Slyce

Slyce Inc. operates as a visual search and recognition technology firm, with its headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and additional operations in Nova Scotia, Canada. The company was established in January 2012 by Cameron Chell and Erika Racicot through their business consulting firm, Business Instincts Group. Initially based in Calgary, Alberta, the company later relocated its main office to Toronto before finally settling in Philadelphia.

The company's core offering is an image recognition technology that enables consumers to identify and purchase products directly from a photograph using their smartphone. This technology is primarily licensed as a mobile SDK and integrated into the applications and websites of major retailers. Slyce has collaborated with prominent retailers like Home Depot, Neiman Marcus, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Tommy Hilfiger to power their visual search capabilities. The business model focuses on providing this white-label solution to retailers, enhancing their customers' shopping experience by bridging the gap between seeing a product and buying it. The technology allows users to take a photo of an item to purchase it, add it to a wishlist, or locate it in a physical store.

Slyce's journey includes several strategic acquisitions and significant funding rounds. After raising $10.75 million in a Series A round and $12 million in a Series B round in 2014, the company went public on the TSX Venture Exchange. Over its history, Slyce has acquired companies like SnipSnap, a mobile coupon app founded by Ted Mann, who later became CEO of Slyce in 2016. Other acquisitions included Tel Aviv-based BuyCode and the software assets of Hiku, a voice-enabled handheld scanner for creating shopping lists. In January 2017, the company's assets were acquired by venture capital firm Anzu Partners, and Slyce was taken private. A significant development occurred in November 2020 when Slyce merged with Austria-based Humai and acquired Spain-based Catchoom to form a new entity called Partium, focusing on industrial part recognition. Despite this merger, Slyce continues to support its retail clients. In 2021, the fashion and furniture segments of Slyce were acquired by Syte, a product discovery platform.

Keywords: visual search, image recognition, retail technology, e-commerce solutions, mobile commerce, SaaS, computer vision, product discovery, retail tech, visual shopping, AI in retail, machine learning, deep tagging, part recognition, mobile SDK, augmented reality retail, Anzu Partners, Ted Mann, Cameron Chell, Erika Racicot