From Problem to Solution
Foreko was born from firsthand experience with manual procurement at billion-dollar companies — and the realization that smaller suppliers had it even worse.
Drowning in Spreadsheets
Our CEO Homero Ruiz worked in merchandising at Red Bull — where he saw firsthand how procurement remains manual even at billion-dollar companies. Small and medium CPG suppliers were even worse off. A 2024 Frontiers of Computer Science study found that 94% of business spreadsheets contain errors. Version control nightmares, formula errors, no real-time visibility — this was the reality for every growing CPG brand.
No Good Options
Enterprise solutions like SAP and Blue Yonder cost $200K+ with year-long implementations — completely out of reach for small and medium CPG suppliers. Generic tools do not understand CPG workflows. The result — suppliers are stuck managing everything in spreadsheets, losing money from stockouts, and spending 30+ hours per week on manual data work.
67 Interviews, One Clear Pattern
We interviewed 67 CPG founders in Northwest Arkansas. The findings were staggering — 94% manage procurement in spreadsheets, and 87% report losing money from stockouts. The white space was clear — no one was building enterprise-grade AI capabilities at pricing accessible to smaller suppliers.
AI Ingestion Agents + Machine Learning
Foreko was born to fill that gap. We built proprietary AI ingestion agents that handle messy data sources — spreadsheets, ERPs, Amazon, Shopify — and machine learning models that deliver 87% forecast accuracy. Enterprise capabilities at $500/mo with 1-day integration, not months of implementation.
10 Pilots, 100% Conversion
Today we have 10 pilot customers in production — including a tortilla manufacturer in Springdale, a snack company in Mexico, and a candy manufacturer in Rogers. All 10 pilots agreed to convert to paid at $500/mo. Results speak for themselves — 87% forecast accuracy, 30 hours saved per week, and 10% reduction in stockouts.
“I saw at Red Bull how procurement remains manual even at billion-dollar companies. If they struggle with it, imagine what smaller suppliers go through. That is why we built Foreko.”
Homero Ruiz — CEO & Co-Founder
