Retailers are struggling to meet the growing demand for rapid delivery from consumers, a challenge intensified by the rise of on-demand services. Cloud Retail offers a comprehensive e-commerce solution that tackles the problems of slow, expensive, and technically complex rapid delivery operations. Their scalable Q-commerce software platform enables businesses to provide swift delivery without the steep costs and complications of building in-house logistics systems.
Cloud Retail, a London-based e-commerce software platform that began as Jiffy Grocery, has secured $3 million in seed funding to expand its all-in-one retail management ecosystem. Led by Somersault Ventures, with participation from Pre-Seed to Succeed, AddVenture, and other investors, this funding advances the company’s goal of helping retailers deploy efficient, rapid delivery services and unified commerce operations.
The investment will enhance product development and drive expansion into the EU and MENA regions, where the platform already serves major clients such as Carrefour, Circle K, and CityDrinks in the UAE. “This financing will help further enhance the product and roll it out across even more segments and countries,” says Marat Bolatov, CEO and Co-founder of Cloud Retail.
Solving the problem of ultra-fast grocery delivery in London
Cloud Retail began in November 2020 as Jiffy Grocery, founded by Marat Bolatov and Artur Shamalov, to provide 15-minute grocery delivery in London’s densely populated neighbourhoods. The company met urgent pandemic-era delivery needs through its network of “cloud stores” (micro-fulfilment centres) in Westminster, Shoreditch, and Hackney. Leveraging its founders’ expertise in food technology and logistics, Jiffy raised £2.6 million in pre-seed funding by 2021 to expand to 20 locations across the UK.
By 2022, Jiffy faced the profitability challenges common in quick-commerce (Q-commerce), including high operational costs, complex logistics, and slim margins. Instead of continuing direct-to-consumer delivery, the company transformed into Cloud Retail, a software-as-a-service platform that enables retailers to launch their own rapid delivery and e-commerce operations.
This pivot built upon Jiffy’s proven technology stack, which had processed 4,500 daily orders across 21 London stores with a 99.99% picking accuracy rate. The December 2023 rebranding to Cloud Retail marked its evolution into a modular, AI-driven solution serving various retail sectors, including electronics, fashion, and pharmaceuticals.
What’s so special about Cloud Retail?
While Shopify and BigCommerce lead in general e-commerce, Cloud Retail excels in ultra-fast delivery logistics and hyperlocal fulfilment. Oracle Retail Cloud and AWS Retail Solutions provide enterprise-scale infrastructure but lack Cloud Retail’s specialised Q-commerce optimisation.
Cloud Retail distinguishes itself by offering a comprehensive, modular platform that manages the entire retail operation, from online storefronts to delivery logistics and business intelligence, across various retail sectors, including grocery, fashion, pharmacy, warehousing, and more.
The platform unifies marketing, sales, operations, logistics, and analytics into a single system, eliminating the need for multiple tools and complex integrations. Businesses can either launch with Cloud Retail’s ready-made modules or integrate existing systems through simple APIs. Their proprietary AI solutions enable rapid deployment, cutting typical launch times from five months to just one week.
The system achieves 70% shorter picking runs and reduces time to 6-8 seconds per item picked through data-driven shelving, smart picking routes, and proprietary applications. Store management tools deliver 99.95% picking accuracy, consistent multi-channel experiences, and a 44% reduction in late orders. The delivery software uses 35 parameters for order calculation, enables efficient courier batching, and requires only one full-time equivalent (FTE) per store.
“Founders who dare to visualise their product’s global expansion and set realistic milestones ahead are a gem for investors. It was a dealmaker in the case of Cloud Retail,” commented Igor Ryabenkiy, co-founder of Pre-Seed to Succeed, Founder and Managing Partner at AltaIR Capital.
Alexander Nevinskiy, Partner at Somersault Ventures, noted: “We are excited to back Cloud Retail again after navigating this transition together. The company’s operational roots and strong product culture combine for a unique offering that we believe is poised to fill multiple gaps in the market.”
