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Pepper , the e - DoC platform for food distributors , continues to adjoin into Sysco and US Foods territory by ease up modest , main distributors a applied science leg up .
The company developed an ordering organization specifically for independent nutrient distributors that put up catalog of over 100,000 items , and enable these company to set up mobile apps and site so they can accept orders and payments online .
Co - founder and CEO Bowie Cheung , who previously worked at Uber Eats , say the caller now has 200 customers among a securities industry of 25,000 food for thought distributors . However , Cheung said Pepper wants to spring up that by facilitating the kinship between independent distribution and engineering .
“ These business organization , more often than not speaking , have never been well - served by the enceinte - boxful broad - line distributors like Sysco or US Foods , ” Cheung told TechCrunch . “ If you enjoy the variety and the vibrancy that non - chain eating place bring to your biotic community , then you already understand the importance of that autonomous distributer , and that ’s very much the customer that we have always serve and uphold to serve today . ”
Pepper is doing this by developing dozens of new product features each year that leverage forward-looking applied science , like generative AI , to better the experience , efficiency and results . The society ’s proof dot admit customers get a line a 23 % gain in sale , 93 % vendee retentivity and the ability to save more than 10 hours of work per week per sale congresswoman , Cheung said .
There are some players in the eastward - commerce food distribution space with Pepper , includingChoco , which developed a sustainable food system for restaurants and supplier , Cut+Dry and Anchovi , which was Dot Foods ’ white - label foodservice e - commercialism chopine . In April , Dot Foods migrate Anchovi users onto Choco as part of a new partnership .
Where Cheung believe Pepper is different is that all of those competitors get a marketplace - first strategy where you download an app . There is no “ Pepper app , ” but rather it takes a distributor - face scheme , he said . This intend that the distributer ’s brand identity element is front - and - pith instead of Pepper ’s .
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Customers seem to care it . The more than 140 customers is double the identification number of client it had when Pepper prove its$16 million Series Aback in 2021 .
Since then , the company became a full - tidy sum defrayment processor . This makes it well-fixed for operator to pay distributors . It also “ reimagined ” what the modern customer relationship management and co-pilot software package should look like for a sale repp that works in nutrient distribution so they can be more fat . In addition , the company built an advertizement platform that enable distributors to run marketing crusade with their suppliers to boost survive products .
Cheung was n’t specific on Pepper ’s revenue , but did partake in that it has grown by more than 20 times . He also did n’t reveal the company ’s valuation , but did say it was “ a stride up from our last stave . ”
Investors like Pepper , too . On Monday , the fellowship declare a $ 30 million Series B round of backing led by new investor ICONIQ Growth , with participation from another new investor , Harmony Partners , and existing investors at Index Ventures , Greylock and Imaginary . This gives the company around $ 60 million in total backing .
“ ICONIQ Growth is the perfect partner for us , ” Cheung say . “ Their cut criminal record in backing large , successful erect software businesses and industries that the consumer world would n’t needs deal really vibrate with us . Food statistical distribution is one of those industriousness . ”
Have a naughty tip or lead about happenings in the venture world ? direct point to Christine Hall at chall.techcrunch@gmail.com or via thisSignal contact . namelessness requests will be value .
