ASHWINI ASOKAN, ANAND CHANDRASEKARAN, 

Barely a year ago, Asokan, the CEO, told Fortune India she saw artificial intelligence (AI) startup Mad Street Den expanding beyond retail into robotics, healthcare, and more. The confidence was based on the value of the AI platform the company had developed. A year down the road, Mad Street Den is still identified with Vue.AI, its AI solution for retailers—online and offline. But that is not necessarily bad. Vue.AI has added clients like denim brand Levi’s and U.S. department store Macy’s to its list of customers. Getting Macy’s on board could even have a ripple effect, as the company now boasts a client to show off its AI capabilities in offline retailing—applying computer vision on warehouse workflow— besides the smart recommendations it makes for online retailers. But global competition like U.S.-based Clarifai is still a few paces ahead of the husband-wife duo.