Pinch AI, a San Francisco, CA-based, AI-powered post-purchase intelligence platform that helps retailers prevent return fraud while rewarding loyal customers, has raised $5 million in Seed funding.
Investors
The round was co-led by Dynamo Ventures and Infinity Ventures, with participation from Defined Capital and PayPal Ventures.
Dynamo Ventures is a Chattanooga-based venture capital firm that specializes in pre-seed and seed-stage investments within the supply chain, logistics, and industrial economy sectors. Headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the firm invests globally, with portfolio companies in North America, Europe, and Latin America.
Infinity Ventures is a boutique venture capital firm based in San Francisco and New York that specializes in early-stage fintech and commerce enablement. Founded in 2021, the firm manages over $250 million in assets and focuses on fintech infrastructure, commerce enablement, and related technologies.
Pinch AI Use of Funds
The company will use the funds to accelerate product development, expand go-to-market efforts, and deepen integrations across the retail technology stack, including OMS, RMS, WMS, and CX platforms.
About Pinch AI
Founded by Arthi Rajan Makhija, Chirag Vaya, and Jayan Tharayil, Pinch is an AI-powered post-purchase intelligence platform redefining how retailers control returns, refunds, and customer trust. The platform uses autonomous, AI-driven decisioning to evaluate customer intent, detect emerging abuse patterns, and dynamically orchestrate return and refund decisions across checkout, returns, and warehouse operations. Pinch delivers real-time buyer intent scoring, automated policy enforcement, and warehouse intelligence that helps merchants protect margins while elevating the customer experience.
Funding Details
Company: Pinch AI, Corp.
Raised: $5.0M
Round: Seed
Funding Date: January 2026
Lead Investors: Dynamo Ventures, Infinity Ventures
Additional Investors: Defined Capital, PayPal Ventures
Company Website: https://www.pinch.ai/
Software Category: Retail AI / Fraud Prevention / Post-Purchase Intelligence
Source: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pinch-ai-raises-5m-co-led-by-dynamo-and-infinity-ventures-to-give-retailers-an-ai-defense-against-exploding-return-fraud-302662091.html