magicpin Launches ‘Vera’ AI Assistant for Retailers, Backs it With $1 Mn

Hyperlocal discovery platform magicpin has launched ‘Vera’, an AI-powered assistant designed to help small retailers and restaurants across India manage their digital presence. The company has committed $1 million to build this new AI-led business vertical.

The launch comes as part of magicpin’s broader push to enable neighbourhood businesses to digitise operations. Vera functions as a 24x7 virtual store manager, allowing merchants to manage listings, respond to customer reviews, and improve visibility across platforms, including AI-led search tools like ChatGPT.

According to the company, Vera can enhance a business’s online performance by delivering a 1.5–2x increase in visibility and a 3x increase in customer actions, while also improving conversion rates.

The rollout follows a pre-launch trial phase that attracted over 100,000 retailers. Many of these merchants have continued using the platform post-trial, with the same number now onboarded onto Vera’s paid subscription model, the company stated.

“Vera acts as a growth engine that not only manages a merchant’s digital presence but also drives real business outcomes,” noted Anshoo Sharma, CEO and Co-founder of magicpin. He added that AI-led merchant enablement could become a significant revenue stream for the company’s SaaS and advertising business in the coming years.

Vera is built as a WhatsApp-native and voice-enabled assistant, allowing merchants to manage operations through basic prompts without relying on multiple tools or technical expertise.

The launch aligns with a broader industry trend where AI is increasingly being deployed in sectors like retail, logistics, and small business enablement. With over 60 million small businesses in India, magicpin said it has identified a large opportunity in offering automated, performance-driven solutions to replace manual marketing efforts.