5 AI driven Inventory Management Systems (IMS) we’re excited to watch

As retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, and logistics sectors become more digitised, Inventory Management Systems (IMS) are undergoing a dramatic transformation. No longer just about stock tracking, today’s IMS platforms are powered by artificial intelligence, enabling predictive analytics, automated replenishment, supply chain forecasting, and real-time decision-making.

In the AI era, inventory management is not just a backend function; it’s a strategic advantage. Whether you’re trying to reduce carrying costs, prevent stockouts, or optimise warehouse operations, AI-driven IMS platforms are leading the charge in operational intelligence.

Here are 5 AI-powered IMS platforms we’re excited to watch and how Versori can play a vital role in connecting them to the rest of your ecosystem.

1. Afresh

HQ: San Francisco, CA

Founded: 2017

Best For: Fresh food retailers and grocery chains

Afresh is using AI to tackle one of the most complex inventory challenges, perishable goods. Their IMS platform predicts demand at the SKU level using machine learning, ensuring better ordering and less waste. Grocery chains using Afresh have reported 25% less food waste and 3% higher margins.

Why it’s exciting: Afresh is redefining IMS in sectors where traditional models fall short. Their AI isn’t just predictive, it’s adaptive, learning from human corrections to improve recommendations over time.

2. Inventoro

HQ: Prague, Czech Republic

Founded: 2019

Best For: SMBs and wholesalers

Inventoro is a lightweight but powerful AI-driven inventory optimisation platform. It focuses on demand forecasting, stock planning, and automatic replenishment. Using historical sales data, Inventoro provides reorder suggestions and visualises trends to help businesses keep lean, profitable stock levels.

Why it’s exciting: It makes enterprise-grade AI capabilities accessible to small and midsize businesses, especially those transitioning from spreadsheets to automation.

3. ClearMetal (A Project44 Company)

HQ: Chicago, IL (acquired by Project44 in 2021)

Founded: 2014

Best For: Global supply chain visibility and inventory optimisation

ClearMetal is focused on real-time inventory visibility across complex global supply chains. Leveraging AI and machine learning, it ingests fragmented logistics and inventory data across carriers, ports, and warehouses to produce a unified, predictive view of inventory in motion and at rest.

Why it’s exciting: ClearMetal helps enterprises move from reactive to predictive inventory management, making it possible to dynamically reroute shipments, avoid stock-outs, and lower working capital tied up in excess inventory.

4. Relex Solutions

HQ: Helsinki, Finland

Founded: 2005

Best For: Enterprise retail and supply chain

Relex provides a comprehensive, AI-native IMS focused on retail optimisation. It integrates forecasting, replenishment, promotion planning, and supply chain visibility into a unified system. With customers like WHSmith, Coop, and ICA, it’s built to scale and support complex, multinational operations.

Why it’s exciting: Relex’s end-to-end optimisation uses AI to coordinate decisions across planning, inventory, and logistics, not just in isolation.

5. Cogsy

HQ: Austin, TX

Founded: 2021

Best For: DTC e-commerce brands

Cogsy is tailor-made for DTC brands that want to integrate inventory, sales forecasting, and growth planning. Its AI analyses sales velocity, supplier lead times, and marketing campaigns to forecast demand, then automatically generates POs and alerts. It also connects with tools like Shopify and NetSuite out of the box.

Why it’s exciting: It’s not just about inventory, it’s about aligning operations with growth strategy, bridging the gap between finance, marketing, and ops.

Bringing It All Together with Versori

While these platforms are AI powerhouses in their own right, true efficiency happens when systems are connected. That’s where Versori comes in.

Versori is a modern, AI powered integration platform that allows businesses to seamlessly connect disparate systems, including IMS platforms, ERPs, POS, e-commerce platforms, logistics providers and so on. Whether you’re using Relex with Oracle NetSuite, or Cogsy alongside Shopify and Klaviyo, Versori ensures clean data flows, bi-directional sync, and workflow automation without the need for fragile, custom-built integrations.

In an era where AI is only as smart as the systems it can talk to, Versori becomes the connective layer that helps businesses unlock the full potential of their inventory intelligence.

Final Thoughts

AI-driven IMS platforms are reshaping how products move, data flows, and decisions are made. The winners in this space won’t just be those with the best models, they’ll be the ones who can integrate and act on insights in real time. That’s why we’re keeping a close eye on these five, and why we believe Versori is essential infrastructure in the AI supply chain.