Are Traasdahl of Crisp
An exclusive Tech Tribune Q&A with Are Traasdahl (founder and CEO) of Crisp, which was honored in our:
Tell us the origin story of Crisp – what problem were you trying to solve and why?
Before Crisp, I founded Tapad, which helped lead the programmatic transformation in the advertising industry. After selling Tapad in 2016, I was fortunate to spend a year traveling the world with my family. We visited over 30 countries and we witnessed first-hand
the staggering imbalance of hunger, waste, and unsustainable environmental impacts across food supply chains. Children the same age as my kids were malnourished. At the same time, I saw food rotting in fields and going to waste.
After hundreds of hours of research and meetings with experts in the industry, my technology partner Dag Liodden and I concluded that the root cause of these problems was slow-moving, inaccurate data. Crisp was born out of a passion for reducing waste by using
real-time data, communication, and collaboration throughout supply chains.
What was the biggest hurdle you encountered in your journey?
One of the biggest hurdles we encountered early on was overcoming outdated technology. While typical IT projects can take millions of dollars and years to get started, we leverage a cloud-based solution that is cost-effective and quick to implement. Our goal
is to quickly automate the flow of clean data throughout supply chains and help optimize the balance of supply and demand.
Through Crisp’s “Collaborative Commerce” approach, CPG brands, distributors, and retailers are unlocking insights that help them to be more effective at forecasting, pricing, inventory management, and marketing. We are now growing faster than ever and have
rapidly expanded our customer base. In the past year, we’ve grown from 600 to over 6,000 customers, including more than 80 of the top 100 CPG brands. Crisp now works with data from over 40 retailers representing more than 627 million points of distribution,
up from 17 million in 2023.
What does the future hold for Crisp?
We recently closed a $72M Series B equity round, including $17M from new strategic investors including Wellington Management, Toshiba Corporation, DNX, Cox, and Prologis, as well as from our early investors at FirstMark.
This brings the total equity raised by Crisp to $97M since inception. We are going to build on this momentum and continue to expand our presence in the Northwest Arkansas region by connecting CPG brands with the data they need to strengthen their relationships
with retail partners.
Crisp also plans to make strategic hires and technology investments that advance our continued innovation for the retail industry, including a focus on AI, which enables smarter, faster decision-making across the enterprise.
What are your thoughts on the local tech startup scene in Arkansas?
Northwest Arkansas is the retail capital of the world and the region is recognized for its rapidly growing economy and focus on technology and innovation. This environment provides tech startups with the unique ability to network in person and leverage retail and unparalleled supply chain expertise in the region to grow their businesses. Crisp is thrilled to be part of this incredible landscape and we are investing heavily in the region.
What’s your best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Identify the best way that you can provide value before you sell anything. I have found that asking “how can I be a resource to others” is the ideal starting point. Then, surround yourself with the people that you want to be on a journey with every single day.