Kirana AI
AI manager for physical stores
Prateek and I are building a new full-stack manager for grocery stores. Growing up, in the summers I worked at my family's grocery store, and saw first hand the challenges my father went through on a day to day basis. My family's store was started over 100 years ago, and with this industry experience, Prateek and I are able to offer new insights.
Overview
The Problem: Operating an independent grocery store means surviving on razor-thin margins.
- 3 % of sales vanish due to shrinkage.
- Out of stocks wipe out 4% more in lost sales
- Slip-and-fall hazards lead to liability risks.
- These slim margins prevent grocers from hiring back office staff.
What We Built-
- 24/7 Theft Detection – Real-time alerts when someone crosses the “no-go” zones behind registers or swipes merchandise.
- Safety Monitoring – Automatic slip-and-fall hazard spotting so you can fix risks before they become claims.
- Shelf & Stock Insights – Instant out-of-stock notifications to keep product levels optimized.
- Pricing Research - Soon we will introduce an agentic workflow to manage one of grocers' most tedious tasks, looking up competitors prices.
Our Team-
- Nic Sleeper, CEO – Former SWE at PredictionStrike.
- Prateek Pinisetti, CTO – Ex-Optiver SWE and chess National Master; real-time systems expert.
- We met as Harvard roommates, did psets together in our dorm, and have been collaborating ever since.
**The Vision-**
We chose to work in this space to help local grocers thrive in the AI age and be on the forefront of innovation. Our cameras are just the first step- by combining POS, ordering, and camera data, we can automate every back-office process in the store, allowing them to achieve their optimal margins.
**Our Ask-**
If you know any grocery or retail store owners who’d love a tireless 24/7 assistant to cut shrink, boost safety, and maximize sales, please loop us in!
