Acquisition strengthens AI-powered product discovery
Live shopping platform Whatnot has acquired AI startup Shaped in a strategic move aimed at improving real-time product recommendations and search across its rapidly growing marketplace. While financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, the acquisition marks another major investment in artificial intelligence as competition in live commerce intensifies.
Shaped is known for developing machine learning technology that delivers highly personalized recommendations and search results in real time. Its AI platform combines customer data, large language models (LLMs), and advanced machine learning algorithms to help users discover relevant products more efficiently.
Bringing AI closer to real-time shopping
Unlike traditional e-commerce platforms, live shopping presents a unique challenge where inventory changes by the second, auctions end quickly, and customer interests evolve throughout a livestream.
According to Whatnot, integrating Shaped’s technology will allow the platform to generate faster and more relevant recommendations, helping shoppers discover products while live shows are taking place rather than after the moment has passed.
The company said it has spent the past several years reducing recommendation latency from roughly a day to just a few minutes, with Shaped’s technology expected to bring those recommendations even closer to real time.
Shaped’s leadership joins Whatnot
As part of the acquisition, Shaped founder and CEO Tullie Murrell, formerly of Meta, will join Whatnot alongside nearly a dozen AI engineers and researchers.
Murrell will lead Whatnot’s newly established Applied AI Research team, which will focus on advancing personalization, recommendation systems and AI-powered discovery across the platform.
Supporting rapid marketplace growth
Founded in 2019, Whatnot has evolved from a collectibles marketplace into one of the fastest-growing live shopping platforms in the world.
The company recently revealed that sellers have surpassed one billion orders, while its buyer base expanded by 20 million users over the past year. Earlier in 2026, Whatnot also raised $225 million in Series F funding, pushing its valuation beyond $11 billion.
To support that growth, the platform has dramatically expanded beyond trading cards and collectibles, launching dozens of new product categories including art, vinyl records, golf equipment and fashion.
AI becomes the next battleground in e-commerce
The acquisition reflects a broader trend across the e-commerce industry, where companies are investing heavily in artificial intelligence to improve customer experience and product discovery.
As marketplaces continue expanding their inventories, delivering personalized recommendations has become increasingly important for keeping users engaged and driving sales. Competitors such as eBay and Poshmark have also been investing in AI-powered search and recommendation technologies to remain competitive.
With Shaped’s technology now in-house, Whatnot is positioning itself to deliver a faster, smarter and more personalized live shopping experience, reinforcing AI’s growing role as a key competitive advantage in digital commerce.
