RangeMe, an online platform to streamline the communication and discovery process between retail buyers and CPG brands, has announced the closing of a $4 million seed round.
The platform is a web-based interface where suppliers can list their products as well as submit them to retail buyers. On the other side of the equation, retailers can also set up accounts for their buyers to help them discover new products that meet retail parameters such as cost, margin, certifications and more.
Other companies such as Bulu Marketplace have entered the category providing CPG brands alternative ways to get noticed and maybe even bypass brokers for start-ups. This is a major hurdle for start-ups who struggle to get noticed without paying for the industry insiders’ connections. The retailers themselves seem to find this new online catalogue to be of value with big names such as Walgreens, Walmart, and Target jumping on board to utilize the services.
Initially founded in Australia, RangeMe turned its focus to America in 2015 and has seen impressive growth in the U.S. ever since. The site now works with over 11,000 innovative and unique brands and retailers including South Eastern Grocers (Winn Dixie, Harvey’s and Bi-Lo), Jet.com, 7-Eleven, Sam’s Club’s regional buying teams and Target.
The full release can be found at Project NOSH.
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Daniel Karsevar, Founder & Chief Problem Solver at SOLUTIONTOPIA & is also a Mentor at The Brooklyn FoodWorks and Advisor to many CPG brands.
SOLUTIONTOPIA provides turn-key solutions, product development, and operational scaling solutions for food start-ups in the natural foods CPG space.