Sérvulo advises Sensei in the Italian market
Sérvulo & Associados advised Sensei on the implementation of Italy’s first autonomous supermarket. The Portuguese startup teamed up with the D.A.O cooperative, an operator in the large food distribution sector, for the inauguration in Verona of a fully autonomous “cashierless” supermarket under the Conad brand, the first of its kind in Italy.
Sérvulo’s team assisted Sensei in the process of preparing and negotiating the partnership agreement that brought D.A.O. and Sensei together in this innovative project, ensuring the deployment of the technology and integrated payment system in the first “Conad” store in Verona and preparing the ground for the opening of future stores in Italy using this model. The legal advice also included framing of data processing under the scope of this project.
Sérvulo’s team included partners Inês Palma Ramalho (Finance and Governance) and Ana Rita Paínho (Intellectual Property and TMT) and senior associate Ana Mira Cordeiro (Intellectual Property and TMT); which teamed up with Gitti and Partners, an Italian law firm, in particular partners Vincenzo Giannantonio and Flavio Monfrini, counsel Marco Blei and associate Anastasia Cichetti, on Italian law issues. On D.A.O.’s side was the law firm Curtis Mallet-Prevost Colt & Mosle, with a team led by partner Emanuella Agostinelli and associate Emanuele Ballo.
Created in 2017, the startup Sensei has developed an innovative technology that allows retailers, through a sophisticated system of cameras, sensors and A.I. algorithms, to transform their physical stores into autonomous spaces, where customers are not required to scan products or wait in queues at cash registers, improving their consume experience. This project marks Sensei’s entry into the Italian market, in addition to already operating in Portugal, Spain and Brazil.
