Parlay | Technology & Services

Reimagining eCommerce Through AI-Driven Negotiation

Parlay is an e-commerce innovation company founded by Neil Rerup. Their mission is to reimagine online retail by replicating the in-store negotiation dynamic through AI. By enabling buyers and sellers to engage in live, AI-driven pricing dialogue, Parlay challenges the traditional fixed-price paradigm.

Services & Solutions

Agile development with rapid MVP delivery
AI negotiation engine powered by 12 orchestrated agents and multiple LLMs
Gamification design for user engagement
Expresia DXP integration and orchestration pipeline
Back-office automation (fulfillment, customs, pricing utilities)
Robust test framework with 400+ automated cases

The Ask

Parlay set out to validate whether AI-driven negotiated pricing could be a viable e-commerce business model. They needed to design and launch an MVP quickly to secure early validation from both users and investors while ensuring the platform architecture could adapt to evolving feedback.

The Opportunity

Backbone identified the chance to transform Parlay’s ambitious concept into a scalable product by combining AI orchestration with e-commerce fundamentals. The goal was to prove not only that AI could negotiate pricing securely and reliably, but also that the experience could be intuitive, fun, and investor-ready.

The Strategy

Backbone implemented a multi-phase approach:

Hybrid Commerce Flow – Giving users the choice between standard checkout and AI-driven negotiation.
Gamified Experience – Designing negotiation flows that feel human, dynamic, and engaging.
Integrated Fulfillment Pipeline – Automating logistics with wholesalers, customs calculations, and pricing utilities.
AI Agent Ecosystem – Training and orchestrating 12 AI agents and LLMs for search, negotiation, and interaction.
Testing Framework – Deploying 400+ automated test cases to guarantee predictable, secure, and aligned AI behavior.

The Result

Time-to-Market: MVP delivered in under 1 month, months ahead of alternatives.
Cost Efficiencies: Saved $8,400 annually by consolidating workflows into Expresia’s orchestration pipeline.
Performance: Investor-ready demos within weeks; gamified negotiations validated as “fun and engaging.”
Future-Proof: Architecture designed to evolve with user and investor feedback, scalable for global markets.

Looking Ahead

Parlay plans to scale into new markets, leverage gamification as a long-term differentiator, and showcase the innovation through upcoming media appearances.

“Backbone’s agile process, weekly reviews, and proprietary AI orchestration environment gave us exactly what we envisioned, and the UI went beyond expectations. We’d absolutely choose Backbone again”