Soff

What do they actually do

Soff is a web app that plugs into a manufacturer’s purchasing and quoting flow. It connects to a purchasing inbox to automatically capture incoming RFQs (emails, PDFs, spreadsheets), extracts line items and pricing inputs, generates a polished PDF quote, and sends it back to the customer (they describe this as “generate pricing and polished PDF quotes instantly”) (Soff site).

It tracks quote status (won/lost), logs reasons, and surfaces simple analytics like response time and quote‑to‑win patterns so teams can spot slipping deals. It also automates follow‑ups and supplier/customer communications and syncs activity into the customer’s ERP/CRM through integrations and custom ERP connectors (Soff site).

They emphasize fast onboarding and enterprise readiness: integrations/marketplace connectors for legacy ERPs, SOC 2 Type II and end‑to‑end encryption, and claims that teams can be up and running within a day by plugging into email/ERP. The site reports customer‑facing outcomes such as up to 90% faster quote time and a lift in win rate (company‑reported) (Soff site; Trust center; YC profile).

Who are their target customer(s)

• Procurement manager at a mid‑sized manufacturer: Spends hours copying RFQs out of email/PDFs into spreadsheets and the ERP, which slows responses and causes data‑entry errors; needs faster, reliable quote creation with fewer manual handoffs (Soff site).
• Sales/estimating rep who sends quotes: Loses deals when producing accurate, customer‑ready PDF quotes is slow and inconsistent across reps; needs to turn RFQs into quotes quickly and consistently (Soff site; YC profile).
• ERP/IT administrator at a manufacturing shop: Spends time building/fixing custom connectors and reconciling mismatched quote/PO data between email threads and the ERP, creating back‑office delays and audit headaches (Soff site).
• Supplier/buyer coordinator: Constantly chases suppliers for pricing, availability, and ship dates via email and spreadsheets, leading to missed orders and reactive firefighting; needs automated follow‑ups and cleaner data flow (Soff site; Extruct.ai).
• Head of procurement or supply chain at an enterprise manufacturer: Lacks consolidated analytics on quote‑to‑win, supplier performance, and spend; needs better data and integrations/compliance to scale processes and improve pricing decisions (Soff site; Extruct.ai).

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

• First 10: Founder‑led pilots via warm intros (YC network, early customers, CMTA/industry connections) and targeted outreach to procurement managers; run a hands‑on pilot connecting the purchasing inbox and ERP to process live RFQs and prove value (Soff site; YC profile; CMTA).
• First 50: Standardize the pilot into a repeatable onboarding playbook and publish short case studies on time‑to‑quote and win‑rate improvements; add channel partnerships with ERP integrators/consultants and use referrals plus focused outbound to similar firms (Soff site; Extruct.ai).
• First 100: Layer in product‑led entry points and ERP templates for smaller manufacturers, launch an integrations marketplace and formal channel program with larger ERP/MRP partners, and build a repeatable sales/CS engine; emphasize SOC 2 and enterprise deployment options and use trade shows/webinars and partner co‑marketing for inbound (Trust center; Extruct.ai).

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

Global procurement software is roughly USD ~$7.3B (2023) to ~$9.3B (2024), with growth into the next decade. Manufacturing is a leading end‑user vertical, often ~20–30% of spend, implying a manufacturing procurement SAM of about USD ~$1.5B–$2.8B in the mid‑2020s (Fortune Business Insights; Grand View Research).

Bottom-up calculation:

Within procurement, quote/CPQ/e‑sourcing is a recognized sub‑segment; quote management alone is estimated at about USD ~$2.6B in 2025. Applying a conservative 20–30% manufacturing share suggests an immediate manufacturing quote‑management SAM of roughly USD ~$0.5–$0.8B (Future Market Insights; manufacturing share assumption informed by Grand View Research).

Assumptions:

• Manufacturing represents ~20–30% of procurement/quote‑management spend based on typical vertical splits cited in market research.
• Soff’s initial focus is the RFQ→quote/quote‑management slice within manufacturing procurement, not the full procurement suite.
• U.S. mid‑market density (~45k establishments with 50–499 employees) is indicative of broader developed markets, with additional upside internationally (BLS).

Who are some of their notable competitors

• Paperless Parts: Quoting and estimating platform for manufacturing job shops (CNC, sheet metal, fabrication), widely used to speed RFQs and produce customer‑ready quotes (site).
• Fairmarkit: AI‑assisted RFQ automation and sourcing for tail spend; not manufacturing‑specific but overlaps with RFQ intake and supplier outreach (site).
• SAP Ariba: Large enterprise procurement suite used by many manufacturers for sourcing, procurement, and supplier management; Soff competes on targeted RFQ‑to‑quote automation (site).
• Coupa: Broad spend management and e‑sourcing platform; a common incumbent in procurement that can address RFQ workflows at larger enterprises (site).
• SourceDay: Supplier collaboration and PO management for manufacturers; adjacent to Soff’s workflow with emphasis on supplier updates and ERP synchronization (site).