High-Level Overview
Made With Intent is a Manchester-based eCommerce technology startup founded in 2023 that builds a real-time customer intent platform. It analyzes over 250-800 onsite signals (like scroll speed, clicks, and journey sequences) via a simple script to predict buyer behavior, segment visitors by intent (e.g., likely to buy, abandon, or return), and enable personalized targeting through integrations with 40+ marketing tools, CRMs, and experience platforms[1][2][3][4]. Serving data-led retailers globally (UK, Denmark, Germany, USA), it solves the problem of generic eCommerce optimization that ignores individual purchase stages, delivering a reported 9.4% average revenue uplift, 24% lift in purchase confidence, and margin improvements like 10% via smarter discounting[1][2][4][5]. The platform introduces xC (Expected Conversion), inspired by football's xG metric, for "Moneyball-style" analytics without needing extra data, dev, or design resources[3][5].
Backed by a €1.75M/£1.5M seed round in May 2024 from Mercuri (lead), Portfolio Ventures, and Haatch, it has 19 employees, ISO27001 certification, no PII/cookies impact, and processes over 10 billion events with zero Core Web Vitals drag. Early traction includes brands like Appliances Direct using it to exclude high-intent users from discounts, protecting margins[1][2][7].
Origin Story
Founder David Mannheim brings a decade of eCommerce expertise, having started User Conversion, a conversion rate optimization consultancy, which he sold in 2021[3]. Frustrated by one-size-fits-all tactics that pressure all visitors equally—creating "anxiety" for non-ready buyers and a "race to the bottom"—he launched Made With Intent in early 2023 to humanize online retail, mimicking in-store sales assistants who read body language[1][2][3]. Inspired by football's xG (expected goals) statistic, the team developed xC to model intent from aggregated AI-trained signals across sites, yielding better predictions than site-specific tuning[3]. Pivotal early validation came from its script-based setup delivering real-time metrics immediately, leading to the 2024 seed raise and rapid user adoption in multiple countries, with goals for 100 global customers in two years[1][2].
Core Differentiators
- Real-Time Intent Modeling: Interprets 250-800+ signals (e.g., momentum, journey sequences) into predictive segments and xC scores, enabling dynamic personalization without static rules—unlike generic tools[1][3][4].
- Seamless Integrations & Ease: Plug-and-play script with 40+ tools (ad networks, CRMs, experience platforms); no dev needed, ISO27001 secure, privacy-focused (no PII/cookies), live in weeks[1][2][4].
- Proven ROI: 9.4% revenue uplift, 24% purchase confidence boost, 10%+ margin gains (e.g., Appliances Direct excludes discounts for high-intent users); dashboard reveals overlooked opportunities[1][4][5][7].
- Complementary & Innovative: Enhances existing stacks for optimal timing (e.g., intent-based emails, re-engagement); uncovers stage-based shopping insights for custom campaigns[2][4].
Role in the Broader Tech Landscape
Made With Intent rides the AI-driven personalization wave in eCommerce, countering cookie deprecation and privacy regs by using anonymized onsite signals for hyper-relevant experiences amid maturing martech stacks[4]. Timing is ideal post-2023 launch, as retailers grapple with post-iOS tracking loss and demand for "human" selling in a €2T+ market shifting from volume to quality prospects—echoed by investor Mercuri's praise for its first-principles rethink[1][2]. It influences the ecosystem by complementing tools like CRMs, fostering intent-first strategies that boost lifetime value and sustainability, while its xC metric could standardize analytics like xG did for sports[3][5].
Quick Take & Future Outlook
With seed funding fueling global expansion to 100 customers and an exciting roadmap, Made With Intent is poised to scale its "intent agent" amid rising AI adoption in retail, potentially hitting multi-million ARR via network effects from integrations[1][4]. Trends like agentic AI, zero-party data, and conversational commerce (e.g., CRM integrations) will amplify its edge, evolving it from optimizer to full ecosystem orchestrator[7][8]. As eCommerce matures, its focus on quality over quantity could redefine personalization, unlocking sustained growth for data-led brands while protecting margins in a competitive landscape—proving intent truly powers profitable, human retail.