Intercept

What do they actually do

Intercept builds software for CPG suppliers to automatically collect, organize, and review retailer fees and deductions. It pulls fee notices from retailer portals, email, and EDI into one place, classifies reason codes, and flags charges that look invalid or duplicative so teams can act faster (Intercept site).

The product helps assemble supporting documentation, prepare and file disputes in line with retailer requirements, and track resolution and recovered dollars. It also surfaces patterns—like promotions that drive recurring chargebacks—so brands can prevent repeat issues and improve channel profitability (Intercept site — automated ingestion, monitor promotional programs).

For larger teams, Intercept advertises enterprise support and custom integrations, reflecting a focus on higher‑volume deduction workflows as well as smaller brands that need lightweight automation (pricing — Enterprise plan).

Who are their target customer(s)

• Finance manager at a small or mid‑size CPG brand (owns deductions/collections): Spends hours reconciling chargebacks in spreadsheets and chasing paperwork, delaying monthly close and letting valid recoveries slip through (Intercept site).
• Retail-operations or logistics lead managing retailer portals and EDI: Receives fee notices across email and multiple portals without a single view to categorize and follow up, so disputable claims go unfiled or are missed (Intercept site — automated ingestion).
• Trade-promotion or sales-ops manager: Can’t easily see which promotions generate invalid deductions or hurt channel margins, making trade spend look higher and forecasts less accurate (monitor promotional programs).
• Founder/CFO of an early-stage CPG brand: Thin margins make recurring retail fees material; disputing them takes headcount the team doesn’t have. They need a way to stop preventable charges from eroding gross margin (TechCrunch, YC tweet).
• Accounts receivable / reconciliation team at a larger CPG: Faces high deduction volume that requires routing and dispute automation; without custom integrations and support, disputes bottleneck and require costly manual review (pricing — Enterprise plan).

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Run white‑glove 6–8 week pilots via YC/network intros and direct outreach to finance and retail‑ops leads; manually ingest notices, file disputes on behalf of the brand, and deliver a recovery report to prove ROI, using discounts or success fees to reduce friction (Intercept features, TechCrunch).
• First 50: Turn the pilot into a “quick recovery” offer: publish a few short case studies, run targeted LinkedIn/email sequences to finance and trade‑ops titles, host practical webinars on identifying disputable fees, and partner with accounting advisors/brokers for referrals; convert pilots to annual subscriptions (Intercept product & pricing).
• First 100: Scale with standard EDI/retailer connectors and channel partners (distributors, 3PLs, trade-promo platforms) as resellers; formalize onboarding with playbooks and CSM coverage, and add a self‑serve tier for very small brands to capture low‑touch demand (automated ingestion & workflows, pricing — Enterprise plan).

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

CPG trade‑promotion spend is estimated at roughly $500B globally, the arena where many deductions originate (Forrester). In the U.S., deductions often run 5–15% of supplier sales across categories (Inmar).

Bottom-up calculation:

Using a ~$1.53T U.S. CPG market, 5–15% implies ~$76.5B–$229.5B of annual deductions (Grand View Research, Inmar). If 10–20% are disputable/invalid, the recoverable pool is roughly ~$8B–$46B per year in the U.S. (TalkBusiness).

Assumptions:

• Deduction rates average 5–15% of supplier sales across U.S. CPG.
• 10–20% of deductions are disputable or preventable in practice.
• U.S. CPG market size is ~$1.53T; figures are directional and vary by category/retailer.

Who are some of their notable competitors

• Glimpse: CPG‑focused deductions/disputes automation that consolidates portals, email, and ERP data to flag and recover invalid deductions; positioned as automation‑first for brands reducing manual stitching.
• Floret: Sales and finance platform for CPGs with deductions, disputes, cash application, and trade‑spend visibility; pitches accounting integrations and pilot programs for adoption.
• Inmar (DeductionsLink): Incumbent combining deductions software with services and analytics; caters to larger manufacturers needing hands‑on dispute support and enterprise integrations.
• iNymbus: Automated deduction management with retailer‑specific dispute playbooks and best practices; suited for teams seeking software‑led workflows and guidance on common denials.
• SPS Commerce (Revenue Recovery): Mixes automation, guided workflows, and expert services to resolve deductions and prevent repeat losses; a fit for brands already using EDI/retailer integrations.