Technology investor Prosus estimates that the e-commerce industry is at the cusp of a fundamental shift that will see AI agents and systems being able to do autonomous buying decisions on behalf of consumers.
“As AI enters the marketplace ecosystem, we’re already seeing the next frontier: agentic e-commerce, where AI agents will make autonomous purchasing decisions for buyers and sellers,” the Naspers subsidiary said in a new report, done in collaboration with Dutch research firm Dealroom.co.
“This could fundamentally alter the nature of marketplaces.”
AI investment has grown exponentially in recent years, driven by the rapid adoption and popularity of OpenAI’s ChatGPT since it was launched in November 2022. Technology companies have since sought to capitalise on the trend through AI-backed services or software platforms, while others benefiting from growing hardware demand to power such systems.
According to the study, e-commerce marketplaces are set to benefit greatly from AI as the technology reduces friction, barriers to entry, takes advantage of large scale, while helping to increase competition.
“Despite all the technological advancements, today’s digital marketplaces are still not frictionless. Consumers still spend significant time searching, comparing, and selecting. Meanwhile, sellers tirelessly work to optimise their offerings, fulfil orders, administer returns and refine their supply chain.”
According to Dealroom.co, these marketplaces include ride hailing platforms inDrive and Bolt, both of which have operations in SA. The list of global marketplaces also includes Brazilian food delivery platform iFood, India’s Meesho and Urban Company. Prosus is an investor in iFood, Meesho and Urban Company.
“As AI makes it easier to set up a new marketplace, we expect a longer tail of niche marketplaces. Simultaneously AI also reinforces the advantages of scale. Larger platforms with access to vast, interconnected data sets will be best positioned to harness AI’s full potential, potentially leading to further industry consolidation.”
In a tech landscape so defined by AI, Prosus is fighting to position itself as a “leader operating at the intersection of marketplaces and AI innovation”.
“The online platform economy has fundamentally changed how businesses and consumers interact,” Prosus CEO Fabricio Bloisi said.
“Now, AI represents another seismic technological shift for e-commerce companies’ relationships with consumers. Companies using AI are dramatically improving the user experience, enhancing personalisation and driving unprecedented growth. AI adoption is no longer optional — it’s an imperative.”
This comes as Chinese technology company DeepSeek disrupted the AI industry in late January with a language model that was created and trained at a fraction of the cost of ChatGPT, while performing just as well.
“The recent release of DeepSeek’s R1 model is more than just a milestone in AI technology,” said Bloisi.
“This ‘DeepSeek moment’ is a transformative opportunity for businesses to accelerate value creation through new applications. And at Prosus, we’re doing just that — building, investing and collaborating with our partners to create new frontier products and technologies. From enhancing customer experiences and driving operational efficiencies, to creating an agentic future, Prosus is putting AI at the forefront of our next phase of growth.”
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