Didero lands $30M to put manufacturing procurement on “agentic” autopilot

Tim Spencer discovered the intricate challenges of manufacturing procurement while operating Markai, an e-commerce venture in Asia during the pandemic. With a vast network of suppliers and products distributed across numerous countries, Spencer found his team overwhelmed by the complexities of sourcing, negotiation, order tracking, and payment management. "I had a large team that wasn't truly equipped for success," he reflected. After selling Markai in 2023, as the potential of generative AI to simplify procurement became apparent, Spencer co-founded Didero alongside Lorenz Pallhuber, a former McKinsey procurement expert, and Tom Petit, ex-technical co-founder of Landis. The newly established Didero, which aims to automate the intricate processes of global procurement, has successfully raised $30 million in a Series A funding round, co-led by Chemistry and Headline, with backing from Microsoft's venture arm, M12. Spencer emphasized the reliance of global trade on natural language communication, which includes emails, WeChat messages, phone calls, purchase orders, and packing lists. Prior to generative AI's introduction, these fragmented communications required constant human oversight, with team members tirelessly chasing suppliers and manually updating records. Didero's platform is designed to absorb these communications, effectively placing a significant portion of the procurement workflow on autopilot. Acting as an agentic AI layer integrated with existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, Didero coordinates incoming messages and automatically executes necessary updates and tasks. "Our aim is to facilitate a seamless transition from 'I need a good' to payment without requiring any manual intervention," Spencer stated. In contrast to companies like Levelpath, Zip, or Oro Labs, which streamline corporate purchasing, Didero’s focus centers on the supply chain. The platform caters specifically to manufacturers and distributors needing to source raw materials and inputs for their product offerings. While there are smaller competitors like Cavela and Pietra that assist brands with sourcing and pricing negotiations, Spencer notes that they primarily cater to small and medium-sized businesses and do not encompass the entire procurement journey, from initial quotes to final payments. Currently, Didero serves dozens of clients, including Footprint, a company known for its sustainable, plant-based packaging solutions.