ViSenze

ViSenze provides artificial intelligence-based visual search and recognition tools for e-tailers, helping to simplify how people discover products online. The company spun out of NExT, a research center jointly established by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Tsinghua University of China, in August 2012. The founders are Oliver Tan (CEO), Professor Chua Tat-Seng (Chief Scientist), Li Guang Da (former CTO), and Roger Yuen. CEO Oliver Tan had 15 years of experience in media and e-commerce and saw the potential to apply the computer vision technology developed at NUS to the sector. Chief Scientist Chua Tat-Seng is a distinguished professor at NUS's School of Computing, specializing in multimedia information retrieval and social media analytics. His research at the NExT center formed the technological basis for ViSenze.

ViSenze's business model is primarily B2B SaaS, providing its technology to retailers, brands, and media companies. Clients include major retailers like ASOS, H&M, Rakuten, Uniqlo, and Urban Outfitters. The company's AI-driven platform processes over a billion queries monthly, delivering solutions for enhanced search, product recommendations, and merchandising analytics. Revenue is generated through subscriptions to its services and APIs. ViSenze also partners with smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, and Huawei to embed its visual search technology into native camera applications, creating a visual shopping network.

The company's core products include Smart Search, Smart Recommendations, and Smart Tagging. Smart Search enables shoppers to use images, text, or a combination of both (multi-modal search) to find products, moving beyond traditional keyword limitations. Smart Recommendations uses AI to provide personalized suggestions for similar or complementary products based on user behavior. Smart Tagging automates the process of adding descriptive tags to product catalogs, improving searchability and operational efficiency for retailers. These tools are designed to shorten the path from discovery to purchase, thereby increasing conversion rates and revenue for its clients.

ViSenze has raised a total of $34.5 million over four funding rounds. Key funding includes a $3.5 million Series A in 2014 led by Rakuten, a $10.5 million Series B in 2016, and a $20 million Series C in 2019 co-led by Gobi Partners and Sonae IM (now Bright Pixel Capital). In August 2025, the company was acquired by Rezolve.

Keywords: visual search, image recognition, product discovery, AI commerce, multimodal search, e-commerce technology, retail AI, SaaS, computer vision, machine learning, product recommendations, automated product tagging, visual commerce, retail technology, shopping assistant, merchandising analytics, personalization engine, deep learning, mobile commerce