Alpa secures $3.5M to modernise retail
London-based startup Alpa has raised $3.5 million in a pre-seed funding round aimed at transforming how retailers manage and optimise their operations. The round was led by French venture capital firm Daphni, with participation from retail-focused investor True, as well as Firedrop, 2100, and Oprtrs.
Backing from specialist investors
The funding syndicate brings together investors with deep experience in retail technology, data platforms and early-stage company building. By leading the round, Daphni signals strong conviction in Alpa’s potential to address long-standing inefficiencies in store and supply-chain operations.
True, known for its focus on the consumer and retail ecosystem, adds strategic value through its network of brands and retailers. The involvement of Firedrop, 2100, and Oprtrs further strengthens Alpa’s access to operational expertise, product guidance, and international expansion support.
Building data-driven tools for retailers
Alpa is developing tools that help retailers make smarter, faster decisions using real-time data and automation. By combining analytics, workflow orchestration and intuitive dashboards, the company aims to reduce manual processes, cut operational costs and improve on-shelf availability.
The fresh capital will be used to accelerate product development, expand the engineering and go-to-market teams, and deepen pilots with early retail partners. The company’s focus is on delivering measurable impact in areas such as inventory management, store performance and demand forecasting.
Positioning within Europe’s retail tech landscape
Based in London, Alpa is positioning itself at the intersection of software-as-a-service and retail operations, a segment that is attracting growing investor interest as retailers face margin pressure and rapidly changing consumer behaviour.
With this pre-seed round, the startup joins a new generation of European companies building infrastructure to help physical and omnichannel retailers compete using data-driven decision-making and modern AI-powered tools.