Mercura

What do they actually do

Mercura automates the tedious matching of specifications, BOQs/BOMs, and RFQs to a distributor’s or manufacturer’s catalog, turning messy inputs into draft quotes without manual SKU hunting. It uses semantic search and per‑customer tuning to map item requests to products, prices, and configurations, then syncs quotes and orders with the customer’s ERP so data, pricing rules, and inventory stay accurate (specifications, integrations).

The product includes a configurator/CPQ workflow and advertised connectors to ERPs like SAP, Oracle, Sage, and Uniconta, so quotes reflect live rules and stock. It also offers AI voice agents that answer routine inbound calls, capture requirements, and generate quotes in real time, with humans reviewing and correcting outputs so the system improves over time (voice assistant, integrations).

Who are their target customer(s)

• Inside-sales / quoting specialists at wholesale distributors: They spend hours searching catalogs, spreadsheets, and supplier PDFs to find correct SKUs and prices, which slows quotes and drives errors. Mercura automates mapping from specs/BOQs to catalog items and pricing (specifications).
• Back-office order processors and ERP administrators: They manually key orders, reconcile prices, and manage inventory updates across ERPs, causing delays and rework. Mercura syncs quotes and orders with ERPs to reduce hand-offs and mismatches (integrations).
• Manufacturers’ technical sales or configurator teams: They interpret complex specs and enforce product rules for custom builds, work that is slow and requires deep, specialized knowledge. Mercura provides a CPQ-style configurator tied to master data and rules (integrations/CPQ).
• Customer service reps handling inbound quote calls: They field repetitive requests and gather the same requirements repeatedly, creating long call times and missed calls during busy periods. Mercura’s voice agents collect requirements and generate quotes for routine inquiries (voice assistant).
• Contractors and project procurement managers submitting BOQs/BOMs: They get slow, inconsistent supplier responses and must chase clarifications, delaying projects. Mercura ingests BOQs/BOMs to produce consistent draft quotes faster (specifications).

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

• First 10: Founder-led, high-touch pilots with mid-sized distributors/manufacturers using common ERPs; ingest real BOQs/RFQs, sync pricing/product data, and run 6–8 week paid pilots to prove time saved and error reduction, then convert to paid contracts using an implementation fee.
• First 50: Productize the pilot into a fixed-scope package (connector + template + 4-week onboarding), hire a small outbound team to sell into similar accounts, and co-sell with 2–3 ERP/SI partners to standardize delivery and shorten time-to-live.
• First 100: Launch a reseller/channel program with ERP vendors/integrators, publish marketplace listings and standardized connectors, and add a lower-priced self-serve tier for smaller distributors; route larger and upsell opportunities through partners.

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

The customers Mercura targets (distributors and manufacturers) move trillions of dollars of goods annually; U.S. merchant wholesalers alone sold about $11.4T in 2022 (U.S. Census AWTS). Software categories Mercura touches—CPQ and ERP/integration—are each in the multi–tens of billions annually (MGI Research, Grand View Research).

Bottom-up calculation:

If ~50,000 mid-sized+ distributors/manufacturers globally have complex quoting and pay an average of ~$40,000 per year for quote/order automation and integrations, that implies a ~$2B annual TAM. Adding voice automation and advanced modules would increase attainable spend per account.

Assumptions:

• Global pool of ~50,000 targetable mid-sized+ distributors/manufacturers with complex specs/BOQs.
• Average annual contract value around $40,000 for core quote/order automation + ERP sync.
• Excludes adjacent spend (pricing optimization, e‑commerce) and smaller self-serve accounts.

Who are some of their notable competitors

• Conexiom: Automates order and invoice processing for distributors/manufacturers by converting emailed POs and documents directly into ERP orders—widely used in distribution for order entry automation (Conexiom).
• Salesforce CPQ: A mainstream CPQ platform tied to Salesforce CRM for quoting, pricing, and approvals; often extended with integrations to ERPs and custom catalog logic (Salesforce CPQ).
• SAP CPQ: Enterprise CPQ integrated with SAP’s ecosystem, supporting complex configurations and pricing rules for manufacturers and distributors (SAP CPQ).
• Epicor CPQ (KBMax): CPQ and rules-driven product configuration (formerly KBMax), popular with manufacturers needing complex configuration and ERP/eCommerce integrations (Epicor CPQ).
• Tacton CPQ: Manufacturing-focused CPQ with strong configuration logic for complex products, integrations to major ERPs/CRMs, and visual configuration options (Tacton).