SupplyCompass has 50 established, progressive factory partners in India and mainland Europe. © SupplyCompass

SupplyCompass, a design-to-delivery sourcing platform that provides an efficient and sustainable solution for global supply chains, has agreed a £1.5 million seed fund deal led by early-stage venture capital investor, Episode 1. The deal makes SupplyCompass the first UK-based sourcing company to receive funding of this level.

Based in London and Mumbai, SupplyCompass combines its strong supply chain partnerships with its cloud-based platform technology and team of production experts, to make sustainable sourcing and ongoing manufacturing management easy, fast and efficient.

Rethinking sourcing methods

“Current sourcing methods aren’t fit for brands of the future; they're offline, inefficient and fragmented. Technology is needed for global supply chains to progress and become faster, more efficient and more sustainable,” commented Gus Bartholomew, SupplyCompass CEO & Co-Founder.

“At SupplyCompass we see the key to success lying in rethinking existing sourcing methods, with better collaboration, innovation and technology at the core. Our vision is to become the leading sourcing software for the pioneering fashion and interiors businesses of the future, and this funding from investors Episode 1 will help us to do just that.”

SupplyCompass helps suitable fashion and interiors companies match with a manufacturer within one day. © SupplyCompass

The UK-based sourcing company is on a mission to transform global supply chains into faster, more efficient and more sustainable outfits. The investment from Episode 1 – alongside Mumbai and London-based Unicorn Ascension, Ascension Ventures and Andy Chung and Philipp Moehring from AngelList – will enable SupplyCompass to develop its technology and expand its curated marketplace of best-in-class international manufacturers. Particular emphasis will be placed on the earlier stages of the sourcing process where greater opportunities lie for establishing sustainable practices, including manufacturer matching, design development and sampling.

Increasing sustainability

“The SupplyCompass team is exceptionally knowledgeable about the fashion supply chain and all evidence suggests they are execution machines. We are extremely excited to fund their growth and technology development which we believe will help them develop into a very large and famous company whilst increasing the sustainability of a currently unsustainable industry,” said Adrian Lloyd, Episode 1 Partner.

Episode 1 is an early-stage venture capital investor that manages a £60 million Enterprise Capital Fund, investing between £250,000 and £1 million into high potential software-based businesses with significant operations in the UK.

SupplyCompass

Co-founders Gus Bartholomew and Flora Davidson met at university and spent two years living and working in India to build the foundations of SupplyCompass. Following its launch in early 2018, SupplyCompass now has 50 established, progressive factory partners in India (plus Sri Lanka and Nepal) and mainland Europe (including Portugal, Spain, Italy).

Suitable fashion and interiors companies are matched with a manufacturer within one day for free, with pricing based on a commission structure depending on the order value and manufacturing costs. SupplyCompass then operates on a three-stage approach:

• Intuitive product development
• Trusted manufacturer selection
• Streamlined production management

www.supplycompass.com

Further reading

Supplycompass on helping brands manufacture more responsibly