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Get in TouchAbout
Bringing e-commerce-grade engagement to in-person retail.
Onki is an NYC-based startup founded by former Amazon innovators. We think physical retail deserves the same personalization and attentiveness that online shopping has had for a decade — and we're building it, one shelf at a time.
Company
Why we started Onki.
Online retail has spent two decades learning how to personalize, recommend, and convert — while physical retail has mostly stood still, still relying on static signage and stretched-thin staff to do the same job.
Our founding team came out of Amazon, where we saw firsthand what e-commerce-grade engagement could do at scale. Onki is our attempt to bring that same intelligence to the shelf — starting with AICap, and starting with East Asian alcohol, where the gap between shopper curiosity and shopper knowledge is widest.
Office / founding-team photoNYC office or founding team, candid rather than posed
Why Now
The behavior and economics are already here — just not in physical stores yet.
We didn't invent the idea that AI assistance drives retail outcomes. That case is already being made online and by associates — we're bringing it to the shelf.
300M+ users / ~$12B sales
Amazon's shopping assistant, 2025Source: Amazon
+200bps
Satisfaction lift when associates use Lowe's AI companionSource: Lowe's 2025 Annual Report
Milestones
Where we are today.
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FEB 2026
First pilot
An early kiosk pilot at an East Asian alcohol retailer in Tribeca produced a confirmed sale.
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AUG 2026
Manhattan pilot
A three-store pilot begins, measured against defined engagement and conversion thresholds.
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2027
Expansion
Full alcohol coverage, then supplements and personal care — the next high-confusion aisles.
Team
Leadership.
A strong trust signal for enterprise buyers and investors alike — remaining bios are placeholders until headshots and copy are finalized.
Headshot pending
Yue Liu
Founder & CEOFormer Amazon innovator. Believes physical retail has been competing against e-commerce's data-driven funnel without one — and is building AICap to give every store that funnel, at the shelf.
Headshot pending
Name Pending
Title Pending1–2 line bio emphasizing Amazon / retail / AI background.
Headshot pending
Name Pending
Title Pending1–2 line bio emphasizing Amazon / retail / AI background.
Note: use one consistent photo style/background across every headshot — mismatched headshots read as unpolished fast.
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Press & Partnerships
Journalists, investors, and potential partners.
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