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Avisare is a Los Angeles, California-based procurement software and two-sided marketplace that connects government agencies and large enterprises with small, diverse businesses for institutional contracting opportunities. The cloud-based platform operates as a business-to-business software-as-a-service solution, streamlining the bidding and request-for-proposal processes while helping organizations track their supplier diversity spending goals. The system primarily serves state governments, universities, healthcare companies, and prime contractors seeking to source materials and services from minority-, women-, and veteran-owned enterprises. The early-stage startup has secured financial backing from at least nine investment firms, including recognizable entities such as Backstage Capital and the Techstars accelerator program. Additionally, the organization is an active participant in the PledgeLA initiative, a regional effort designed to support venture capital funding and workforce diversity across the local economy. Avisare was founded in 2015 by Sky Kelley.
Avisare has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round.
Avisare has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Avisare has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $1.0M Seed in November 2017.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2017 | $1M Seed | — | Brass PEN Ventures | Announced |
Avisare is a cloud-based procurement SaaS platform that connects large corporations and government entities with small-to-mid-size suppliers, particularly diverse and minority-owned businesses, through an electronic RFP bidding engine.[1][2][3] It serves procurement teams seeking qualified vendors while empowering suppliers with AI-driven RFP recommendations, seamless integrations with vendor management systems, and a freemium model, solving inefficiencies in supplier sourcing, diversity compliance, and supply chain sustainability.[1][2][3] With a social mission to level the playing field, Avisare donates revenue to minority student scholarships via NFTE and emphasizes collaboration in the procure-to-pay process.[1][2]
Founded in 2015 in Los Angeles, the company has achieved full product readiness, participated in Techstars LA (2017), and raised funding from Backstage Capital and others, maintaining a lean team of about 4 employees.[1][2][3]
Avisare was founded in July 2015 by Sky Kelley, a serial entrepreneur and product CEO with a background in digital strategy at Disney, ESPN, and AT&T, plus Wall Street experience at UBS.[1][3] Kelley co-founded America's Minority Health Network (acquired post-$5M Series A) and identified a gap in B2B procurement after recognizing governments' mandates to engage small, minority-, and women-owned businesses amid network-driven inequalities she observed personally.[3]
The idea emerged from Kelley's mission to scale impact through technology, creating a "LinkedIn for the Supply Chain" network rather than a static database.[1][3] Early traction came via the Techstars LA program in 2017, where mentors refined her leadership, branding, and scaling skills, accelerating product development into a double-sided marketplace.[3] Key team members include Jason LaManque (product/UX) and Douglas Finley (software engineering), building on Kelley's vision for user-centric solutions.[2]
Avisare rides the supply chain digitization and ESG trends, where corporations and governments face mandates for supplier diversity (e.g., minority-owned businesses) and sustainable sourcing amid post-pandemic disruptions.[3] Timing aligns with rising procurement SaaS adoption, as AI enhances matching in fragmented markets, reducing manual RFP inefficiencies.[1][2]
Market forces like regulatory pressures for inclusion and environmental goals favor Avisare, positioning it as a scalable enabler in the $10T+ global procurement space.[3] It influences the ecosystem by empowering small businesses (often underserved), boosting economic mobility, and integrating with enterprise tools, contributing to broader supply chain resilience and equity.[1][2][3]
Avisare's lean, mission-driven model positions it for expansion into larger enterprise contracts and international markets, leveraging AI advancements for predictive sourcing.[1][3] Trends like AI automation in procurement, stricter diversity regs, and sustainable supply chains will propel growth, potentially through partnerships or acquisitions by procurement giants.[2]
As a Techstars alum with proven network effects, its influence could evolve from niche diversity tool to core procure-to-pay platform, scaling impact for small suppliers while tying back to Kelley's vision of networks driving equitable opportunity.[3]
Avisare has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Avisare's investors include Brass Pen Ventures.
