In a former life, I was heading sales and product development for a global brand. As part of my regular routine, I pounded the pavement with sample bags and catalogs, selling multinational footwear to global retailers. This was wholesale as we knew it—relationship-driven, face-to-face, globe-trotting salesmanship. Enter COVID-19, and this model became instantly obsolete. Buyers and retailers found ways to connect and interact online. Yet the core issues persisted: retailers still needed a streamlined channel to discover top-tier brands, and brands still faced high financial risks when courting stores.

So what's the fix? Enter Andisor, a digital B2B marketplace on a mission to rewrite the rules of wholesale for the retail sector.

Why me, why now? My background in computer science and coding didn't just make me a good salesman; it made me a tech evangelist with a killer instinct for market needs. This allowed us to accelerate Andisor's development cycle, rolling out a minimum viable product (MVP) faster than you can say 'supply chain disruption.' But it’s not just about speed; it's about innovation and customer centricity, which are at the heart of everything we do at Andisor.

While at Antler, an early-stage VC firm, I teamed up with Katie. A blend of shared values, collective expertise, and the unwavering will to solve real-world problems led to the inception of Andisor. After countless interviews—from titans managing $4B portfolios to indie boutiques in Canberra—the verdict was clear. B2B needed a tech overhaul, one that facilitated discovery and financial security. So we delivered.

Andisor isn't just a marketplace; it’s a cutting-edge SaaS platform engineered to connect emerging lifestyle brands with a sprawling network of retailers. We didn't merely replicate the offline experience online; we enhanced it. For brands, Andisor is gearing up to be a command center for wholesale operations. For retailers, it’s a high-octane engine for risk-less growth. We've brought precision to the table so you can make better decisions, faster.

The pandemic did more than shift user validation online. It crystallised the irrevocable need for a digital pivot in retail. With Sydney and Melbourne in lockdown, our bucket list of features and benefits was scrutinised in virtual rooms, dissected by buyers and SME owners who laid bare their challenges and aspirations. Our initial features hit the bull's-eye; we zeroed in on the top three and got to work. Eight whirlwind weeks later, our MVP was live. We even garnered early support from 19 global brands ready to beta-test the promise of Andisor.

In terms of funding, we’ve already secured pre-seed backing from Antler and are now in private beta testing. If you're looking to discover what Andisor can do for your retail game, connect with us on LinkedIn, shoot us an email, or drop a note at www.andisor.com.

What did Antler teach me? Surround yourself with a cohort of sharp minds and sharper critics. Adopt a growth mindset. Fail, iterate, and succeed at warp speed. And most importantly, relish the ride.

So, here’s your call to action. If you're in B2B wholesale and you're not plugged into Andisor, you're not just missing out on profits; you're missing the future. Don't just adapt; lead the charge with Andisor, the marketplace that’s redefining the rules of wholesale.