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Xpand Launches Autonomous Store in Vienna’s City Center

Xpand store lobby in Vienna, September 2025 (Credit: Xpand)

Insider Brief

  • Xpand (formerly 1MRobotics) opened its first European autonomous retail store in Vienna near Mariahilferstraße, in a first-of-its-kind collaboration with CAMPO Group to showcase its “store-in-a-box” platform.
  • The unmanned, 24/7 location offers a full convenience assortment across ambient, chilled, and frozen categories, using AI, robotics, and real-time inventory for frictionless checkout, zero labor, and built-in loss prevention.
  • The launch follows a funding round led by Ibex Investors and Emerge—with participation from the leadership team including CEO Joel Bar-El—and positions Vienna as the blueprint for Xpand’s global rollout of autonomous retail.

PRESS RELEASE -Autonomous retail innovator Xpand (formerly 1MRobotics) announced the opening of its first European store in Vienna. Located next to Mariahilferstraße, the city’s premier shopping street, the store is a first-of-its-kind collaboration with CAMPO Group, the robotics and AI automation platform provider.

The new location brings Xpand’s “store-in-a-box” technology to consumers, offering a full convenience assortment of ambient, chilled, and frozen goods. Powered by AI, robotics, and real-time inventory management, the unmanned store delivers frictionless, 24/7 shopping with zero labor and full loss prevention.

This opening follows a funding round led by Ibex Investors and Emerge, with participation from Xpand’s leadership team, including CEO Joel Bar-El. The funds will support global expansion, with Vienna serving as the blueprint for a new generation of autonomous retail stores.

“Opening our first international store in Vienna marks a pivotal moment in Xpand’s mission to make autonomous retail accessible worldwide,” said Joel Bar-El, CEO of Xpand. “This store demonstrates how our AI-driven technology transforms the retail experience while maximizing operational efficiency.”

Greg Bock
About the author
Greg Bock

Greg Bock is an award-winning investigative journalist with more than 25 years of experience in print, digital, and broadcast news. His reporting has spanned crime, politics, business and technology, earning multiple Keystone Awards and a Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters honors. Through the Associated Press and Nexstar Media Group, his coverage has reached audiences across the United States.

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