Amazon Go popularized completely contactless stores, but now the concept is expanding with players like 7-Eleven and Walmart, along with startups like Standard Cognition, Zippin, AiFi, Grabango, and Trigo joining the game.

In Europe, Portuguese startup Sensei is taking advantage of this trend and has just secured €15 million (about $16.2 million) in a Series A funding round led by BlueCrow Capital.

Sensei’s system uses computer vision and AI-powered sensors to update the store’s payment system automatically based on what customers put in their carts. When they’re ready to check out, a list of items ready for payment is displayed.

According to CEO Vasco Portugal, the retail industry faces two main problems: a poor customer experience and struggles with real-time sales processing. Automation is key, he says, comparing it to the automation of cars and factories.

With the fresh funding, Sensei is aiming to have 1,000 fully autonomous points of sale by 2026, with operations already in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Brazil, and plans to expand further into Europe.

Sensei faces tough competition in this space, with other startups raising significant funds like Standard Cognition ($239.4 million), Trigo ($199 million), Grabango ($93.8 million), AiFi ($87.1 million), and Zippin ($44 million).

New investors Lince Capital, Explorer Investments, and Kamay Ventures (supported by Coca-Cola and Arcor Group) joined Sensei’s Series A, along with existing investors Metro AG and Techstars Ventures.

In 2021, Lisbon-based Sensei raised a seed round of $6.5 million (€5.4 million) led by Seaya Ventures and Iberis Capital, with participation from 200M Fund.