butterfly & elephant, an investment company of GS1 Germany, is now supporting the Frankfurt-based startup Cyreen.
The startup has developed its own technology that enables companies to measure the impact of in-store campaigns on customer purchasing behavior.
While online campaigns have long been planned and evaluated using data, brick-and-mortar retail often lacks precise data to accurately assess the effectiveness of in-store campaigns and their influence on buying decisions. Cyreen aims to close this gap with its proprietary C.A.P technology.
C.A.P stands for Connecting Ad-Impressions with Purchase. The technology links digital ad impressions on in-store screens directly to actual purchases at the point of sale. This gives retailers and brands measurable insights into how in-store campaigns affect buying behavior and how customer traffic can be strategically turned into a powerful marketing asset.
GDPR-compliant tracking system as a foundation
The foundation is a GDPR-compliant tracking system: RFID chips on shopping carts and baskets detect which commercials customers are exposed to near in-store screens. The software then matches this data with actual purchases. This allows advertisers and retailers to measure ad effectiveness and track conversion rates.
"In-store data is essential for the future of retail media," says Cyreen co-founder Ciril Hofmann. "We want to help retailers and brands truly understand which campaigns deliver what kind of impact—directly within the real market, without relying on test environments. This provides a much stronger planning foundation. Our software works not only with our own screens and sensors but can be flexibly integrated into existing systems."
With Cyreen, butterfly & elephant is investing in a company driving innovation in in-store retail media.
Its technology aligns closely with GS1 standards—particularly through the use of the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), which uniquely identifies products. This forms the basis for precise ad impact measurement at the point of sale. The resulting insights deepen customer understanding and highlight the relevance of content at the exact moment purchase decisions are made.
"What convinced us: Cyreen doesn’t just evolve retail media—they rethink it, smarter," explains butterfly & elephant Managing Director Benjamin Birker. "The startup connects shopper experience with data-driven intelligence—laying the foundation for a new, smarter quality of in-store communication."
A partnership that enhances Category Management and Shopper Insights
And this is just the beginning: With the GS1 Digital Link, the startup is already thinking one step ahead.
The standard makes QR codes dynamic by acting like a “switch,” delivering product-specific information to different target groups depending on location and time. Depending on who scans the code, when, and where, context-specific product details are displayed. This allows consumers to use their smartphones at the shelf to learn about a product’s origin before purchase, receive usage tips at home, interact with customer service, and access disposal instructions later on.
The same code previously enabled logisticians in the supply chain to retrieve important shipping information, and retailers to manage their inventory. The linked information can be updated at any time without changing the QR code itself.
"With this partnership, we want to jointly further develop the technology, elevate category management and shopper insights to the next level, open up new reach—and actively shape the future of in-store retail media," says Birker.
Press photo: Cyreen founders Benedict Boos (left), Ciril Hofmann (center), and Davide Scheidegger (right)
Image rights: Cyreen
Press Contact:
GS1 Germany GmbH
Tassja Wagner
Manager Corporate Communications
Stolberger Strasse 108 a, 50933 Cologne
Phone: +49 170 7009027
Email: tassja.wagner@gs1.de
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