# SandStar AI Retail

> SandStar AI Retail is a retail-technology company that uses computer vision, deep learning and big-data analytics to power cashierless, autonomous shopping. Founded in 2017 as YI Tunnel and rebranded to SandStar after a 2020 Series B+ round, it builds AI vending machines, pure-vision unmanned stores and smart-store analytics that recognize what shoppers pick up - no RFID tags, barcodes or sensors required - and automatically generate the bill when they walk out. Its systems are deployed across roughly 30 countries and serve dozens of global brands and Fortune 500 operators, including a Coca-Cola Smart Lounge in Beijing.

- **Founded:** 2017
- **Headquarters:** Charlotte, North Carolina, United States (with roots in Beijing, China)
- **Founders:** Yili Wu (Founder & CEO)
- **Team size:** ~60 employees
- **Products:** AI Vending Machine, Pure Computer Vision Unmanned Store, AI Check-out Machine / Smart Kiosk, Smart Store Analytics
- **Notable:** Named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer in 2021 for retail innovation., Claimed the world's first pure vision-based unattended store in operation., Ran a cashierless store at roughly 5% the cost of Amazon Go.

## Products & services

- **AI Vending Machine** — Camera-based smart vending using convolutional neural networks and dynamic pure-vision recognition to detect items taken and returned at over 99% accuracy, with a zero product-recognition-fee model.
- **Pure Computer Vision Unmanned Store** — Fully autonomous, cashierless shops that identify a shopper's identity and trajectory via cameras, then auto-generate the bill on exit - no RFID, barcodes or weight sensors.
- **AI Check-out Machine / Smart Kiosk** — Vision-based self-checkout that recognizes multiple products at once without scanning, speeding transactions in staffed retail and food service.
- **Smart Store Analytics** — Computer-vision analytics platform delivering customer dwell time, heat maps, product-interaction data, inventory optimization and staffing/promotion recommendations.

## Achievements

- Named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer in 2021 for retail innovation.
- Claimed the world's first pure vision-based unattended store in operation.
- Ran a cashierless store at roughly 5% the cost of Amazon Go.
- Achieved over 99% product-recognition accuracy with pure computer vision (no RFID/sensors).
- Rebranded from YI Tunnel to SandStar alongside a 2020 Series B+ round backed by Thailand's True Digital Group.
- Deployed solutions across ~30 countries serving 25+ Fortune 500 companies.

## Latest updates

- **2025-03** — Refreshed en.sandstar.com positioning around full-stack AI - computer vision, generative AI and agentic AI - with solutions cited across 30 countries.
- **2022-02** — Coca-Cola Smart Lounge launched in Beijing powered by SandStar's computer vision technology.
- **2021-04** — Exhibited AI-based smart digital retail solutions at the 2021 NAMA Show.
- **2020-08** — Raised Series B+ from True Digital Group and rebranded from YI Tunnel to SandStar.

## Links

- Website: https://sandstar.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sandstartech
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/SandStar_AI
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/SandStarAI/

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/sandstar-ai-retail
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-18