Byte-Sized AI is a bi-weekly column that covers all things artificial intelligence—from startup funding, to newly inked partnerships, to just-launched, AI-powered capabilities from major retailers, software providers and supply chain players.
EBay upgrades seller experience tools with AI
Marketplace eBay announced at its annual seller event, Open25, that it’s rolling out additional AI-based seller experience tools.
It announced that it’s launching a tool it calls Offers in Messaging, which allows buyers and sellers to simultaneously negotiate inside a thread, while also having visibility of previous offers in messages. So, for instance, if a buyer asks about flaws in an item and the seller discloses a stain or tear in a garment, the seller can see how that impacts the buyer’s offer. It aims to make price negotiating easier and quicker, allowing the seller to use eBay’s generative AI tools to pre-write messages back to potential buyers.
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Another AI-powered tool that sellers will benefit from is automated feedback. Previously, eBay has asked customers to leave feedback for sellers that they transact with. Now, by leveraging automation, the company will evaluate whether the service was complete and the parcel was delivered on time. If the buyer doesn’t report any issues, eBay will automatically give the seller positive feedback if the buyer chooses not to share a review. The company called it “a simple way to ensure sellers’ reliability and professionalism are reflected publicly, even when buyers stay quiet.”
In recent months, eBay has made its ambitions with AI clear, introducing incremental upgrades to buyer and seller experiences. The company said these tools are just the latest iteration on that mission.
“Each of these features, from AI-assisted messaging to automatic feedback, represents a step forward in eBay’s mission to help sellers thrive. To support the 2.4 billion listings on our marketplace, we’re building tools that reduce effort, increase transparency, and put sellers in control of their business and success—all in service of our mission to empower economic opportunity for all,” eBay wrote in a statement.
Overhaul secures Series C, acquires FreightVerify
Supply chain risk management provider Overhaul announced this week that it has secured $105 million in Series C funding, just after noting that it has agreed to acquire FreightVerify.
Springcoast Partners led the round, with additional participation from Edison Partners.
Overhaul leverages AI and machine learning to help clients track potential disruptions and thefts for cargo. It also works to provide preemptive solutions, real-time cargo tracking and predictive analytics that can help clients keep their cargo safe, even as instances of cargo theft continue to rise.
The Austin, Tex.-based company plans to use its newly minted funding to upgrade its AI capabilities, pursue further acquisitions and speed up product innovation, it said.
Holger Staude, managing partner of Springcoast Partners, said the firm is excited to continue its investment in the company.
“Overhaul is building the system of record for global, high-value supply chains. The company’s proprietary data assets, operational depth, and commitment to solving real-world logistics challenges set it apart in a consolidating market,” Staude said in a statement.
As part of its penchant for upward movement, Overhaul also announced this week that it has acquired FreightVerify, which will enable it to carry out item-level tracking of individual products for its customers. The idea is that the two companies will be able to create an advanced platform that further allows clients to take action on potential red flags before any consequences come about. FreightVerify has already tracked about 100 million shipments.
Barry Conlon, co-founder and CEO of Overhaul, said the acquisition is a natural extension of Overhaul’s business.
“The market has evolved, and the next generation of supply chain solutions needs to address not only in-transit risk but also connect to the impact on inventory outcomes and customer experience,” Conlon said in a statement. “Our approach ensures any delayed shipment can be linked to its contents to proactively prevent and act against downstream issues that would disrupt factories, stores and customer orders. This acquisition doubles down on Overhaul’s commitment to delivering actionable solutions.”
Serve Robotics acquires Vayu Robotics
Serve Robotics, which builds delivery robots that operate via sidewalk, announced this week that it has acquired Vayu Robotics, which, like Serve, does offer delivery robots as a service. Unlike Serve, though, Vayu also offers its clients a mobility-focused foundation model and AI-enabled sensors to aid the continued growth of physical AI.
Serve did not disclose the financial terms of the deal.
Serve expects that, by combining the two companies’ specialties, it can upgrade its robots’ capabilities; enhance its training capabilities to help its robots learn at a quicker, more accurate clip, supported by real-world and synthetic data and more. The company noted that, by unlocking these additional capabilities, it expects it can potentially expand into other delivery use cases—that is to say, instead of only operating on sidewalks, Serve robots may start operating in bike lines or on the shoulders of roads. Doing so would allow the company to expand into a wider variety of industries.
Ali Kashani, CEO and co-founder of Serve, said the companies’ fusion has the potential to drive future technology enhancements forward.
“With this acquisition, Serve solidifies its leadership position, not just in current robotic delivery operations, but in shaping the future of autonomous robotic navigation. This step marks a significant milestone in Serve’s roadmap toward wide-scale deployment of autonomous robots on sidewalks across the nation, aligning with industry predictions of rapid robot adoption,” said Kashani said in a statement. “Autonomy is critical to our long-term goal of bringing delivery costs down to $1, and these new capabilities will help us move faster.”
