Spherecast

What do they actually do

Spherecast provides an inventory and replenishment copilot for multi‑channel CPG and e‑commerce brands. It connects to ERPs and data warehouses to pull sales, inventory, purchase and transfer orders, supplier data, and warehouse locations; generates SKU‑ and channel‑level demand forecasts; and proposes replenishment and transfer orders that account for constraints like lead times, safety stock, and MOQs (spherecast.ai; YC profile).

Planners review forecasts in a collaborative S&OP interface, make adjustments, and approve a single plan. On approval, Spherecast can push updates back into the ERP. It also parses supplier emails to keep delivery dates and quantities current, and uses agents to flag delays and other exceptions with explainable recommendations before execution (spherecast.ai; YC profile).

Who are their target customer(s)

• Multi‑channel CPG brands selling DTC, marketplaces, and retail: Sales and inventory data are spread across channels and spreadsheets, making forecasting and replenishment slow and error‑prone (spherecast.ai; YC profile).
• Brands with multiple warehouses, transfers, or co‑manufacturers: They face complex flows and constraints (lead times, MOQs, transfer timing) that basic ERP modules and spreadsheets do not optimize well (spherecast.ai).
• Small‑to‑mid CPG companies scaling into new channels/warehouses: Onboarding new data streams and building reliable forecasts is slow, leading to stockouts or excess inventory during growth (spherecast.ai; YC profile).
• Planning and S&OP teams at CPG brands: They spend time reconciling different forecasts and aligning on POs/transfer plans, with limited visibility into why decisions were made (spherecast.ai).
• Procurement/operations leads managing suppliers: They manually parse supplier emails, track delays, and update plans; exceptions escalate into stockouts or costly rush orders (spherecast.ai).

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

• First 10: Run high‑touch, paid pilots from warm introductions to multi‑channel CPG brands; connect their ERP/data to Spherecast’s sandbox in days and complete implementation in ~2–3 weeks to show concrete PO/inventory improvements and convert to paid (spherecast.ai; YC profile).
• First 50: Standardize the pilot playbook and expand outbound to similar brands using early case studies; offer the sandbox‑first demo plus a time‑boxed pilot and use the free trial/30‑day money‑back guarantee to ease procurement while broadening connectors to shorten onboarding (spherecast.ai).
• First 100: Productize onboarding with self‑serve trials and templated connectors (Shopify/common ERPs) and sign channel/implementation partners (ERP consultants, 3PLs, co‑manufacturers) to reach more mid‑market brands and deploy at scale (spherecast.ai).

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

The closest markets to Spherecast’s offering—supply‑chain planning (forecasting/S&OP/replenishment) and inventory‑management software—sum to roughly $12–15B today, based on market estimates for planning (~$12–13B) and inventory software (low single‑digit billions) (planning report example; inventory software report).

Bottom-up calculation:

In the U.S., there are ~42,700 food & beverage manufacturing establishments; globally, the broader CPG base extends to tens—likely hundreds—of thousands of companies. At typical mid‑market planning software budgets (tens of thousands per year), this supports a multi‑billion software market, consistent with the top‑down view (USDA ERS).

Assumptions:

• Only a subset of CPG manufacturers/brands have the multi‑warehouse/co‑manufacturing complexity and willingness to adopt new planning tools in the near term.
• Mid‑market buyers spend on the order of tens of thousands of dollars per year for forecasting/replenishment software, separate from ERP.
• Integration complexity, proof of safe automated execution, and change management pace adoption.

Who are some of their notable competitors

• Cogsy: Shopify/DTC‑first demand planning and PO automation for e‑commerce merchants; overlaps on SKU forecasting and PO generation but is oriented to channel‑centric workflows vs. deeper multi‑warehouse/co‑man simulation and ERP execution (cogsy.com).
• Inventory Planner (by Sage): Multichannel forecasting and automated replenishment for SMB/mid‑market retailers; competes on forecasting/POs but is primarily a retail planning tool rather than pushing execution into ERPs or parsing supplier emails (inventory-planner.com; Spherecast’s ERP/supplier features: spherecast.ai).
• RELEX Solutions: Enterprise retail/CPG planning (demand, replenishment, allocation) used by large retailers and manufacturers; strong at retail assortment/promotions and large deployments vs. Spherecast’s quicker sandbox onboarding for mid‑market brands (relexsolutions.com).
• Blue Yonder: Enterprise end‑to‑end supply‑chain and retail planning/execution; closest on integrated planning + execution at scale but targets large, customized IT landscapes rather than a lightweight, brand‑focused copilot (blueyonder.com).
• Streamline (GMDH Streamline): AI‑driven demand forecasting, inventory optimization and collaborative S&OP for mid‑to‑large companies; overlaps on forecasting and multi‑echelon replenishment, while Spherecast emphasizes ERP execution and supplier‑email automation with agent‑driven exceptions (streamlineplan.com; Spherecast: spherecast.ai).