Pickpad Vision – Update

I’ve been building Pickpad full-time for nearly a year now and would love to share our updated vision – shaped by real-world feedback and industry conversations.

The future of commerce is digital, hyperlocal, and autonomous. 

At Pickpad, we’re using sensors and ML to build the infrastructure for it.

Technology is changing how millions of people order food, drinks, groceries, and everyday items. Consumption patterns are shifting. We order online, talk to AI, and expect to get what we want instantly. The wait window has been shrinking – from days to hours, hours to minutes. Commerce is becoming hyperlocal and hyperdigital.

And while this shift is exciting for customers, it brings an absolutely new layer of challenges for businesses at the intersection of digital and physical worlds: the pickup area.

This small zone has become one of the most critical parts of every store, handling hundreds of orders a day. It’s where efficiency, data accuracy, data exchange, order accuracy, speed, and customer experience are either won or lost.

That’s why we’re building Pickpad – a new infrastructure layer that enables restaurants and retail stores to interact with customers and delivery providers.

We use sensors and ML to seamlessly upgrade any store’s pickup area to manage all orders coming from different channels on full autopilot. This unlocks an entirely new layer of physical data points and takes businesses to the next level of operational efficiency and customer experience.

All of this – with no capital investment, no store redesign, no process changes, not even a single button to click. Setup takes 30 minutes, and you’re good to go. The adoption curve kills even the best innovations. We’re turning it into our edge, seamlessly integrating right into the store’s existing flow.

Another key differentiator: our access to the physical world.

Most tech companies today operate within the same digital data layer, competing by using the same inputs in slightly different ways.

Nearly everyone claims to be “powered by AI”, but the truth is: the quality of any model is only as good as the data you feed it. Incomplete data in, incomplete results out.

That’s why we’re going beyond, adding an entirely new dimension of data by using sensors.

Sensors are everywhere these days – in my Apple watch, your Tesla, or someone’s robotic vacuum cleaner.

For example, without the sensors in my watch, I wouldn’t be able to track my sleep, heart rate, running distance, speed, tennis shots, and more. It’s like navigating without GPS – sensors are critical for countless services that rely on them, making everyday life better.

So, why not apply the same concept to business operations?

Sensors are inexpensive and generate enormous amounts of data. And now, with the rise of machine learning, it’s the perfect time to process that data, cut through the noise, and deliver clear, actionable insights.

We’re building a product for the entire hyperlocal commerce space, but starting with the restaurant industry – where I bring the most expertise as a founder. 

Over the last 15 years, I’ve launched a food delivery marketplace with millions of orders delivered, a ghost kitchen chain, and a restaurant commerce SaaS platform. Through these experiences, I’ve come to understand the industry well, and I’ve seen that not all problems can be solved by software alone.

Within the restaurant industry, we’re laser-focused on fast food, fast casual, and coffee brands, as this is the largest and most solid segment, with ~400,000 locations in the U.S. and the highest digital adoption.

Imagine the future where you say “Hey Siri” (or Meta, or ChatGPT), “order my coffee please,” – and it’s ready right on time. No wait. No hassle. You grab it from a personalized pad with zero friction – or it’s delivered by a driver, an autonomous vehicle, or even a robot. All powered by seamless data flow across systems and services.

And here’s the thing – that future is already here.

Pickpad is real – already deployed and tested in pilot programs, gaining strong interest from the industry, top-tier media, and recognition from leading industry awards.

Today, Pickpad optimizes human-to-human interactions – boosting operational efficiency and delivering incredible customer experiences.

Tomorrow, it enables human-to-robot – and eventually, robot-to-robot – coordination.

The future of commerce is digital, hyperlocal, and autonomous. Pickpad is helping make that future happen faster.

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Would love to hear your thoughts!

Yaro Tsyhanenko, founder