Cavela has secured $6.6 million in seed funding to help small and mid-sized brands reduce production costs and streamline supplier sourcing. The round was co-led by XYZ Venture Capital and Susa Ventures, with participation from Crossover Capital.
Founded in 2023 by Anthony Sardain, Cavela offers AI-driven tools that automate the process of finding and negotiating with manufacturers. The need for such tools has grown as tariffs on goods from China and other countries make traditional sourcing more complex. Many companies continue to work with the same supplier for years, since identifying and vetting new factories requires extensive time and manual effort.
Automating the Sourcing Process
Rising tariffs have created caution among brands considering new manufacturing locations. Sardain noted, “You don’t just walk into Vietnam and build up a supply chain. A lot of brands find one supplier, and they hang on for the rest of their life, because they really don’t want to lose it.”
This tendency is especially pronounced among small and mid-sized businesses that lack dedicated global sourcing teams. These companies often remain tied to the same factory because expanding their supplier network traditionally demands hours of manual communication and follow-up.
Cavela’s approach reduces the labor involved in supplier diversification. Its AI agents handle the initial outreach, identify potential suppliers, and structure communications to ensure brands can evaluate multiple options quickly.
The system covers factories in more than 40 countries, allowing brands to move beyond a single supplier while avoiding the operational burden that usually slows down diversification. The platform focuses on efficiency and transparency, helping companies understand pricing, capacity, and production timelines at an early stage.
How Cavela’s AI Agents Work
Brands begin by uploading all product details, including diagrams, blueprints, CAD files, images, and other specifications. The AI agents extract relevant attributes and identify suitable manufacturers based on the product requirements. The agents then contact factories via WhatsApp, email, or text to collect pricing, lead times, and production capacity.
Sardain explained, “They log in a couple of days later, and there are quotes in their inbox.” This workflow replaces what previously required dozens or hundreds of manual messages. Brands can request samples from a shortlist of potential suppliers before finalizing production.
According to reports, the average production cost reduction is around 35 percent, with some brands achieving costs below pre-tariff levels. Sardain added, “If you get 100 quotes, you’re going to, by chance, land on a much lower price, and you’re also going to get a much better supplier in the process.”
The AI handles sourcing and quotation management but does not make predictions about trade outcomes or tariffs. It is designed to process complex, unstructured documentation consistently, something that is difficult to maintain using traditional manual sourcing teams.
Cavela’s Place in the Sourcing Landscape
Early customers include Western Welder Outfitting, a fire-resistant apparel brand, and The Longhairs, a men’s grooming company. Both report that Cavela helped them find manufacturers with lower production costs than previously possible.
The system operates differently from existing options. Alibaba connects brands to thousands of suppliers but does not automate follow-up or negotiation. Pietra provides sourcing support but lacks AI-driven agents capable of real-time, multi-channel communication with manufacturers.
Cavela combines automated sourcing with access to financing. Its partnership with Clearco allows brands to secure working-capital financing for production while AI agents collect competitive quotes. This integration gives brands both cost efficiency and the funds to act on the offers immediately.
The founding team draws on Sardain’s data science background and a family history of trade experience across Asia, including Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, and mainland China. His upbringing in these trade hubs informed the platform’s design and understanding of how manufacturers operate.
Cavela responds to current challenges in manufacturing, including rising tariffs, increasing cost pressures, and the complexity of managing multiple suppliers. It delivers faster, more efficient sourcing, helping brands reduce costs without the extensive manual effort that has traditionally limited global manufacturing options.
