How This Startup Raised $2 Million Without a Pitch Deck—and Is Quietly Disrupting Global Product Sourcing

In September 2024, a new player emerged in the world of global manufacturing and e-commerce—Cavela, a groundbreaking platform founded by Anthony Sardain. Combining artificial intelligence with a vast private manufacturing network, Cavela is transforming how businesses source products. Positioned as the world’s first virtual sourcing agent, Cavela’s innovative approach addresses a fundamental challenge in the industry: simplifying the process of creating custom products for businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Cavela Solution: AI-Driven Product Sourcing Simplified

The global e-commerce boom has empowered businesses of all sizes to sell products online, yet a major pain point remained: product creation and sourcing. While platforms like Shopify made online sales effortless, sourcing products has traditionally been an expensive, time-consuming, and complex process. Cavela sought to change that.

Leveraging AI-driven automation, Cavela streamlines the sourcing process for businesses, dramatically reducing the number of interactions required to engage with suppliers. The platform’s key features include:

• AI agents that automate tasks like finding, negotiating, and coordinating with suppliers
• A reduction in supplier interactions from 1,000 touch points to just 10
• Hundreds of hours saved in work time
• The ability to engage with hundreds of suppliers simultaneously
• An average cost reduction of 40% compared to traditional methods

For businesses that lack the resources for complex procurement, Cavela’s AI offers a game-changing solution, making custom product creation faster, easier, and more affordable.

The Vision Behind Cavela

Anthony Sardain, CEO and founder of Cavela, brought a unique perspective to this venture. With a background in data science and experience working with Tierra—a company that predicts crime in Latin America—Sardain combined his technical expertise with his family’s deep roots in manufacturing. Sardain’s inspiration came from a personal experience when he helped a family member source custom products for a hotel. The tedious and time-consuming process sparked an idea: why not use AI to automate and simplify product sourcing?

“Creating custom products is difficult, but with recent developments in AI, it doesn’t have to be,” Sardain explains. “Large enterprises have dedicated teams to manage the complex process of product sourcing, but small and midsized businesses don’t have that luxury. We’re leveling the playing field, making it easier and more affordable for anyone to create custom products.”

Industry Expertise Meets AI Innovation

Cavela’s strength lies in the diversity of its team, which includes seasoned professionals from industry-leading companies. The team brings together expertise from notable names such as Stripe, Google, Amazon, and Disney, alongside manufacturing veterans from companies like Primark and DS Smith. This unique blend of tech and industry experience is what sets Cavela apart, with deep knowledge of both AI technologies and global procurement practices.

AI and Generative AI at Cavela’s Core

At the heart of Cavela’s platform is the innovative use of AI and generative AI technologies. These AI-driven solutions revolutionize the traditional product sourcing process in several ways:

• Language Processing: Cavela’s AI agents handle human language complexities, improving communication in sourcing.
• Translation: The platform facilitates communication between suppliers and buyers from different countries through AI-powered translations.
• Supplier Matching: The AI algorithms match businesses with the most suitable suppliers based on their specific needs.
• Negotiation Optimization: Cavela’s AI agents negotiate with suppliers to secure the best possible deals.
• Process Automation: From the initial inquiry to final product delivery, the platform automates every step of the sourcing journey.

Cavela is designed to streamline the product creation process, allowing businesses to focus on growth without being bogged down by the complexities of procurement.

Securing Funding Without a Traditional Pitch Deck

In a unique approach to raising capital, Cavela secured $2 million in seed funding in September 2024 from XYZ Venture Capital, Propel Ventures, and Go Global Ventures. Notably, Sardain’s team bypassed the traditional pitch deck, opting instead for a video demonstration of their product to convey the value proposition. This unconventional strategy worked remarkably well, showcasing Cavela’s ability to cut through the noise and demonstrate its real-world impact.

Ross Fubini, Managing Partner at XYZ Venture Capital, was impressed with both the product and the story behind it: “It’s very rare that you come across a team like this one, with a cross-section of AI and specific industry experience, capable of remaking that industry—in this case, e-commerce. Cavela is going to have a huge impact on everyday operations of brands, startups, small companies, and more. But also have a broad, global impact on how products get made and distributed around the world.”

Cavela’s funding success highlights the power of focusing on product innovation and a compelling narrative. By emphasizing their unique solution to a critical industry problem, they effectively captured the interest of investors without relying on traditional presentations.

Cavela’s Impact on E-Commerce

Since its official launch, Cavela has already made a significant impact on businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises that previously struggled with inefficient sourcing processes. Jordan Beaman, founder of Western Welder Outfitting, a leading workwear brand, shared how Cavela transformed his business: “The bottom line is that with Cavela we’re cutting production costs on our core products by 35%. Not only that, Cavela has also made it possible for us to quickly and easily expand our product line beyond our core offering.”

As Cavela continues to grow, its platform’s capabilities are expected to evolve, allowing more businesses to benefit from AI-driven procurement. With a focus on transparency, efficiency, and cost savings, Cavela is well-positioned to lead the future of product sourcing in the e-commerce space.

New Era for Product Sourcing

As Sardain puts it: “Shopify solved one half of the equation, where it was very easy to sell things online. What remained was extremely high friction: the process of creating products. We’re tackling such a massive problem, it’s hard not to see the impact that this could have.”

What truly sets Cavela apart at least for now is how they secured funding without a traditional pitch deck. Instead, they used a video demonstration that showcased the platform’s capabilities and a product-centric approach that allowed their solution to speak for itself. The combination of a compelling story, Sardain’s background in both AI and manufacturing, and a clear value proposition made their pitch resonate with investors.

As Cavela grows, the impact on e-commerce, manufacturing, and the global supply chain will likely be profound. The company’s AI-powered platform offers not only a solution to the inefficiencies in product sourcing but a glimpse into the future of how businesses will interact with suppliers.

Will AI and automation fully transform the traditional supply chain model? How will small businesses capitalize on tools like Cavela to challenge industry giants? The future of product sourcing is unfolding — and Cavela is leading the charge.