A software provider helping distribution and wholesale companies to adapt to doing business online during the pandemic is set to expand its overseas client base with the help of a £200,000 loan from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.
The loan will help Adventoris to expand its team, with the creation of 17 new jobs in the year ahead, as well as implement foreign languages and other new features into its SwiftCloud system.
SwiftCloud provides distributors and wholesalers with their own mobile sales ordering app, allowing them to receive orders 24/7 from customers via the app or web platform. Founded in 2012, it is now the leading sales app within the sector with clients including stationery brand STAEDTLER and household-name drinks manufacturer AG BARR.
The Huddersfield-based company, which has doubled its revenue in each of the past four years and is on course to do the same in 2021, is now winning clients overseas, the most recent being STAEDTLER Spain and the US office accessories supplier Fellowes. In addition to the B2B app, Adventoris also launched a B2C version to allow wholesalers that stock restaurants and bars to offload fresh produce during the lockdown by selling direct to consumers.
The company’s CEO James Clarkson said: “The global pandemic has disrupted the normal sales channels, forcing organisations to move to digital sales. We have been helping them to make the transition and operate as effectively as possible online. As a result, we have seen unprecedented demand for SwiftCloud and are winning more and more overseas clients. The NPIF loan will help us grow the team and adapt the system to the needs of international businesses.”
Alissia Deane of Mercia said: “Distributors and wholesalers are now more than ever looking for ways to digitise and streamline business processes. SwiftCloud was built specifically for trade ordering and allows them to ensure their business is future proof. This funding will help the company expand its international client base and support its ongoing expansion.”
Melanie Ellyard at British Business Bank said: “This investment into Adventoris exemplifies the work that NPIF set out to do since its launch in 2017. By supporting businesses with the funds to grow, secure major contracts and create employment opportunities, we are creating a more sustainable and prosperous regional economy for the future. As the region now looks towards a recovery from impact of the pandemic, ensuring vital investment is available to regional organisations is more important than ever.”
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.