZVC, UP.Partners, Green Circle Foodtech Ventures, and Outlander VC. The new funding brings Lula’s total capital raised to over $16 million to meet the growing digital demands of world-class convenience retailers.
The convenience retail industry in the U.S. is ripe for digital transformation. There are more than 155,000 convenience stores across the U.S., welcoming over 160 million visitors every day, nearly half of all Americans. Unlike other retail sectors, the vast majority of convenience store shopping still happens offline. Fewer than 10% of convenience retailers currently offer modern online ordering or delivery options, leaving billions of dollars in potential revenue untapped. At the same time, a legacy technology stack, limited connectivity, and rising labor costs have made it difficult for operators to build best-in-class digital experiences internally, creating a clear need for scalable, AI-driven solutions, like those offered by Lula Commerce, to bridge the gap.
Lula Commerce provides an AI-powered operating system for retail that helps convenience stores and retail operators modernize every aspect of their digital business. The platform includes Lula Hub, which unifies third-party delivery services like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub into a single dashboard; Lula Direct, which powers branded web and mobile ordering; and Lula Operators, a suite of 30+ AI-driven tools that automate refunds, reviews, uptime, and other critical operations-enabling retailers to deliver best-in-class digital experiences with ease.
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Together, these solutions enable retailers to operate with the digital speed, intelligence, and sophistication once reserved for large multinational giants with unlimited resources. In recent months, the company has rapidly scaled to support industry leaders such as Circle K (franchisees), United Pacific (Rocket/Alta Stores), Jacksons Food Stores, Par Mar Stores, Clipper Petroleum, and more than 50 regional convenience chains across the U.S., including thousands of franchisees operating within those groups.
“Lula Commerce is an ideal example of the type of portfolio company SEMCAP AI targets for investment, leveraging AI to disrupt how businesses operate, boosting productivity, and transforming markets,” said Vince Menichelli, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner, SEMCAP AI. “With nearly 50% of Americans visiting convenience stores each day, this is a category ripe for digitization on almost every front. We’re proud to partner with the incredible management team at Lula to work to transform this industry and accelerate their growth.”
“It’s an incredible privilege to build mission-critical technology for some of the most iconic and forward-thinking retail brands in the country. As consumer expectations shift and digital continues to reshape retail, we’re committed to being the backbone that powers this transformation”, said Adit Gupta, Co-Founder & CEO, Lula Commerce.
SOURCE: GlobeNewswire