The verified answer
As of Oct 2026, DEPLOY verifies Caper AI: 1 model. 1 source back the record.
Appears inHome robots
Overview
Caper AI was a New York-based startup developing AI-powered smart shopping carts for autonomous checkout. Founded by Lindon Gao, the company raised $10M Series A and was acquired by Instacart for $350M in 2021. The founder subsequently launched a new robotics startup.
Verified record
- Verified deployments
- None on file
- Active incidents
- None on file
Valuation of record
DEPLOY VERIFIEDAcquisitionAcquired by Instacart
Key facts
Data & sources
Web sources
1
1 source backing this record.View all →
Models (1)
View all models →Partnerships
Every company Caper AI has built with, alongside the ones only announced in a press release.
Most-frequent partners
- 1Instacart1× joint2 total
Most recent
- Instacart acquires Caper AI2021-10-19with Instacartoperating
Caper AI on the deployment map
View the global mapCaper AI has no verified deployments on the DEPLOY registry yet. Explore the deployment map by place and type.
No verified deployments for Caper AI on the DEPLOY record yet. Track Caper AI to know the moment the first one is verified.
Relationships
Current leadership (1)
- Lindon Gao CEOreported, not verified
Founders (1)
- Lindon Gao
previously at Dyna Robotics
Safety record
No incidents on record for Caper AI.
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Full safety record: incidents, sourcing, and exposure data →
Recent coverage
Caper AI in third-party press
Peer companies
- DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics6 models
- Samsung Electronics6 models
- Locus Robotics5 models
- Enabot3 models
- Infiforce3 models
- KEENON Robotics3 models
Mentioned on (5)
Registry pages whose text names Caper AI.
Financial state
- Reporting basis
- aggregator_estimate
- Lifecycle stage
- acquired
- Counterparty risk class
- moderate
Each numeric field carries its own basis marker. Aggregators report a number; this surface preserves the source class so verification depth travels with the value.
Partnerships
1 total · 1 operating · 1 ended
Every company Caper AI has built with, alongside the ones only announced in a press release.
Most recent
- Instacart acquires Caper AI2021-10-19with Instacartoperating
Most-frequent partners
- 1Instacart1× joint2 total
Funding rounds (1)
- Series A
$10M
Acquisitions (1)
- acquired by Instacartfull acquisition2021-10-01
Timeline
Every recorded move in Caper AI’s history, most recent first: funding rounds, partnerships, acquisitions, supply-chain starts, key hires, and press.
PartnershipInstacart acquires Caper AI
2021-10-19Instacart acquired Caper AI for 50M in cash and stock, adding AI-powered smart shopping carts and automated checkout counters to its retailer enablement platform. Caper's smart carts were deployed at Kroger, Wakefern, Schnucks, and Sobeys. Caper AI co-founder and CEO Lindon Gao joined Instacart.
Acquired byAcquired by Instacart
2021-10-01Acquired by Instacart (full_acquisition)
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Record createdJun 25, 2026
Added to the verified registry
Sources (1)
Common questions
What is Caper AI?
What does Caper AI make?
Is Caper AI publicly traded?
Who competes with Caper AI?
Who is the CEO of Caper AI?
How can I invest in Caper AI?
Who owns Caper AI?
Where does Caper AI operate robots?
Is Caper AI a top robotics company?
When was Caper AI founded?
Is Caper AI safe?
Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-21
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-08-21
Sources by quality tier
- 1
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for Caper AI.Peer companies
- DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics6 models
- Samsung Electronics6 models
- Locus Robotics5 models
- Enabot3 models
- Infiforce3 models
- KEENON Robotics3 models
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning Caper AI from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
NVIDIA GTC 2026: Retail Sees Great Potential With Physical AI and Operational Improvements
Jensen Huang's Investment in a Zhejiang University Alumnus
Dyna Robotics raises $23.5 million to commercialize embodied AI with ‘low-Cost robots’
Dyna Robotics: $23.5 Million (Seed) Closed To Bring Embodied AI Into The Real World
After Instacart exit, Caper AI founder launches robotics startup to automate dirty, dull, and dangerous work
Now batting at Fenway Park – contactless checkout
Caper Launches Plug-and-Play Autonomous Checkout Counter for Mini Market and Small Retail Stores
Caper's AI shopping cart goes national to counter Amazon Go
Next-level autonomous shopping carts are even smarter
Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /companies/caper-ai.md
- RSS feed: /companies/caper-ai/feed.xml
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/companies/b2b42f84-7454-4e74-9633-9e1ee5182dc0
- Revision history: /companies/caper-ai/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Peer companies
- DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics6 models
- Samsung Electronics6 models
- Locus Robotics5 models
- Enabot3 models
- Infiforce3 models
- KEENON Robotics3 models
Heat Index
Serious52/100
A composite of competitive footprint, funding, press velocity, active partnerships, and supply-chain edges. Different from the Intelligence score below (which is per-form-factor productization). Non-robotics companies cap at 25.
Reality vs attention
Caper AI draws attention at the 14th percentile but verifies reality at the insufficient-data level among service robots.
6-month trend
Analysis
Limited public visibility and press coverage relative to peers.
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Oct 19, 2026