Kickfurther’s CEO and Cofounder Sean De Clerq and newly appointed CFO and President, Gregg Gordon invited the Buffalo News to the office back in January to talk about the state of the business and outlook for the future.
In the resulting article, entitled, “AI and Data Models Open New Opportunities for Growing Startup Kickfurther” the Buffalo News focused on how “The 2018 43North winner is now leveraging AI and advanced technology to better connect funders and businesses through inventory partnerships. It also is using AI to generate tools that use the massive amount of data accrued by Kickfurther.”
Kickfurther serves as a cash flow solution for product businesses, allowing them to pay for inventory only after it sells, thus avoiding the need for financing. The article notes it “has facilitated over $300 million in inventory funding deals through over 2,300 consignments, but more than half of that growth has happened in the last two years.”
The article discussed how Gordon has been impressed by what Kickfurther has built as an inventory financing platform, but he felt it was the data the company was working with that presented the greatest future value for the business and its customers.
“These guys are turning out AI models in such rapid succession, it is almost unbelievable,” Gordon said.
De Clerq is happy with the company’s move to Buffalo, “We’ve seen an absolutely outstanding growth opportunity working here in Western New York,” he said.
Kickfurther has grown significantly since moving to Buffalo in 2019, with its team expanding from six to 55 employees, including 20 in Western New York. The company plans to double its headcount in the next few years and has benefited from the affordability of living in Western New York, attracting employees who had moved away to return.
“I’m so happy to be here and I think the area is just crushing it,” Gordon added.
The full article can be read here (subscription required): https://buffalonews.com/news/local/business/article_cc87d834-f9fe-11ef-9e31-dfbb45d91eb9.html
