Instacart buys Caper AI company for smart grocery carts

Instacart is buying Caper AI, makers of smart grocery carts, for $350 million in cash and stock. In a Tuesday release, Instacart said it expects to integrate Caper’s technology into not only the Instacart app but those of its retail partners also. The purchase was the latest in Instacart’s continued expansion into retailer platform investments. 

Though currently only deployed in North American retail outlets, Caper not only makes smart carts that can recognize items placed in them, but also smart checkout counters that use cameras and weight sensors to auto-detect items placed on counters.