Starbucks Teams Up With NomadGo for AI Inventory Counting

Starbucks is expanding its use of artificial intelligence and automation by partnering with NomadGo, a Redmond, Washington-based startup, to modernize inventory management across its stores.

The coffee giant announced Wednesday that it has begun equipping employees with mobile devices powered by NomadGo’s inventory-counting software, allowing staff to scan shelves faster and more accurately using advanced computer vision technology.

The rollout is already underway at more than 11,000 Starbucks locations across North America, with deployment expected to reach all company-operated stores by the end of September.

AI Replaces Manual Inventory Counts

Taking inventory has traditionally been one of the most time-consuming tasks for retail and food service employees.

NomadGo’s technology is designed to automate that process by combining computer vision, spatial computing, and augmented reality.

Instead of manually counting products, employees simply use a mobile device to scan shelves. The software automatically identifies and counts each item, displays the results instantly, and synchronizes the information with Starbucks’ existing inventory management systems.

The goal is to reduce manual work, improve accuracy, and save employees valuable time that can be spent serving customers.

Startup Processes More Than 1 Million Items Daily

Founded in 2017, NomadGo has built its platform around automating inventory management for businesses in the food, beverage, and retail industries.

According to the company, its technology now processes more than one million items every day across its customer base.

Unlike many cloud-dependent solutions, NomadGo’s software performs the counting directly on the device before syncing data with inventory management platforms.

CEO David Greschler said the company is transforming one of retail’s oldest operational challenges.

“Since the dawn of time, inventory has been a manual, tedious, and inaccurate task,” Greschler said in a statement. “We’ve transformed it to be automated, intelligent, and fun with a company mission to count everything of value in the world.”

From Pandemic Innovation to Enterprise Growth

NomadGo was founded by David Greschler, a former Microsoft director, alongside Chief Product Officer Jonah Friedl.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the company introduced technology that helped physical retailers monitor store occupancy, customer density, mask usage, and social distancing compliance.

Since then, the startup has shifted its focus toward inventory automation and enterprise retail solutions.

The company raised $1.5 million in funding last year from investors including Cercano Management, Flying Fish, and Fitz Gate.

Starbucks Continues AI Expansion

The partnership with NomadGo is part of Starbucks’ broader effort to introduce artificial intelligence across its operations.

Earlier this summer, the company launched Green Dot Assist, a generative AI-powered assistant designed to help baristas perform daily tasks more efficiently.

Starbucks is also deploying additional technology aimed at improving order fulfillment, staffing decisions, and overall store operations.

As retailers increasingly embrace AI-driven automation, Starbucks’ partnership with NomadGo highlights how computer vision and augmented reality are moving beyond customer-facing experiences and becoming essential tools for improving day-to-day business operations behind the counter.

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