Celes, the Barranquilla software startup for the retail sector, closes a capital raise of US$5 million led by the Brazilian fund SP Ventures, with the participation of Fulcrum Global Capital (USA), 30N Ventures (Mexico) and Taram Capital (Chile).
Founded in 2023 in Barranquilla by Luis Ricardo Almanza (CEO), Luis Ballestas (COO) and David Florián (CTO), the company develops artificial intelligence agents and predictive algorithms to calculate demand, optimize inventory and define the daily distribution of products in physical stores. Their model points to a specific pain in Latin American retail: the empty shelf and the inventory immobilized as a consequence of the same forecast failure.
The architecture that Celes chose to solve this problem is key to understanding its traction: instead of asking retailers to replace their systems, the platform integrates with existing ERPs such as SAP or Oracle to automate the logistics cycle without implementation friction. Today it processes 55 million daily forecasts for more than 8,500 stores in eight countries, and autonomously executes more than 90% of replenishment decisions.
Its client portfolio includes Olímpica, FEMSA Salud and Tiendas Neto. José Manuel Carbonell, president of Olímpica SA, confirmed to Forbes Chile that the implementation made it possible to reduce shelf stockouts and reduce logistical costs associated with the management and control of merchandise.
AI on top of existing ERP: the integration thesis that accelerated adoption
Celes’ competitive differential is not only in the algorithm, but in the decision to build on the infrastructure that retailers already have, without asking them for migrations or months-long implementation projects. This architecture explains why the platform has come to operate in eight countries in less than three years since its founding.
“The alignment of data between retailers and manufacturers, actors that historically plan separately, is the central factor to reduce operational costs, mitigate lost sales and avoid stagnant inventory,” said Luis Ballestas, in conversation with Forbes Chile.
From Barranquilla to Brazil: the roadmap with the US$5 million
With the Series A capital, Celes aims to consolidate its current operations in Colombia, Mexico and Chile, and begin its formal expansion in Brazil, the largest retail market in Latin America. “This investment reflects the trust of the funds in building a more efficient supply chain for the region,” comments Luis Ricardo Almanza, CEO of Celes, to Forbes Chile.
Among the investors in the round, Taram Capital stands out, the Chilean manager founded by Felipe Camposano and Christian Onetto that began its formal activity in 2022.
Last February, it announced Taram II, its new investment vehicle with funds of up to US$45 million focused on technology and software companies, leveraged by Corfo and with the particularity of having entrepreneurs among its contributors, a sign of maturity of local private capital in Chile. The Celes round is one of the first public movements of this new fund in the regional ecosystem.
