Vancouver-based ProShop ERP, which provides enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for manufacturers, has received a $32-million USD investment from growth equity firm Mainsail Partners.
According to ProShop, it will use the capital to expedite its product development. Co-founder Paul Van Metre told BetaKit the startup aims to accelerate hiring in development, implementation, support, and product management. He added ProShop “will be looking at acquisitions for additional products and services” to serve its clients needs.
Co-founded by Van Metre, Kelsey Heikoop, Darcy Hughes, and Matthew Carrico, ProShop is meant to help manufacturers move away from paper-based workflows and into a web-based environment. It offers its ERP software to manufacturers in regulated industries such as defence, aerospace, and health care.
“With the financial and operational backing of Mainsail … we’re doubling down on our commitment to this industry.”
ProShop’s platform features capabilities for streamlining processes in machine shops such as on-time delivery, shop throughput, quoting, set-up times, and their ISO and AS9100 certifications.
Van Metre noted ProShop has been a founder-financed company for the last seven years. In an aim to serve more machine shops in the industry, Van Metre said the company decided it needed a partner.
“After many months of careful research and vetting, we decided that Mainsail was perfectly aligned with our mission to serve manufacturing companies,” Van Metre said. “With the financial and operational backing of Mainsail as our partner, we’re doubling down on our commitment to this industry.”
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The founders, who met while attending Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash., created ProShop to serve the needs of their first joint company, called Pro CNC.
ProShop handled Pro CNC’s shop scheduling, shop floor control, quality management, and others. In 2014, Pro CNC was sold to Trulife, allowing the founders to focus on building and commercializing ProShop.
ProShop has expanded from its Canadian base since then, establishing a second location in their university city of Bellingham, Wash. in 2019. The startup said this new location in the United States will help facilitate sales and support the ProShop software.
Featured image courtesy ProShop ERP.