AI Startup Sees Opportunity Forecasting Pandemic-Era Consumer Demand

About 10 undisclosed companies in Europe, Canada and the U.S. are using Centricity's software platform in sectors such as grocery, nonfood retail, apparel and consumer electronics, said Chief Executive Michael Brackett, who founded the company in late 2019. Centricity employs about 50, up from less than 10 last April, and its planned fundraise could bring total venture-capital investment to $12.5 million. Startups such as Centricity, which build software and services aimed directly at large enterprise customers, have been capitalizing on the increased demand for their services during the coronavirus pandemic, as companies have been forced to accelerate their digital initiatives to remain competitive. Companies use Centricity's AI-based insights to help predict what customers will want to buy in around one to three months, depending on the client, so they can stock their shelves accordingly. Its technology can also be used by research and development divisions at companies interested in launching new products.