DealsDirect founder backs $1m raise for digital wholesale platform Andisor

A Melbourne-founded digital startup offering a 'fresh take on changing the B2B retail scene' has secured $1 million in pre-seed funding from Antler, LaunchVic's Alice Anderson fund, and retail and supply chain industry entrepreneurs including DealsDirect founder Paul Greenberg and Cohesio Group founder Nishan Wijemanne.

Digital wholesale platform Andisor was founded by retail veteran Vandana Chaudhry, who had senior roles in India at Walmart and Crocs before moving to Melbourne in 2017, leading Crocs' sales and merchandising operations in Australia and New Zealand before a stint at Deliveroo.

Chaudhry, who is also Andisor's CEO, likens the platform to The Iconic but for business-to-business (B2B) transactions.

"Retail is a high-stakes, fast-paced industry where precision in buying is crucial. Andisor addresses this by offering a lower-risk path for brands to penetrate the market, overcoming the constraints of limited resources and risk appetite," Vandana explains.

The concept came to Vandana after experiencing the difficulty of forging meaningful B2B relationships. Inspired by the transformative role of data at Deliveroo, Andisor was conceived to empower retailers through data-driven partnerships.

"Throughout my career, I've seen businesses struggle to build impactful B2B relationships. Andisor is about creating win-win situations, driving success for both buyers and sellers," the founder adds.

The pre-seed round attracted a diverse group of investors with several prominent retail operators and leaders, including backing from Jam Pad Investments, whose trustees are Paul and Adele Greenberg with portfolio companies such as Ice Jewellery, custom suit maker InStitchu, mushroom-based meat company Fable, sustainable retail platform Green Friday and unified commerce Software as a Service (SaaS) company Comestri.

"The vision of Andisor to forge connections and bolster sustainable growth in the fashion industry, leveraging the power of technology, strikes a chord with us at JamPad Investments," says Paul Greenberg, who is also the founder of NORA (National Online Retailers Association) Network.

"Understanding the hurdles brands face in wholesale expansion, we are thrilled to back Andisor's seasoned and varied team as they navigate and address these complex challenges."

Another investor is Nishan Wijemanne, who co-founded fulfilment operation Shiperoo and Cohesio Group, an integrator of voice-directed and autonomous mobile robotics (AMR) solutions for logistics which was acquired by Germany's Körber in 2019.

"I am supporting Andisor because I love their fresh take on changing the B2B retail scene," says Wijemanne.

"With my supply chain and tech experience, I recognise how important it is to blend intuition and analytics for smart buying. Andisor's platform excels at bringing a clever and thoughtful approach to retail procurement."

Antler partner Cath Rogers says Andisor has astutely responded to 'formidable' recent challenges in retail recently by enabling brands to boost their revenue from small and independent customers profitably, while also offering retailers a seamless platform to access and purchase from global brands.

"The depth of Andisor's industry connections and the magnitude of the opportunity they present is truly exciting for us at Antler as their day zero investors," says Rogers.

"LaunchVic is proud to back Andisor's mission to revolutionise the wholesale retail sector. It's exciting to see founders like Vandana, with extensive corporate experience, building tools that redefine the industry," adds Dr Kate Cornick, CEO at LaunchVic.

Since its inception, Andisor has rapidly gained traction, attracting high-calibre brands and discerning retailers. These power players value Andisor for its ability to enhance decision-making speed and inventory turnover, thanks to its data-centric approach.

The recent investment will be strategically used to advance Andisor's analytics and segmentation tools, providing brands with actionable insights to manage merchandise production and supply with agility.

"As an advisor for Andisor, I've seen its global appeal," says Nicole Kleid, formerly of Rampersand VC and founder of Start Small Ventures.

"Andisor's expansion plans are as bold as the partnerships it fosters, setting a new standard for B2B retail excellence."