What is Curbside?
Founded in 2013 by former Apple location innovation leaders, Curbside—now Rakuten Ready—specializes in predictive arrival technology. The company provides a sophisticated software layer that allows retailers to optimize their order-for-pickup workflows, significantly reducing wait times and improving operational efficiency. By leveraging real-time data, the platform enables brands like Kroger, Nordstrom, and Chick-fil-A to deliver superior customer experiences. Following its acquisition by the Rakuten family in 2018, the company has scaled its operations globally, cementing its status as a foundational technology provider in the retail logistics sector.
How much funding has Curbside raised?
Curbside has raised a total of $34.9M across 4 funding rounds:
Angel/Seed
$1.5M
Series A
$8M
Series B
$25M
Debt
$350K
Angel/Seed (2013): $1.5M with participation from WGI Group, Innovation Endeavors, AME Cloud, TenOneTen, and Chicago Ventures
Series A (2014): $8M led by WGI Group, Index Ventures, TenOneTen, AME Cloud Ventures, Innovation Endeavors, Chicago Ventures, and Ou2019Reilly AlphaTech Ventures
Series B (2015): $25M supported by AME Cloud Ventures, Index Ventures, Sutter Hill Ventures, and Qualcomm Ventures
Debt (2020): $350K featuring PPP
Key Investors in Curbside
Index Ventures
A prominent venture firm that partners with entrepreneurs from seed to IPO, known for backing transformative companies like Datadog and Figma.
AME Cloud Ventures
A venture fund led by Jerry Yang that focuses on data-centric infrastructure and value chains, supporting companies that build the future economy.
Sutter Hill Ventures
A Palo Alto-based firm specializing in financing high-growth technology startups and providing strategic guidance for market-leading companies.
What's next for Curbside?
As Rakuten Ready continues to integrate its predictive arrival solutions into the broader Rakuten ecosystem, the focus remains on expanding its footprint within the global retail market. The recent strategic investment of $350K provides the necessary runway to enhance its data-driven capabilities and further refine its predictive algorithms. Future growth will likely center on deepening partnerships with large-scale enterprise clients and exploring new applications for its location-intelligence stack, ensuring that the company remains at the forefront of the digital transformation of physical commerce.
See full Curbside company page
