A Seattle-based artificial intelligence company called Spangle AI has secured $15 million in Series A funding, bringing its valuation to $100 million. NewRoad Capital Partners led the investment round, which also included participation from existing investor Madrona, along with DNX Ventures, Streamlined Ventures, and additional angel investors.
The startup, which launched last year, specializes in creating personalized online shopping environments that adapt in real-time based on how customers arrive at a retailer’s site. Whether traffic originates from social media platforms, AI-powered search engines, or automated shopping agents, Spangle’s technology generates customized storefronts for each visitor.
The platform’s capability extends to creating contextually relevant shopping experiences. A customer arriving via an Instagram
advertisement might encounter an interface designed to feel like social media browsing. Similarly, someone searching for dresses could be presented with a curated page featuring complementary products for special occasions.
The company’s leadership believes traditional e-commerce
infrastructure, originally designed for direct website visits, is becoming outdated as shopping journeys increasingly begin elsewhere online. CEO Maju Kuruvilla, who previously held a vice president position at Amazon working on Prime logistics and fulfillment operations, emphasized this shift.
According to Kuruvilla, standard websites fail to seamlessly continue shopping experiences that start on external platforms. While retailers effectively capture customer attention through various channels, he noted that post-click conversion remains a significant challenge for brands dealing with externally sourced traffic.
Spangle’s technology leverages advanced generative AI but takes a different approach from traditional personalization methods. Rather than relying on user identity or browsing history, the system analyzes current intent and context to determine whether shoppers are casually browsing, comparing options, or ready to make purchases. The AI adapts product displays, page layouts, and content based on these factors, drawing from each retailer’s product catalog, branding standards, and performance analytics.
The approach has attracted major fashion and retail companies, including REVOLVE, Steve Madden, and Alexander Wang. Spangle reports that clients have experienced conversion rate increases as high as 50% along with notable improvements in advertising return on investment. Within its first nine months of operation, the company has secured nine enterprise clients, though it has not disclosed specific revenue figures.
As an emerging player in the agentic commerce space, Spangle could present competition for established e-commerce personalization platforms and on-site experience providers, including solutions from Adobe and Mastercard Dynamic Yield.
The founding team brings extensive industry experience. Kuruvilla previously served as CEO and CTO at Bolt, the one-click checkout e-commerce company that achieved an $11 billion valuation, and has also held positions at Microsoft, Honeywell, and Milliman. Co-founder and CTO Fei Wang served as CTO at Saks OFF 5TH, a Saks 5th Avenue subsidiary, and spent nearly 12 years as an engineer at Amazon. Yufeng Gou, the head of engineering, also worked at Saks OFF 5TH, while COO Karen Moon brings experience as an investor and former CEO at Trendalytics.
The company currently operates with fewer than 10 employees. Combined with a $6 million seed round raised last year, Spangle has now raised $21 million in total funding.