News

Firmly Secures $15M for AI-Powered Agentic Commerce Expansion

Funding
November 7, 2026, 3:35 pm
Firmly, a Seattle-based agentic commerce innovator, just closed a $15 million Series A funding round. This brings total capital to $20 million. Squarepoint Capital led the investment. Strategic players like J.P. Morgan Payments, Mastercard, and Samsung NEXT also participated. The company offers a no-code platform, firmly Connect, enabling seamless merchant integration with AI shopping channels. It empowers retailers. Firmly launched Ask Agent, an AI-powered conversational shopping assistant for merchant websites. This new capital drives global expansion and deeper AI-enabled commerce infrastructure development. Firmly positions merchants for success in the rapidly evolving AI-driven digital commerce landscape, ensuring control and efficiency.

Seattle’s firmly, a leader in agentic commerce, has secured significant new capital. The company announced a $15 million Series A funding round. This brings its total funding to approximately $20 million. The investment fuels firmly’s mission. It aims to revolutionize how merchants connect with emerging AI shopping channels.

Squarepoint Capital led the Series A round. Several strategic investors also joined. These included J.P. Morgan Payments, Mastercard, and Samsung NEXT. Their participation signals strong confidence. It validates firmly’s vision for the future of digital commerce. Additional investors included Alumni Ventures, ARK Invest, Benhamou Global Ventures, Granada Funds, Hike Ventures, The Mercantile Companies, and Versus Ventures.

The funding arrives as AI reshapes online shopping. Consumers increasingly turn to AI tools for product discovery and purchase decisions. This shift creates new complexities for merchants. They face demands for sophisticated product data, real-time inventory, dynamic pricing, diverse payment options, and efficient order fulfillment. Firmly addresses these challenges directly.

Firmly’s core offering is firmly Connect. This agentic commerce platform provides a standardized infrastructure layer. It bridges merchant systems with new AI-driven purchasing environments. Merchants use a no-code integration model. This eliminates the need for building separate connections for each new shopping platform. It is a critical advancement.

The platform allows merchants to expand their catalogs and checkout capabilities. They can reach AI assistants, marketplaces, and social networks. All without deploying new engineering resources. Merchants maintain complete control. They remain the merchant of record on every order. Customer relationships, payment providers, and vital data stay unchanged. This control is paramount for businesses.

Alongside the funding, firmly unveiled Ask Agent. This innovative product brings AI capabilities directly to merchant websites. Ask Agent is an end-to-end conversational shopping experience. It features AI-powered natural language product discovery. Consumers describe desired items using everyday language. The assistant offers recommendations based on real-time catalog data, pricing, and inventory.

Ask Agent supports in-chat checkout. Customers complete purchases within the conversational interface. It also includes traditional customer support functionality. Loyalty benefits, cross-selling opportunities, and post-purchase service are integrated. Merchants can add Ask Agent to their site with a single line of JavaScript. This ease of deployment is a significant benefit.

Early deployments of Ask Agent show impressive results. Merchants report conversion rate improvements of up to 18 percent. Average order value also increases by up to 23 percent. These figures highlight the product’s immediate impact. They demonstrate the power of AI in enhancing the shopping journey.

The new capital will drive significant expansion. Firmly plans to extend firmly Connect internationally. It will increase integrations with more AI agents, marketplaces, social platforms, and shoppable advertising technologies. The funding also supports continued product development. The goal is broader adoption of its agentic commerce infrastructure.

The market trend is clear. Adobe forecasts a 130 percent year-over-year increase in AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail websites during the 2026 holiday shopping season. This explosive growth underscores the urgency for merchants to adapt. Firmly provides the essential tools for this adaptation. It allows retailers to participate in new purchasing channels. They do so without extensive engineering investments. Existing commercial relationships remain intact.

Firmly’s technology positions it uniquely in the evolving e-commerce landscape. It empowers over 11 million merchants. This represents more than $900 billion in gross merchandise value. The platform provides a crucial link between traditional commerce systems and the future of AI-led shopping. It ensures merchants capture new revenue streams. They retain brand control.

The strategic investments reflect a broader understanding. The future of commerce is agentic. Payments, fintech, and consumer electronics giants recognize firmly’s pivotal role. Their backing provides more than just capital. It offers strategic partnerships and market access. These are invaluable for a scaling tech company.

Firmly simplifies complex integrations. It creates a direct, real-time connection for merchants. They expand their digital footprint effortlessly. This allows them to focus on their core business. They deliver exceptional customer experiences. Firmly handles the technical heavy lifting.

The company is led by repeat commerce tech entrepreneurs. Their expertise underpins firmly’s robust platform. Their vision addresses critical industry pain points. They build an infrastructure that supports tomorrow’s retail. This makes firmly a key player. It shapes the next generation of online shopping.

Firmly's platform is not just about connecting. It is about empowering. It gives merchants the agility to thrive. They navigate a digital world increasingly driven by artificial intelligence. This funding solidifies firmly’s position. It is an indispensable partner for digital commerce innovation. The future of shopping is here, powered by firmly.