El País: "AI software developed in Uruguay optimizes sales for major retailers"
The leading Uruguayan newspaper covers how KSI Vision turns existing security cameras into real-time business intelligence - without any new hardware.
Article by Alejandra Pintos Anelo for El País / El Empresario
Gonzalo Carozo (COO) and Rodrigo Duarte (CTO), co-founders of KSI Vision. Photo: Juan Manuel Ramos.
"We discovered that small stores were losing between US$5,000 and US$20,000 on small operational issues," Gonzalo Carozo, COO and co-founder of KSI Vision, told El Empresario. For larger chains, the figure can reach €500,000 - roughly US$535,000 - according to their estimates.
Those "small operational issues" were things like employee breaks scheduled during peak traffic hours. KSI Vision's software is part of the new wave of AI-powered products reshaping physical retail.
“We discovered that small stores were losing between US$5,000 and US$20,000 on small operational issues.”
Gonzalo Carozo, COO & Co-founder, KSI Vision
Turning existing security cameras into AI - no new hardware required
Before KSI Vision, monitoring foot traffic in stores relied on sensors - expensive because each unit had to be purchased individually. KSI's approach transforms existing security cameras with AI to deliver people and vehicle counting analytics, increasing revenue and improving the performance of physical spaces.
No hardware purchase needed. Customers pay a monthly subscription covering software access and technical support. The larger the retail footprint, the more cost-effective the service becomes.
Understanding customers
"What is the obsession of retail chains? Understanding their customers. Why do they buy? Why don't they? When you give them the information that thousands of customers are not buying - and you tell them the reasons - it's not just about improving operations. It's about designing the whole store so that stops happening," explained Rodrigo Duarte, CTO and co-founder of KSI Vision.
Founded in December 2019, KSI Vision already counts international retail giants among its clients: Inditex (owner of Zara, Stradivarius, and Lefties, with nearly 6,000 stores), Bestseller, and Mango (2,300 locations) - plus local names like Kinko, Carrasco International Airport, and Tres Cruces shopping center.
Reaching major enterprises was relatively straightforward, according to the founders, because "there is a great need for a quality product" like theirs. With Mango and Inditex, deals were closed directly with headquarters, which then roll out implementation across their subsidiaries.
“When we started putting effort into Spain, a lot of opportunities emerged in Latin America. That tells us the product has international demand - there are giants of retail here.”
KSI Vision founders
Digital twin, AI alerts, and the chatbot Simona
KSI Vision creates a virtual copy of everything happening in a store's physical space - what they call a 'digital twin.' Real-time data is then generated through AI video analytics, accessible from any device via the internet. This feeds automatic alerts and periodic reports designed to increase conversion and space efficiency.
The platform includes Simona, a chatbot powered by gen-AI / LLM that answers real-time questions about store performance, integrated with Microsoft Teams and WhatsApp so it fits directly into corporate workflows.
To build the platform, KSI Vision's team (12 people at the time of publication) received seed capital from Uruguay's National Development Agency (ANDE) and an instrument from the National Research and Innovation Agency (ANII).
"Innovation was essential - because until a few years ago this couldn't be done at scale. The processing capacity didn't exist, in hardware or software. Around 2018 it became viable," said Carozo.
KSI Vision was founded in 2019 by Pablo Senatore, Justino Zavala, Gonzalo Carozo, and Rodrigo Duarte, and has commercial offices in Madrid and Montevideo.
