Since its fall 2021 launch, Memphis Inno — MBJ’s brand geared toward startups, technology, and innovation — has expanded its coverage of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Memphis Inno's Startups to Watch highlights startups and founders who are breaking technological ground in their respective industries, with new ventures and innovative product offerings. Memphis Inno’s Startups to Watch for 2023 leaned into strengths of the local economy, with ventures selected from the medical device, logistics, and restaurant industries.
Startups to Watch features early stage companies figuring out how to get off the ground, and others that already have significant sources of funding and are looking to scale up. All are uniquely Memphis ventures.
S+V Technologies
Have you ever attempted to order a product online, only to find that it was out of stock?
It’s a source of frustration for many online shoppers, as well as the merchants that aren’t able to sell the product. Local software-as-a-service (SaaS) startup S+V Technologies, however, is providing them with an alternative.
S+V’s primary product is Stock in Motion, a platform plug-in for online stores that’s now available on Shopify. In addition to the inventory classes “in stock” and “out of stock,” it provides consumers and merchants with a third option, also called “stock in motion.”
Merchants based in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom are able to sell inbound products rather than wait for them to arrive at a fulfillment center, provided they’re in route by air, road, or rail.
Essentially, merchants can start to sell products that haven’t arrived yet, but are on their way. It also provides them with more visibility of their products, while they’re in route — and this visibility is extended to consumers. Because in addition to being able to buy products sooner, shoppers can track inventory that’s considered “stock in motion,” through a Google map.
Founded by former FedEx execs Mike Rude and Aly Hancock, S+V has gained momentum since its inception. It’s seen a slight increase in downloads recently, and it’s looking to continue growing. It’s also scored some notable partnerships, two of which came in the fall.
One was with Chicago-based project44, which employs over 1,000 people and is valued at $2.7 billion. It works with more than 1,200 companies to improve their global supply chains and ensure on-time delivery of shipments, address supply chain disruptions, and move goods efficiently.
The other was with FlavorCloud, a Seattle-based international shipping company that takes care of the entire global logistics process for merchants, from trade compliance to customs clearance processes.
“The main focus for us is growth,” Hancock told MBJ, over email. "We will continue to simplify, introduce new partnerships, and drive more downloads and usage."
