Fireflai, a Manchester-based software company tackling the pervasive challenge of fragmented and inconsistent product data, has secured a pre-seed investment of £415,000 from DSW Ventures, the venture capital investment arm of Dow Schofield Watts.
Founded by experienced professionals Tom Gardner and Craig Sumner, Fireflai addresses the significant commercial issues presented by complex and highly dynamic product data to manufacturers, distributors and retailers. These organisations have to contend with product data spread across multiple systems, multiple physical locations, multiple subsidiaries, in different languages, and with feeds from hundreds of suppliers – each with thousands of SKUs and no consistent taxonomy.
There is a huge cost to manage this complexity. Fireflai’s software uses advanced data science and AI to solve these problems – allowing clients to save money and confidently make better decisions based on a comprehensive and definitive product dataset.
The company’s development has been driven by Gardner’s entrepreneurial experience, having previously cofounded Robiquity, a successful automation consultancy bought-out by Growth Capital Partners. Craig Sumner’s expertise in digital process transformation has been crucial in developing the core functionality of Fireflai’s platform. Further bolstering the team’s strategic capabilities is Laura Malins, former Chief Product Officer of Manchester unicorn Matillion, who works with the team on a non-executive basis.
