While emerging technologies arouse public and investor interest, many robots have quietly worked and provided value. Simbe Robotics Inc. today marked a decade since it introduced Tally, a shelf-scanning system for retailers across grocery, mass merchandise, club, and specialty formats.
“The foundation we’ve built with Tally is unlocking extraordinary new possibilities,” stated Brad Bogolea, co-founder and CEO of Simbe Robotics. “We’re proud to support retailers in modernizing operations, turning real-time shelf data into an enterprise-wide performance advantage.”
Tally now operates across 10 countries and nearly a dozen sectors, serving nearly five-dozen global retail leaders, regional innovators, and high-service independent stores alike, said Simbe. The South San Francisco-based company claimed that it serves the most retail banners worldwide and that it uniquely combines autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), RFID, and fixed sensors for full-store visibility.
Simbe added that its Store Intelligence platform combines advanced computer vision, artificial intelligence, and automation to give retailers visibility into every shelf, every product, and every store. The company said it enables organizations across nearly a dozen sectors to scale intelligent automation, improve operational precision, and elevate both associate and shopper experiences.
Simbe Robotics touts 10 years of retail intelligence
“In 2015, Simbe introduced Tally with a bold vision: illuminate the store interior, the last blind spot in retail, with real-time, actionable shelf intelligence,” said the company. “Simbe’s Store Intelligence platform is now a strategic layer of retail infrastructure, helping the industry’s top operators see what’s in stock, what needs to move, and what decisions to make—faster, smarter, and at scale.”
Simbe Robotics listed some statistics of Tally’s accomplishments:
- 600 million shelf gaps detected, helping retailers fix 42% instantly
- 18 billion price tags scanned, identifying more than 80 million promotion errors
- 1.8 million km (1.1 million mi.) traveled, the equivalent of circling the globe 45 times
- 44.8 billion shelf photos captured
- 4.7 million autonomous hours logged
“Behind each number is a single truth: the shelf matters immensely,” Bogolea wrote in a blog post. “What happens there defines the retail experience, and we couldn’t be prouder that our clients’ teams now see it more clearly than ever.”
A timeline of Tally progress
Over the past decade, Tally has moved from early pilots to full-chain deployments, said Simbe. Highlights include:
- 2015: Tally debuts as “the world’s first” autonomous shelf-scanning robot.
- 2018: Tally RFID introduced; partnerships with Schnuck Markets Inc. and Decathlon validate operational value of Tally 2.0.
- 2020: Simbe launches Tally 3.0 with enhanced vision, durability, maneuverability, and embedded data processing.
- 2021: Schnuck Markets becomes first grocer to deploy Tally chainwide.
- 2022: BJ’s Wholesale Club becomes the first wholesale club to use Tally, eventually scaling chainwide.
- 2023: Food solutions company SpartanNash introduces Tally to Family Fare and Martin’s Supermarket stores following a successful pilot. Wakefern, the largest U.S. retailer cooperative, deploys the robot in more ShopRite stores.
- 2024: Simbe launches Mobile & Virtual Tour solutions for real-time insights on the go and Simbe Brand Insights enabling retailers to deliver inventory insights to brands and vendor partners daily. The company expands into Turkey, Germany, and farm supply in the U.S. and is recognized with an RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award for expanding its BK’s deployment.
- 2025: Introduction of Tally Spot, fresh department capabilities, and Simbe for Merchants expands coverage to fixed zones and functional workflows. Simbe is also recognized as No. 1 in Robotics & Engineering and No. 28 overall Fast Company‘s “World’s Most Innovative Companies” list. It expands into Ireland, the U.K., Saudi Arabia, Austria, Canada, and Mexico, and continues growth in the U.S.
Investors and customers participate in performance gains
Along the way, Simbe Robotics has received more than $100 million from top-tier investors including Goldman Sachs, Eclipse, Pathbreaker Ventures, Valo Ventures, and Build Collective. In 2023, the company said it tripled its contracted annual recurring revenue, while nearly doubling its store footprint in 2024.
“With continued global expansion and Fortune 100 adoption, 2025 is shaping up to be Simbe’s strongest year yet,” it said.
Simbe said that Tally has helped retailers achieve outcomes that directly benefit their top and bottom lines. They include 98% on-shelf availability, 90% improved price and promotion accuracy, and more than 50 hours per week returned to store teams.
Retailers have publicly credited Tally with meaningful performance gains and cited its impact on their earnings. Simbe said this demonstrates its operational value and shopper relevance at scale.
“Tally has provided us data and capabilities that we didn’t have just a few years ago,” said Bob Eddy, chairman and CEO of BJ’s Wholesale Club. “And our members love it.”
Save the date for the 2026 Robotics SummitSimbe Robotics looks to the next decade
Not only can Tally and Store Intelligence help operations, they can also extend to the in-store experience, said Simbe Robotics. According to recent research, over 80% of shoppers prefer stores with robots, specifically Tally, citing improved product availability and better customer service.
Store leadership shares that sentiment, with 90% of store managers saying that they prefer their jobs with Tally and 85% reporting increased ability to sell more and serve customers better. “By removing tedious manual tasks, Tally allows teams to reinvest time in delivering knowledgeable, human-centered service where it matters most,” said Simbe.
Recent Coresight research said that store intelligence technologies are increasingly relevant, with global market value expected to reach $12.6 billion by 2029 and a 151% year-over-year increase in retailer investments. It predicted the greatest concentration will be in robotics.
“As Simbe enters its second decade, the company is extending shelf intelligence into enterprise-wide orchestration—connecting price accuracy, on-shelf availability, omnichannel fulfillment, and merchandising decisions around a shared, real-time data layer,” the company said.
It added that new implementations around the world are helping to advance predictive insights and integrated workflows to serve every retail stakeholder, from store teams and suppliers to executive decision-makers.
“Technology is at its best when it serves people. That’s what Simbe has always been about: empowering retailers and their teams, enriching the shopping experience, and making retail more intelligent and most importantly, human,” Bogolea said. “As we look ahead, a new era of Tally is on the horizon, which we look forward to introducing soon to again redefine what’s possible with store intelligence.”
