The Sesamers guide to European retail technology and consumer commerce: the brands and platforms, the funds that back them, the rounds – including one of the largest consumer growth rounds of the year – and the two tradeshows where the industry gathers.
Any company selling to or building infrastructure for consumers buying goods and experiences – online marketplaces, checkout and returns technology, consumer brands (fashion, food, personal care, household), resale and circular-commerce platforms, and live-experience and ticketing platforms. Consumer electronics retail and physical checkout hardware overlap with the broader IFA Berlin ecosystem, which is why that event is shared with the Smart buildings vertical. We exclude food and beverage production, which sits under Foodtech, and pure logistics, which sits under Logistics and supply chain.
Family
Consumer and media
Coverage since
2010
Desks
4 of 4
Reviewed
21 Sep 2026
The four desks
Each is a live, filterable data page – the numbers move weekly
One question the data raises directly – with a verdict
Does IFA Berlin actually belong on a retail-tech events desk?
IFA Berlin's 220,000 attendees dwarf Tech For Retail's 15,000 and NRF's 12,500 combined by a factor of eight. It is fundamentally a consumer electronics and appliance show, shared on Sesamers with the Smart buildings and energy in buildings vertical.
The case forIFA runs a genuine retail-tech and checkout hall, and consumer electronics retail is retail. Excluding the largest tech consumer event in Europe from a retail desk because its core is appliances rather than checkout software would be a strange line to draw.
The case againstA retail-tech founder walking into IFA finds a room overwhelmingly built for appliance buyers and consumer press, not the checkout, marketplace and returns buyers that Tech For Retail and NRF deliver in concentrated form. Ranking it first by raw attendance without that caveat would mislead a founder deciding where to spend a stand budget.
Where we land: IFA stays on the desk and ranked first, because the attendance number is real and the retail-tech hall exists – but the entry says explicitly that it is a broader consumer-electronics show, and a founder choosing between events for a focused retail-tech audience should look at Tech For Retail or NRF first.
How many retail and e-commerce startups does Sesamers track?
149 companies, alongside 45 verified funding rounds and 20 investors with a stated retail thesis. It includes established names like ManoMano, Back Market and Vestiaire Collective as well as fresh 2026 rounds.
What is the largest recent retail round in Europe?
Fever's €217.6M growth round led by EQT in September 2026 – one of the largest consumer technology rounds tracked on Sesamers this year, in any vertical.
Which retail event should a founder attend?
Tech For Retail in Paris if you want a room of purpose-built retail-tech buyers. IFA Berlin if you want the largest possible audience, accepting that most of it is consumer-electronics focused rather than retail-tech specific.
Which investors specialise in consumer brands rather than retail infrastructure?
Felix Capital, Anotherway Ventures and FIGR Ventures are the dedicated brand specialists. AVP and Cathay Innovation are larger, diversified platforms with retail as one of several sectors.
How often does this page change?
The four desks refresh weekly from the live database. The editorial sections are reviewed quarterly or when a major round or fund close changes the picture.
Can I suggest a company, fund or event?
Yes. Use the suggest links on each desk. We verify before publishing; paid placement does not get you onto a ranking or directory.
Counts are generated from the live desks and refresh weekly. The debate is editorial and reviewed quarterly. Every company, fund and event named here links to its own verified record. Corrections and additions: contact the desk
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