GU Trade

GU Trade provides a workflow management solution for businesses, specifically targeting the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector. Founded in 2010 by Marcelo Blanco (CEO) and Jesus Portillo (CTO), the Montevideo, Uruguay-based company offers a technology platform to give clients real-time visibility into what is happening at the point of sale. The company's genesis can be traced to a spin-off from Xseed, a Uruguayan technology firm, in 2014, before becoming fully independent in 2016. A key developmental milestone occurred in 2017 through a partnership with Danone to create a solution for gathering in-store intelligence.

The company's business model is centered on a web and mobile platform that allows CPG companies to plan, execute, and analyze their field team's activities. This service helps clients maximize their trade marketing investments by optimizing in-store execution and the deployment of on-the-ground personnel. Revenue is generated through this technology solution which has attracted an A-list clientele including major international brands like Coca-Cola, Danone, Nestlé, Colgate, and Bimbo. GU Trade has received funding from at least one institutional investor, The DMZ, and completed a Seed Round in January 2021, raising $2.2 million.

The core of GU Trade's offering is a suite of software products designed to capture and analyze retail execution data. The "Data Collector" application enables field representatives to gather crucial information from each point of sale via a mobile app. This data is monitored in real-time through a web platform, offering insights into SKU-level details like price and stock, promotion compliance, and out-of-stock situations. A key feature is the use of Image Recognition, powered by artificial intelligence, to analyze photos of shelves to determine product availability and share-of-shelf. Complementing these data capture tools are "Data Analytics" services, which transform the collected information into business intelligence reports and dashboards, and "Smart Routes," which uses AI to optimize the daily schedules of field teams.

Keywords: retail execution, trade marketing, point of sale data, field force automation, consumer packaged goods, shelf monitoring, image recognition, data analytics, real-time retail intelligence, in-store auditing, SKU tracking, promotion compliance, out-of-stock analysis, mobile data collection, retail visibility, workflow management, business intelligence for retail, sales force optimization, perfect store execution, CPG software