Manchester software venture, Fireflai, gets £415k investment boost

DSW Ventures, the venture capital arm of Daresbury-based advisory firm Dow Schofield Watts, has announced a pre-seed investment of £415,000 into Fireflai, a Manchester-based software company tackling the challenge presented by fragmented and inconsistent product data.

Founded by Tom Gardner and Craig Sumner, Fireflai addresses the significant commercial issues presented by complex and highly dynamic product data to manufacturers, distributors and retailers.

These organisations have to contend with product data spread across multiple systems, multiple physical locations, multiple subsidiaries, in different languages, and with feeds from hundreds of suppliers – each with thousands of SKUs (stock keeping unit) and no consistent taxonomy.

There is a huge cost to manage this complexity. Fireflai’s software uses advanced data science and AI to solve these problems, allowing clients to save money and make better decisions based on a comprehensive and definitive product dataset.

The company’s development has been driven by Gardner’s entrepreneurial experience, having previously co-founded Robiquity, a successful automation consultancy bought-out by Growth Capital Partners.

Craig Sumner’s expertise in digital process transformation has been crucial in developing the core functionality of Fireflai’s platform.

Further bolstering the team’s strategic capabilities is Laura Malins, former chief product officer of Manchester unicorn Matillion, who works with the team on a non-executive basis.

CEO, Tom Garder, said: “This investment marks a huge milestone for me personally and for our business.

“Craig and I started the business over pizza and beers in 2023, and it’s great to see our vision come to fruition and very quickly add real value to our clients.

“DSW Ventures has worked incredibly closely with us on developing our business plan, refining our product strategy and developing our team.

“We are extremely excited about the next chapter for Fireflai – building on our early promise to create yet another successful Manchester technology company.”

Keith Benson, partner at DSW Ventures, said: “Fireflai’s blend of commercial and product expertise, alongside a compelling customer proposition, immediately stood out to us.

“We are very confident that Fireflai’s will transform how product-centric companies will manage their data, addressing a critical pain point.”