The wholesale distribution sector is evolving rapidly, with technology playing a crucial role in shaping its future. Attending the Innovators Summit lets you stay updated with the latest industry developments and remain ahead of your competitors. By being aware of emerging trends and disruptive technologies, you can proactively adapt your business strategies, identify new revenue streams, and gain a competitive edge in the market.

After a successful inaugural Innovators Summit in 2022, NAW has teamed up with Applico again to bring Innovation in Wholesale Distribution exclusively to our members on their journey to innovate, evolve, and adapt.

We will bring you thought leaders, practitioners, and technology providers who share innovations in marketplaces, operations, and supply chain technology, to address changing customer buying behaviors and evolving expectations in B2B commerce. We’ve curated a list of B2B tech companies whose businesses will help distributors maintain and increase their competitive edge. Along with the main program, there are opportunities for one-on-one discover sessions between distributors and the tech companies.

We will showcase examples of leading distributors who have embraced innovative digital tools and their best-in-class providers. We will challenge you to rethink the status quo and consider what is possible.

When and Where?

The event begins Tuesday, November 14, 2023, at 3 p.m. CT, ending Thursday, November 16, 2023, ending at 1 p.m. CT and will be held in Austin, Texas, at the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown, 700 San Jacinto, E 8th St, Austin, TX 78701.

We have reserved a block of rooms at the event hotel. Be sure to book before the room block deadline on October 31 as the hotel will sell out!

Why Attend?

• Premier Event in Wholesale Distribution Innovation: The NAW Innovators Summit, powered by Applico, is the nexus of forward-thinking strategies and discussions in our industry. Here, you’ll witness firsthand the evolution of the sector, positioning your enterprise at the forefront of innovation.
• Keynote Speakers with Credible Expertise: Our roster includes titans of our industry on the CEO panel as well as influential tech figures bringing deep insights into the challenges and innovations within the distribution world while providing invaluable strategic direction.
• Unparalleled Networking Opportunities: This summit is not just about gaining knowledge but also about forging impactful connections. Engage with a dynamic community of B2B tech solutionists, investors, and fellow distributors, opening avenues for future collaborations and partnerships.
• Exploration of Latest Technologies: With dedicated trends on supply chain solutions, marketplace technology, and AI’s pragmatic applications, this summit ensures you leave with a comprehensive understanding of the tech trends set to reshape our industry.
• Closed-door Presentations with Startups: Get a front-row seat to the future with exclusive one-on-one meetings with founders of the most promising B2B distribution-focused startups. These innovators will be unveiling solutions that could very well be the next game-changers for your company.

Who Should Attend?

The NAW Innovators Summit is for wholesale distributors with an annual sales revenue of $100 million+

A Few of the Tech Innovators at the Event

Introducing the initial list of innovative tech startups presenting for 2023. These cutting-edge companies are bridging the tech divide in B2B by solving core challenges for distribution and redefining industry benchmarks. And you get direct access.

Keynote Speakers:

8VC | KEYNOTE SPEAKER | Drew Oetting, Founding Partner
8VC is a leading supply chain and B2B technology venture capital investor with more than $7 billion in assets under management. With investments into logistics tech like Project 44, Deliverr, and Flexport, B2B SaaS in the hands of construction contractors like Kojo, AI companies like Palantir and B2B marketplaces like Knowde, Drew and the 8VC team have a unique vantage point to see what’s on the horizon for innovation in the supply chain and wholesale distribution.

EquipmentShare – TECH KEYNOTE SPEAKER | Jabbok Schlacks, Co-Founder & CEO
Provider of equipment and digital solutions that empower contractors and construction professionals by improving efficiency, saving money and time, as well as enhancing visibility over all the verticals of construction: assets, people, and materials.

Featured Speakers

9Yards Capital – FEATURED SPEAKER | Daniel Jaffe, Partner
9Yards Capital, a growth stage technology investment firm focused on foundational industries, starting with fintech and logistics tech. Daniel covers all things supply chain, logistics, and the real economy. Some noteworthy investments include logistics-tech companies such as Emerge, Deliverr, and Mudflap; B2B fintech firms such as Built and Remote; and distributor tech companies such as Kojo and Pepper.

Kojo – FEATURED SPEAKER | Maria Davidson, Co-Founder & CEO
The leading multi-trade software for contractors, provides an all-in-one solution for contractors to plan, track, receive, and pay for their materials, and integrates digital purchasing via distribution. 

Presenting Tech Innovators

Bringg | Guy Bloch, CEO
Bringg is the delivery management platform market leader, serving over 800 customers globally. Bringg’s SaaS platform simplifies the last mile experience, enabling organizations to turn delivery into a competitive advantage by leveraging innovative technology to manage fleets or tap into a global network of 200+ integrated carriers including parcel, same day, and LTL. By providing a scalable, data-driven solution for dynamic fleet management, increased delivery options, and automated processes, Bringg creates a seamless experience for drivers, dispatchers, and customers while reducing last-mile costs.

Conexiom  | John McNeill, CEO
The Conexiom Platform employs AI, advanced algorithms, and automated validation to deliver industry-leading automation rates for processing Sales Orders, Invoices and Vendor Order Acknowledgments. Conexiom’s technology gives back the excessive time lost on manual data entry and alleviates the high cost of correcting errors. The platform handles emailed documents with ease, extracts data in clear text for 100% accuracy, and delivers data seamlessly to leading ERP and CRM systems. Manufacturers suppliers, and distributors worldwide typically achieve 80% or greater touchless automation rates to increase profitability, speed, and accuracy, while elevating customer service for sales orders and greater control over cash for invoices. Conexiom is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and has offices in Kitchener, Ontario; London, England; and Chicago, Illinois

Flintfox | John Moss, CEO
Flintfox is a global leader in intelligent pricing software, helping wholesale and distributors make incremental gains by executing their pricing strategies with precision, identifying opportunities for margin growth, and managing rebates and promotions with precision. As businesses navigate the complexities of the current trading environment, Flintfox Intelligent Pricing Platform streamlines manual pricing processes and administrative tasks, replacing spreadsheets and rudimentary ERP pricing functionality with automation and speed, maximizing profitability. 

inriver | Niels Stenfeldt, CEO
Inriver powers the entire product journey at every touchpoint. The composable inriver PIM solution, with built-in digital shelf analytics and integration capabilities, connects to your digital ecosystem with flexibility and ease so it grows as your company grows. With more demands on product data than ever before, B2B and B2C enterprises need a PIM solution that supports the entire product cycle, from sourcing to decommissioning and every stage in between. Inriver helps brands, manufacturers, and retailers turn product information into strategic assets, maximizing profitability at every touchpoint for 1,600+ global brands. Headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, and with offices all over the world, inriver has a team of over 375 people ready to strengthen your product journey. For more information, visit inriver.com.

Kodaris | Tony Zakula, CEO
Founded in 2014, Kodaris has partnered with distribution customers to design and build the Supply Chain Platform of the future. Through strong, ongoing customer collaboration, we deliver innovation at a breakneck pace. Kodaris was engineered from day one to solve the fundamental problem that SaaS solutions become inflexible, forcing enterprise customers to use multiple solutions, perform complex integrations, or change their business processes. The Kodaris platform allows enterprises to utilize a powerful SaaS platform while personalizing and building it to their specific needs, driving new revenue and operating efficiency. With an ever-growing module set that includes Commerce, PIM, CMS, Mobility, Customer Portal, CRM, AR Payments, Logistics Delivery, Business Intelligence, Payment Platform, Development Environments, and Open Rest APIs, enterprises leverage what they need today with the assurance that the platform will grow and innovate with them and continue to deliver ROI.

Loop | Matt McKinney, Co-Founder & CEO
Loop is on a mission to unlock profits trapped in the supply chain and lower costs for consumers. Bad data and inefficient workflows create friction that limits working capital and raises costs for every supply chain stakeholder. Loop’s modern audit and pay platform uses our domain-driven AI to harness the complexity of supply chain data and documentation. We improve transportation spend visibility so companies can control their costs and power profit. That is why industry leaders like J.P. Morgan Chase, Great Dane, Emerge, and Loadsmart work with Loop. Our investors include J.P. Morgan, Index Ventures, Founders Fund, 8VC, Susa Ventures, Flexport, and 50 industry-leading angel investors. Our team brings subject matter expertise from companies like Uber, Google, Flexport, Meta, Samsara, Intuit, Rakuten, and long-standing industry leaders like C.H. Robinson.   

OneRail | Bill Catania, Founder & CEO
OneRail is a leading omnichannel fulfillment solution pairing best-in-class software with logistics as a service to provide Amazon-level dependability and speed to help businesses meet their delivery promise. With a real-time connected network of 12 million drivers, OneRail matches the right vehicle for the right delivery so brands lower expenses and increase capacity to rapidly scale their businesses. This people-plus-platform approach features a 24/7 USA-based exceptions team who maintain a 99% on-time delivery rate. OneRail was recently ranked No. 24 on the 2023 Deloitte Technology Fast 500TM, was named for the third year in a row on the FreightTech 100, named on Inc. magazine’s Best Workplaces 2023, ranked No. 23 on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Startup Employers and named to the Inc. 5000 two years in a row (most recently at No. 59, with 7,409 percent growth). To learn more about OneRail, visit OneRail.com. 

Revalgo
Revalgo is a revolutionary platform for B2B distributors and manufacturers that supercharges your sales team’s efficiency with the power of Artificial Intelligence. Our cutting-edge platform seamlessly integrates with your ERP, handling orders from various sources like emails, PDFs, Excel files, images, handwritten notes, and text messages. Whether your orders include part numbers or not, Revalgo accommodates them all. Plus, we source non-stock products with real-time pricing and availability, eliminating the need for time-consuming document mapping and lengthy onboarding processes. With Revalgo, you can be up and running in just four weeks, giving your sales team more time to focus on what they do best: nurturing relationships and driving revenue.

Returning Tech Innovators

Balance | Bar Geron, Co-Founder & CEO
Balance is the leading provider of B2B financial technology, offering comprehensive payment solutions for businesses and marketplaces. Balance’s suite of products extends to streamlining all aspects of the financial ecosystem, encompassing payment processing, financing, swift payouts, and automatic reconciliation. By seamlessly integrating these critical functions, Balance simplifies the entire B2B transaction cycle, reducing operational overhead and optimizing financial efficiency. Meanwhile, buyers enjoy an effortless payment experience, boosting order values and driving revenue for businesses.   

Curri | Matthew Lafferty, Co-Founder & CEO
Curri is a logistics platform built for the industrial supply chain, where distributors can instantly connect with a network of drivers to get supplies delivered.

Mirakl
Mirakl is a global SaaS technology company that enables businesses to revolutionize the way they sell online.Their ndustry-leading suite of solutions accelerates profitable eCommerce growth through solutions in marketplace, dropship, supplier sourcing ecosystem, supplier catalog management and pay-out, personalization, and retail media. More than 400 of the world’s most trusted brands across retail and B2B industries choose Mirakl’s award-winning technology, including Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen), Driven Brands, HPE, Toyota Material Handling, UNFI, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, and more. For more information: www.mirakl.com.

Nautical Commerce | Niklas Halusa, Founder & CEO
Nautical Commerce enables B2B distributors to own their industry by using multi-vendor commerce models. With Nautical’s composable multi-vendor commerce platform, businesses can build the experience their customers require in less time and with less risk. Whether your launching a new marketplace or leveraging the dropship model within an existing business, Nautical delivers the capabilities needed to make multi-vendor management simple for sellers and operators. 

Prokeep | Jack Carrere, Co-Founder & CEO
Founded in 2016, Prokeep is distribution’s leading conversation hub for wholesale distributors. Prokeep grows relationships and business by turning communication into commerce; increasing sales through centralized communication, improving customer experience through better insights and engagement opportunities, and adding productivity through systems automations. Prokeep is used by over 1,000 distributors across North America, enabling over 11+ million conversations and $6+ billion in revenue.  

Proton.ai | Benj Cohen, Founder & CEO
Since 2018, Proton has been on a mission to optimize distributors’ sales operations. As the only AI-powered growth platform purpose-built for distributors, Proton provides full visibility into customers and their needs, enabling distributors to identify hidden sales opportunities that convert to revenue. Proton empowers commercial teams with insights that help them sell smarter, engaging the right customers with the right message through web, mobile, or API integration. Proton’s suite of products – Sales AI, CRM, and eCommerce AI – are trusted by leading distributors including MSC, R.S. Hughes, and Reladyne.

Recurrency | Sam Oshay, Founder and CEO
Recurrency is the #1 ERP Automation Platform, built for growing distributors. Recurrency syncs instantly with your legacy ERP and uses artificial intelligence to automate sales, purchasing, and pricing workflows. Learn how we help drive organic revenue and margin growth, increase your team’s productivity, and improve your customer experience.

Zoro | Sandy Mattinson, President
Zoro.com launched in May 2011 with about 20 employees and an assortment of around 180,000 items. Over the next several years, we expanded rapidly, growing the business with a much bigger team and a greater selection of products. As an e-Commerce, digital-first business, we’ve developed Zoro.com into a destination for searching, ordering, and shipping supplies and tools quickly and seamlessly. Today, we offer millions of unique products for every job—and we’re adding more all the time.  

Email events@naw.org for Early Bird and Past Attendee special pricing!

2022 Testimonial