World provide chains transfer over $15T in items yearly, but the retail {industry} operates on razor-thin margins whereas drowning in disconnected, siloed knowledge that creates huge inefficiencies and waste. When retailers and CPG manufacturers lack real-time visibility into gross sales, stock, and provide chain efficiency, the outcomes cascade all through the system: out-of-stocks value the {industry} billions in misplaced gross sales, overstock results in meals waste on an epic scale, and handbook knowledge processes eat assets that would drive strategic development. Crisp addresses these challenges by its vertical AI platform that cleanses, fashions, and interprets retail knowledge from 40+ retailers and distributors, enabling manufacturers to cut back out-of-stocks, optimize stock, and make data-driven selections in real-time. The platform’s newly launched AI Agent Studio orchestrates provide chain insights and prompts automated actions that enhance retail efficiency, powered by deep knowledge foundations that rework disconnected info into aggressive benefit.
AlleyWatch sat down with Crisp CEO and Founder Are Traasdahl to be taught extra in regards to the enterprise, its future plans, current funding spherical that brings complete funding to $127M, and far, way more…
Who have been your buyers and the way a lot did you elevate?
Most not too long ago, Crisp closed a Sequence B1 spherical of $26M. The spherical was led by Paine Schwartz Companions, with participation from Blue Cloud Ventures, FirstMark Capital, Cox, DNX, Prologis, and Wellington Administration.
Inform us in regards to the services or products that Crisp presents.
Crisp gives a vertical synthetic intelligence platform that empowers CPG corporations to cut back waste and improve profitability by real-time knowledge, insights, and motion. The Crisp platform leverages AI to facilitate the mixing, entry, and trade of real-time POS and provide chain knowledge throughout CPG manufacturers, retailers and distributors. This allows quicker decision-making and unlocks better visibility and collaboration throughout provide chains to assist manufacturers and retailers optimize their retail gross sales and provide chain infrastructure.
What impressed the beginning of Crisp?
I’ve been constructing corporations for over 20 years. Earlier than Crisp, I based Tapad, which helped lead the programmatic transformation within the promoting {industry}. After promoting Tapad, I spent a yr touring the world with my household, visiting over thirty international locations. Crisp was born out of a ardour for lowering meals waste. Whereas I used to be touring, I witnessed firsthand the disparities of the meals provide chain. After a whole bunch of hours of analysis and conferences with specialists within the {industry}, I concluded that a lot of the waste was on account of slow-moving, inaccurate, or unusable knowledge that causes overstock or understock on a large scale. Reworking the retail {industry} requires leveraging real-time knowledge, communication, and collaboration throughout the provision chain. This stays our imaginative and prescient at the moment at Crisp: to show international commerce knowledge into actions that create a long-lasting benefit for our clients.
How is Crisp completely different?
We’re on a mission to assist the retail {industry} attain near-zero waste. We’re uniquely positioned to assist manufacturers leverage real-time POS and provide chain knowledge to establish and predict traits in provide and demand, mitigate provide chain disruptions, and transfer merchandise which are doubtlessly susceptible to spoilage. Crisp ingests, normalizes, analyses and distributes knowledge no matter supply or vacation spot. Our collaborative commerce method as a vertical AI platform helps the retail {industry} make zero-waste provide chains a actuality.Leveraging a deep knowledge basis and in depth retail {industry} experience, the Crisp AI platform is designed to automate industry-specific duties, together with lowering out-of-stocks, maximizing e-commerce income, and optimizing assortment and house planning. This uniquely built-in, vertical AI-driven method turns commerce knowledge into actions that create a aggressive benefit for our clients.
What market does Crisp goal and the way huge is it?
Crisp focuses on the worldwide retail {industry}, the place over $15T in items circulation by international provide chains yearly.AI is usually described as one thing a single firm ought to leverage, however verticalized AI brokers focusing on retail can streamline handbook duties and facilitate collaboration throughout a number of corporations in order that people can spend time on what drives the enterprise: being strategic. In 2025, we launched the Crisp AI Agent Studio and AI Blueprints. We’re excited to proceed to steer in AI improvements for the retail {industry} and plan to announce extra AI-based options in 2026.
What’s your small business mannequin?
Crisp is a SaaS enterprise. We cost primarily based on PODs (factors of distribution) that equal the common month-to-month variety of merchandise (SKUs) multiplied by the variety of shops.
What influence have the tariffs had on the retailers that you simply work with?Tariff uncertainties are driving extra waste and operational inefficiencies, straining an {industry} already working on tight margins. By sharing and leveraging their knowledge with their suppliers, retailers can keep forward of continued provide chain disruptions. This permits for agility in day by day operations and for important occasions, equivalent to tariffs, which require agile decision-making and assist retailers to be prepared for the subsequent problem when it happens.
What was the funding course of like?
Now we have a really supportive group of recent and long-term buyers that imagine within the important alternative and mission of Crisp and we’re grateful to see continued participation throughout present funders, equivalent to FirstMark, Blue Cloud Ventures, Wellington Administration, Cox, DNX, and Prologis and obtain the assist of recent strategic buyers together with Paine Schwartz Companions, who led this most up-to-date spherical.What components about your small business led your buyers to write down the verify?
Traders are fascinated by Crisp as a result of we’re demonstrating measurable modifications in one of many world’s most vital industries by superior know-how. Crisp represents a compelling alternative to put money into a scaling, high-ROI vertical AI knowledge platform working on the intersection of commerce, provide chain, and sustainability.
What are the milestones you propose to realize within the subsequent six months?
The brand new funding will assist the corporate’s aggressive development efforts, together with increasing worth to CPG and retail channels by new platform options and performance, growth of recent knowledge partnerships, funding within the Crisp AI Agent flagship product, and rising by strategic hires globally.
With a plethora of commuting choices within the metropolis, how do you usually get to work every day?
No two days are the identical for me, however my favourite commute is a brief stroll. Many days are spent touring to satisfy with our clients in Northwest Arkansas, Minneapolis and most not too long ago within the UK following Crisp’s acquisition of two corporations there.
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